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AFRICA IN 2004
Looking ahead to new events and remembering significant milestones
Elections in Algeria , Mozambique and Malawi • A decade of democracy in South Africa • Fifty years since Nasser in Egypt • Forty years of Zambian independence • Three decades of Frelimo in Mozambique • Customs Union due for Comesa • UN Great Lakes conference • AU Summit in Addis Ababa
January
Senate elections in Gabon
The Senate in Gabon has 91 members, elec ted for a six-year term in single-seat constituencies by local and department councillors. President El Hadj Omar Bongo, of the PDG (Parti Démocratique Gabonais) succeeded to power on 2 December 1967 and has been re-elec ted five times since, in 1973, 1979, 1986, 1993 and 1998.
February
Five years of the fourth republic
After sixteen years of military rule, Nigeria returned to civilian rule on 27 February 1999 . Olusegun Obasanjo won the general elections and became president of the fourth republic. Now in his second, and final term in office, President Obasanjo faces a daunting task. Despite many economic reforms, corruption and debt have reached dangerous levels. Constitutional changes may bring great benefit but will be difficult to implement given the division between political groupings in the country.
SADC council of ministers
This meeting will take place in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania in February 2004.
March
Parliamentary elections in Equatorial Guinea
The Parliament (Chamber of People’s Representatives) has 80 members, elec ted for a five-year term by proportional representation in multi-member constituencies. The ruling part won 75 of the 80 seats in March 1999. The current President of Equatorial Guinea is Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. The Prime Minister is Cándido Muatetema. The president is elec ted by the electorate for a seven-year term. The president has been in office since 1979 and was elec ted unopposed on 15 December 2002 .
20 years since the Nkomati Accords
So much has changed. When the Nkomati Accords were signed on 16 March 1984 South Africa and Mozambique were agreeing not to go to war with each other even though South Africa continued to support groups fighting the Frelimo government. On that day there were speeches by Marshal Samora Moisés Machel and by PW Botha, Prime Minister of South Africa. The Accords included four working groups: security, economic issues, the Cahora Bassa group and tourism. Today relations are quite different and much more is being done to link the two countries through joint infrastructure projects and a large game park.
April
Presidential elections in Algeria
The incumbent is Abdelaziz Bouteflika who has been in power since April 1999. The former prime minister, Ali Benflis is MrBouteflika’s main rival. Mr Benflis is suppor ted by the largest political party in Algeria , the Front de liberation nationale. In the 1999 elections, all other candidates withdrew the day before polling alleging fraud.
The Parliament is bicameral: the National People’s Assembly has 380 members, elec ted for a five year term in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation. Eight seats in the national assembly are reserved for Algerians abroad; the National Council has 144 members, 96 members elec ted by communal councils and 48 members appoin ted by the president.
Ten years of democracy in South Africa
The multiracial elections in April 1994 changed the country and the region. After many decades of apartheid rule, South Africa will have comple ted its first decade of freedom. The milestone will be celebra ted internationally but will also prompt many to assess the decade more critically and consider what else might have been done. Two presidents, Mr Mandela and Mr Mbeki, have undoub ted ly made their mark on the government and on the country which has, amongst many other things, rejoined the African and international community.
Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar : 40 years
Tanganyika and Zanzibar were uni ted under President Nyerere on 23 April 1964 . The new name of the state, Tanzania , was only announced on 29 October.
Ten years since fateful plane crash
On 6 April 1994 the jet carrying President Juvénal Habyarimana of Rwanda and President Cyprien Ntaryamira of Burundi from peace talks in Tanzania was shot down as it was coming in to land at Kigali airport. It was widely believed that the plane was shot down by extremist members of the Presidential Guard opposed to peace with the Tutsi-domina ted Rwandan Patriotic Front. The death of the two leaders preceded the genocide in Rwanda .
37 years in Togo ’s top job
Gnassingbé Eyadéma assumed the presidency of Togo on 14 April 1967 . After 37 years President Eyadéma remains Africa ’s longest serving head of state.
