A selection of media reports from the African countries in advance of President Clinton's tour.

Ugandan President urged to confront Clinton on Libya

Text of report by Ugandan radio on 21st March

The secretary-general of the Union of Muslim Countries in East, Central and Southern Africa, has said that President Clinton's visit to Uganda is a demonstration of the confidence the US government has in the incumbent leadership in this country.

Addressing a press conference in Kampala, he said that since the NRM [National Resistance Movement] came to power in 1986, Uganda's image, within and abroad, has greatly changed.

He noted that with the peace, stability and democracy taking root in the country, more distinguished visitors are expected to come to Uganda.

President Museveni of Uganda

The secretary-general expressed concern about the suffering of the people of Libya due to sanctions imposed on that country.

He requested President Museveni to use his good relations with President Clinton so that he changes his attitude towards the Libyan people and other Muslim countries.

He hoped that President Clinton's visit will open a new chapter in the relations between his government and African countries, including Libya.

Source: Radio Uganda, Kampala, in English 1700 gmt 21 Mar 98

South African group vows to hound Clinton

South African news agency SAPA report

A South African group threatened on Saturday to make US President Bill Clinton's forthcoming tour of the country as as uncomfortable as possible, the South African news agency SAPA reported.

Patrick Mkhize, deputy national chairman of the group, said at a service marking the 38th anniversary of the fatal Sharpeville shootings that "we will hound Clinton wherever he will be and make it clear to him that for us capitalism represents all that is evil".

"Clinton is coming to South Africa to recolonise us for the second time, through deals achieved through the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

"It is not a surprise therefore, that the government has adopted the Growth, Employment and Redistribution strategy (GEAR). This Gear means unemployment, retrenchments and even tougher economic times for the workers," Mkhize was quoted as saying.

The organization said earlier this week that it plans to launch a new socialist party today.

South African radio reports on Clinton's African "debt-forgiveness plan"

Text of report by South African radio on 19th March

A White House official says President Bill Clinton, during his 11-day tour of Africa this month, will unveil a so-called debt-forgiveness plan for African countries that have introduced free-market economic principles.

The official says the $30m programme will be directed at countries undertaking the boldest economic reforms, but the recipients have not yet been selected.

The official says it has also not yet been decided whether the US funds should be applied against a country's debt as a whole, or against the interest on the debt.

The report indicates Africa's combined debt is estimated at $223bn, of which $4.6bn is owed to the United States.

Source: SABC SAfm radio, Johannesburg, in English 1100 gmt 21 Mar 98

Rwandan official briefs journalists on Clinton visit

Text of report by Rwandan radio on 19th March

The Rwandan National Committee for Information today held a press conference regarding the preparation of the visiting US President Bill Clinton.

Mr Emmanuel Gasana, the political adviser in the vice-president's office, explains about this visit:

It was already announced by the Office of the President of the republic on 12th March 1998: His Excellency President William Jefferson Clinton of the USA will be visiting Rwanda on Wednesday 25th March 1998.

President Clinton's visit to Rwanda is part of a six-nation African tour that is of paramount importance to Afro-American relations. Rwanda is honoured, therefore, to be one of those countries selected.

"The historic visit of the US president to Africa offers three major opportunities to Rwanda:
First, it will give an opportunity to the top leadership of this country to share directly with President Clinton their views on issues of common interest between Rwanda and the United States.
Second, it will be an opportunity for President Clinton to show and express his solidarity with the Rwandese people in general, and the victims and survivors of the 1994 genocide in particular.
Third, it will offer an opportunity to Rwanda, together with the sister republics of the region, to engage the USA in a constructive dialogue on fostering regional security and political stability.

After the era of Cold-War politicking, it is indeed vital that the leader of the sole superpower comes to promote genuine and transparent partnership. Rwanda therefore looks forward to this visit and will accord it all the importance it deserves.

Preparations for the visit are in full gear, and specifics of the programme are being finalized jointly with the US government, and will be communicated to the public at the opportune moment.

No doubt the role of the media is going to be very important in the pre-visit period, during the period itself - the visit itself, and indeed after the visit.

What the press will be highlighting in the days to come will be influential in assisting the Rwandese people to appreciate the importance of this visit. Responsible members of the press that you are, there is no doubt that you will live up to your job.

For reasons that you will appreciate, however, certain measures will have to be taken in order to ensure good press coverage of this visit.

There will therefore be need to be accredited. The details on how you get accredited are being worked on, and you will be informed very soon.

It is the intention of this committee to keep the Rwandese people informed on the preparations and programme of [the] president's visit, President Clinton's visit, so that it can be given a befitting welcome.

Source: Radio Rwanda, Kigali, in English 1915 gmt 19 Mar 98

Nigerian radio says US opinion on presidential election "dictatorial"

The text of the commentary as broadcast by Nigerian radio on 19th March

Nigeria had thought that she had put American bravado and dictatorial tendencies behind her, but it seems we are mistaken, because Washington has woken up from a short nap to remind Abuja that a leopard never changes its spots.

General Abacha, Nigeria's military leader

The American State Department, through its assistant secretary of state for African affairs, Susan Rice, has said that America will not accept an electoral victory by a military candidate in Nigeria's forthcoming presidential election.

By this unfortunate statement, Uncle Sam has clearly demonstrated his penchant and capacity for speaking from both sides of the mouth, for only a short while ago, we heard statements from the policeman of the world that it is the business of Nigerians who they choose to lead them.

Whatever is responsible for this double-talk, whether it's amnesia or a reversal of decision, which is concomitant with America's foreign policy objectives, Nigeria wants to restate that she has not shifted from her original stand that she has the right to her own decisions, and that on no condition will she take dictations from any nation in the world, not even America, which seems to be overawing all nations into servitude.

So, it seems really true that America [word indistinct] a vast conspiracy to make them, just them alone, happy.

Nigeria's minister of information and culture, Chief Ike Obasey Mokelu, has reacted very appropriately, describing America's new outburst as an exercise in futility.

But it's much more than that: It's an exercise in brash meddlesomeness, which can only come from self-aggrandizement and total disregard for others.

As Mokelu said, sovereignty of Nigeria lies absolutely in the hands of Nigerians. So, if they choose to vote a military candidate to lead them, America has no right whatsoever to direct otherwise.

As a sovereign independent nation, the leading black nation, which has proved to be a regional superpower, Nigeria deserves some respect from other nations of the world, including America.

Besides, Nigeria has not, in any way, mortgaged her sovereignty to America, because she has survived these five years without support and aid from the Father Christmas of the world, and actually, Nigeria has refused to be part of the beggarly satellite American community that Washington is creating round the world.

Last month, about 2m Nigerians of all ages converged on Abuja to plead with Gen Sani Abacha to transmute into a civilian president in October this year. If the American government has no consideration for the yearning of 2m Nigerians, and will rather force its own agenda on us, they have a big surprise coming.

This is because Nigerians have come a long way, and are determined to do it right this time.

They are no longer prepared to have a package democracy from across the seas that does not have traditional African resonance or respect for traditional consensus.

What Nigerians are saying is that they have found in Abacha the leadership qualities they have been searching for since independence, and will not want to lose him simply because he is a soldier.

So, why can't the Americans and their lackeys not listen? It can only be because they want to plant their stooges in all countries of the world to foster their grand designs for a global utopia with epicentre in Washington.

Even at the risk of annihilation, