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Bujumbura-Burundi.
BURUNDI - ASSASSINATION.
THE HEADMISTRESS OF THE PARAMEDICAL SCHOOL OF GITEGA ASSASSINATED AT HER HOME.
GITEGA, 4TH OCTOBER 2000 (NET PRESS). THE HEADMISTRESS OF THE PARAMEDICAL SCHOOL OF GITEGA, MRS CARITAS NAHIMANA, WAS MURDERED AT HER HOME IN MUSINZIRA QUARTER, IN GITEGA TOWN CENTRE, DURING THE NIGHT OF 3-4 OCTOBER 2000. SHE WAS KILLED TOGETHER WITH HER TWO SONS, BY MEN WHO ARE NOT YET IDENTIFIED. ACCORDING TO GITEGA LOCAL SOURCES, THE MURDERERS ARE ALREADY ARRESTED BY THE POLICE, BUT OTHER SOURCES SAY THAT INVESTIGATIONS ARE STILL UNDERWAY. RECENT INFORMATION INDICATE THAT THREE SUSPECTS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ARRESTED BY GITEGA POLICE.
INSECURITY HAS INCREASED IN THAT PROVINCE. IT IS TO BE RECALLED THAT ON MONDAY MORNING OCTOBER 3, 2000, A BROTHER WHOSE NAME WAS ANTONIO BARGIGIA WAS ASSASSINATED AT IBUBU, NEAR THE MEMORIAL OF KIBIMBA GENOCIDE. THREE MUDERERS ARE ALREADY UNDER ARREST IN MURAMVYA PROVINCE.
BURUNDI - THE USA - ECONOMY.
BURUNDI AND 13 OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES EXCLUDED FROM THE LIST OF COUNTRIES "ELIGIBLE FOR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE US".
WASHINGTON, 4TH OCTOBER 2000 (NET PRESS). AMERICAN PRESIDENT MR. BILL CLINTON ANNOUNCED THIS MONDAY OCTOBER 2, 2000, A LIST OF 34 AFRICAN COUNTRIES "ELIGIBLE FOR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE US". ACCORDING TO PRESIDENT CLINTON, IT IS A MATTER OF PROMOTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ALLEVIATING POVERTY IN "FRIENDLY COUNTRIES" AND CREATING NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR AMERICAN WORKERS AND BUSINESSMEN.
14 COUNTRIES, INCLUDING BURUNDI, HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THAT LIST BECAUSE EITHER "THEY DIDN'T SHOW INTEREST IN TAKING PART IN IT", OR BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSIDERED TO BE HOSTILE TO THE USA, OR BECAUSE THEY DO NOT RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS OR HAVE "INCOHERENT ECONOMIC POLICIES". ALONGSIDE BURUNDI, THE OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES EXCLUDED ARE : ANGOLA, BURKINA FASO, THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, COMOROS, IVORY COAST, EQUATORIAL GUINEA, GAMBIA, LIBERIA, SOMALIA, SUDAN, SWAZILAND, TOGO AND ZIMBABWE.
ACCORDING TO AMERICAN PRESS, THESE MEASURES APPROVED TODAY BY THE AMERICAN CONGRESS, WERE REJECTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO. THE SAME PRESS SAY COMOROS, SOMALIA AND SUDAN DIT NOT SHOW ANY INTEREST. IT REMAINS TO BE KNOWN WHY BURUNDI WAS EXCLUDED WHEREAS A COUNTRY SUCH AS SIERRA LEONE WHERE HUMAN RIGHTS ARE CONSTANTLY VIOLATED, HAS BEEN RETAINED. WHAT MIGHT HAVE MADE THE AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION TO ADMIT SIERRA LEONE AS "ELIGIBLE" IS THAT IT HAS AN ELECTED GOVERNMENT AND A MARKET ECONOMY.
ACCORDING TO ANALYSTS, IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, ONLY THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY OF THE CONTINENT WILL PRIMARLY BENEFIT FROM THESE ADVANTAGES BUT AMERICAN CONGRESSMEN FEAR THAT NON-AFRICAN COUNTRIES MIGHT (NAMELY ASIAN ONES) BENEFIT FROM THAT AND SELL THEIR GOODS, ON THE AMERICAN MARKET, PRETENDING THAT THOSE PRODUCTS ARE FROM AFRICA. OTHER ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES ARE THOSE OF CENTRAL AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN WITHOUT CUBA.
BURUNDI - TELECOMMUNICATION.
ONATEL TRADE UNION REQUEST TO GET SHARES IN THE FUTURE TO BE PRIVATIZED ONATEL.
BUJUMBURA, 4TH OCTOBER 2000 (NET PRESS). IN A LETTER SENT ON 27 SEPTEMBER 27, 2000 TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ONATEL, ONATEL TRADE UNION AFFIRMS THAT THIS COMPANY WAS ABOUT TO PAY OUT $ 9,000,000 INSTEAD OF $ US 5,000,000 THUS SAVING US $ 4,000,000 THANKS TO ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN BY THE SAME TRADE UNION. AS THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY UNDERTAKEN THE PRIVATIZATION PROCESS OF ONATEL, PURSUES THE TRADE UNION, "IT IS LEGITIMATE THAT ONATEL STAFF BENEFIT FROM SAVED AMOUNT ($ 4,000,000) AND WHEN TIME COMES IT REPRESENTS SHARE IN THE FUTURE COMPANY".