June
Presidential and parliamentary elections in Malawi
The president and the vice-president are elec ted on one ballot for a five-year term by the electorate. The National Assembly has 192 members, elec ted for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies. The current president Bakili Muluzi (Uni ted Democratic Front) won 52.4% of the vote in 1999 ahead of Gwanda Chakuamba (Malawi Congress Party) who won 45.2%. It will be 10 years since 17 May 1994 when Malawi held its first multi-party elections since independence that were contes ted by three major parties.
50 years since Nasser in Egypt
On 14 June 1954 Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser seized power in Egypt . British troops were then removed from Egypt and Nasser became Egypt ’s head of state. The monarchy had been abolished the previous year. The current President, Mr Hosni Mubarak, was most recently re-elec ted in September 1999. The main internal priority in 2004 will be to maintain domestic stability in the face of a poorly performing economy. Given the attempt to begin a more democratic order in Iraq and the conflict in Israel , Egypt ’s foreign affairs with the broader region will not be any easier.
UN Great Lakes conference
The first of two UN conferences on peace and development will be held in June 2004. Ibrahima Fall, a UN special representative has announce that NGOs and civil society representatives will participate in the preparatory process for the summits and that they will be incorpora ted into national preparatory committees of the six “core” countries in the region: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Before the June 2004 summit, three regional preparatory committee meetings will be held, as well as a series of meetings at national level.
July
Five years: King Mohammed IV in Morocco
King Hassan II of Morocco died in 1999 and his son, Mohamed IV succeeded on 23 July of that year. King Hassan had reigned since 1961.
AU Summit, Addis Ababa
The Summit of Africa’s premier multilateral organisation will once again meet to discuss the challenges ahead. The 2003 summit was held in Maputo , Mozambique . If enough ratifications are received for the Peace and Security Council at the Extraordinary Summit in Sirte , Libya , then the PSC may be fully operational by the time the Addis Ababa summit begins.
Malawi : 40 years since independence
On 6 July 1964 Malawi (formerly Nyasaland ) gained independence from Britain with Mr Hastings Banda as Prime Minister.
August
Parliamentary elections in South Africa
South Africa will hold parliamentary elections in August and it is expec ted that Mr Mbeki of the African National Congress (ANC) will easily win a second term in office as President. The president is elec ted for a five-year term by the parliament. Parliament has two chambers: the National Assembly has 400 members, elec ted for a five-year term by proportional representation; and the National Council of Provinces which has 90 members, elec ted for a five-year term by the provincial parliaments. In June 1999 the ANC won 266 of 400 seats in Parliament. At the time, 13 parties were represen ted in Parliament. The HIV/AIDS pandemic and relations, poverty eradication and relations with the government of President Mugabe in Zimbabwe will be two of the most pressing issues in 2004.
SADC Summit in Mauritius
During SADC’s annual meeting, South Africa is set to become Chair of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security co-operation. The Organ has been a controversial part of SADC in the past and it is presumed that as the new chair, South Africa will bring additional resources and commitment to peacekeeping on the continent. Seychelles has indica ted its intention to withdraw from SADC although a process for withdrawal still needs to be followed. The final withdrawal, or not, may be decided by the Seychelles at this Summit .
September
Parliamentary elections in Mauritius
The National Assembly has 66 members, 62 elec ted for a four-year term in single-seat constituencies. Four additional members are appoin ted by the Supreme Court. The current President is Anerood Jugnauth, a former prime minister, and began his term of office on 7 October 2003 . The president is elec ted for a five-year term by the parliament.
30 years of independence: Guinea Bissau
On 10 September 1974 , Guinea Bissau achieved independence from Portugal .
Three decades of Frelimo
On 20 September 1974 a Frelimo-led government took office under Prime Minister Chissano in preparation for independence in June 1975. Frelimo fought against Portugal for independence and has governed the country ever since. The December elections will decide whether this trend continues or whether Renamo, the opposition, will rule instead.
Landmines Review Conference
The Review conference will held in Nairobi , Kenya . NGOs and states’ representatives will gather to assess work done in the previous five years. It is hoped that in 2004 more states will accede to the Convention that has played a key role in reducing the number of deadly landmines that affect civilian populations in many African states.
October
Parliamentary elections in Namibia
The president is elec ted for a five-year term by the parliament. The current government is formed by the BDP. The National Assembly has 47 members, 40 members elec ted for a five-year term in single seat constituencies, and four members co-op ted by the elec ted members and two members ex-officio and the Speaker (if elec ted from outside Parliament). Mr Festus Mogae is the current president whose party, the Botswana Democratic Party won 33 of the 40 elec ted seats in Parliament.
Elections in Niger
The president of Niger is elec ted for a five-year term by the electorate. The National Assembly has 83 members, elec ted for a five-year term, 75 members are elec ted in multi-seat constituencies and 8 members are elec ted in single-seat national minority constituencies. The current President, Mr Mamadou Tandja, was elec ted in 1999.
Tunisia at the polls
The president of Tunisia is elec ted for a five-year term directly by the electorate. The current government is formed by the Rassemblement Constitutionelle et Démocratique (RCD). The current President is Mr Zine el Abidine Ben Ali of the RCD. The Prime minister is Mr Mohamed Ghannouchi also of the RCD. In the October 1999 elections, Mr Zine El Abidine received 99.4% of the vote. The Chamber of Deputies has 182 members, elec ted for a five-year term in single seat constituencies. Interestingly, 34 seats are guaranteed to the opposition.
Zambia celebrates independence: 40 years
In September 2004, Zambia will have been independent for four decades. Britain handed over power to a government led by Kenneth Kaunda on 24 October 1964 .
November
Berlin Conference: 120 years ago
On 15 November 1884, Prince Otto Bismarck, the first Chancellor of the German Empire hos ted the Berlin conference. It has been claimed that the term “scramble for Africa” was coined in this year. The 19 plenipotentiaries and 15 assistants represen ted 14 great and lesser powers; none of them were African. The meeting had been called to decide on the rules for the ‘Scramble’ that would come to have disastrous effects for Africa and continue the phase of colonisation. Today the decisions about Africa are more firmly in the hands of Africans but the influence of meetings in Berlin, Paris and London is still felt throughout the continent for good or for ill. 120 years later, the UN Great Lakes conference will be deciding on how to ‘carve up’ that region once again in an attempt to bring peace.
Presidential and parliamentary elections in Namibia
The president is elec ted for a five-year term by the people. President Sam Nujoma is expec ted to stand down. The Parliament has two chambers. The National Assembly has 78 members, elec ted for a five-year term, and 72 members elec ted by proportional representation, and 6 members appoin ted by the president. The National Council has 26 members, elec ted for a six-year term in double-seat constituencies (regions).
December
Peace prizes for Africa
In 1984, 20 years ago, Archbishop Desmond Tutu was awarded the Nobel peace prize. In his speech he sta ted : “There is no peace in Southern Africa. There is no peace because there is no justice. There can be no real peace and security until there be first justice enjoyed by all the inhabitants of that beautiful land.” Since then, more peace prizes, as well as some literature prizes have been awarded to African citizens.
Ghana to elect new leaders
The current president is John Kufuor. The president is elec ted for a four-year term by the people. Parliament has 200 members, elec ted for a four-year term in single-seat constituencies.
Mozambique at the polls
The president is elec ted for a five-year term by the people. The current government is formed by FRELIMO. The Assembleia da República (Assembly of the Republic) has 250 members, elec ted for a five-year term by proportional representation.
Sudan to elect new Parliament
The president is elec ted for a five-year term by the people. The Majlis Watani (National Assembly) has 360 members, 270 directly elec ted for a four-year term in single-seat constituencies, 35 members representing women, 26 members representing university graduates and 29 representatives of trade unions.
Comesa Customs Union
The 21 members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa plan to introduce a customs union by December 2004. As provided by the COMESA Treaty in Article 64 2 (a), members are required to adopt a uniform and comprehensive system for the “tariff classification of goods with a common and specific basis of description and interpretation in accordance with internationally accep ted standards”. The COMESA Common Tariff is one of the conditions for the establishment of Customs Union. 2004 also marks a decade since COMESA replace the Preferential Trade area first established in 1981. Since only three COMESA states already apply the common tariff, much work needs to be done in the year ahead if the target is to be achieved.
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