THE ONATEL TRADE UNION THEREFORE REQUESTS TO ESTABLISH AS SOON AS POSSIBLE A SCOPE OF NEGOTIATION SO THE REQUEST BE CONCRETIZED, AND ADDS THAT IN THE COURSE OF NEGOTIATIONS, THE TRADE UNION WILL BE ASSISTED BY BARRISTER MR. DEO NDIKUMANA"BE IT THROUGH LETTERS, BEFORE COURTS ON IF NEED BE, BY STRIKES".
"NET PRESS" CONTACTED THE CHAIRMAN OF ONATEL BOARD OF DIRECTORS, MR. EVARISTE NIBASUMBA, WHO POINTED OUT THAT HE DOES NOT CONSIDER THIS CLAIM AS SERIOUS. ACCORDING TO HIM , THE TRADE UNION WAS "JOKING" BECAUSE, HE SAID, "LOGICALLY, IT IS NOT FEASIBLE". HE RECKONED THAT THE STAFF HAS BEEN ABLE TO HELP REDUCE THE PRICE BUT THE DIFFERENCE SHOULD NOT MEAN AUTOMATICALLY THEIR SHARE.
THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO ENCOURAGE THEM. MR. NIBASUMBA ADDED THAT THE ENTREPRISE WAS THEIR OWN AND THAT THEY MUST SUPPORT IT SO AS TO MAKE IT A PERPETUAL ONE AND NOT TO SHARE ITS FUNDS.
BURUNDI - GREAT LAKES - CONFERENCE.
IN COOPERATION WITH UNESCO, THE NYERERE FOUNDATION ORGANISE A CONFERENCE ON THE PROBLEMATICS OF PEACE IN THE SUB-REGION.
KAMPALA, 4TH OCTOBER 2000 (NET PRESS). FROM 27 NOVEMBER TO 2 DECEMBER 2000, THERE WILL BE HELD IN UGANDAN CAPITAL , A "SUB-REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE GREAT LAKES REGION AND THE AGENDA OF THE NEW MILLENIUM". IT WILL BE ORGANIZED BY THE JULIUS K. NYERERE FOUNDATION IN COOPERATION WITH UNESCO AND SUPPORTED BY THE UGANDA AND TANZANIAN GOVERNMENTS. ACCORDING TO NYERERE FOUNDATION CIRCLES, THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS CONFERENCE IN WHICH BURUNDI WILL TAKE PART, IS TO SEARCH FOR THE WAYS AND MEANS OF PUTTING AN END TO NUMEROUS ARMED CONFLICTS THAT ARE PLAGUING THE REGION AND TO THE CHAOS GENERATED BY THEM, TO POVERTY AND TO THE SOCIO-CULTURAL ALIENATION OF INHABITANTS OF THIS REGION. THOSE WHO WILL BE INVITED INCLUDE GOVERNMENTS, PARLIAMENTS, REPRESENTATIVES OF CIVIL SOCIETY, TEACHERS, THE PRESS AND BUSINESSMEN.
BURUNDI - EDUCATION.
THE GREAT LAKES UNIVERSITY (KIREMBA-SOUTH) HAS APPOINTED ITS CHANCELLOR.
BURURI, 4TH OCTOBER 2000 (NET PRESS). THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF BURUNDI UNIVERSITY DES GRANDS LACS ESTABLISHED AT KIREMBA (BURURI) MET ON 28 SEPTEMBER 2000 AND APPOINTED PROFESSOR SYLVERE SUGURU CHANCELLOR OF THAT UNIVERSITY. THE LATTER IS A PH. D. IN EDUCATION SCIENCES AND USED TO BE LECTURER AT THE FACULTY OF PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION SCIENCES (UNIVERSITY OF BURUNDI). HE HAS HELD MANY POSITIONS IN THE PAST AND HE USED TO BE DEAN OF THAT FACULTY AND DIRECTOR FOR UNIVERSITY LOGISTICS. HE IS ALSO LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE OF WORLD BANK FUNDED PROJECT "TWITEZIMBERE".
THIS NEW UNIVERSITY IS TO OFFICIALLY OPEN ON 6 NOVEMBER 2000. REGISTRATIONS STARTED SINCE 25 SEPTEMBER 2000 AND STUDENTS WHO DESIRE TO ATTEND IT REGISTRATE AT KIREMBA (BURURI) WHERE ITS HEADQUARTERS ARE OR IN BUJUMBURA WHERE THE LIAISON OFFICE, LOCATED IN 197, 'CHAUSSEE DU PRINCE LOUIS RWAGASORE'. THE LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THIS UNIVERSITY IS PROFESSOR GERARD NIYUNGEKO, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE CONSTITUTIONNAL COURT AND FORMER VICE RECTOR OF BURUNDI UNIVERSITY. THE MAJOR PROMOTERS OF THIS UNIVERSITY ARE BISHOP BERNARD BUDUDIRA OF DIOCESE BURURI AND PASTOR ABED-NEGO MADENGO, THE FIRST PASTOR OF KIREMBA.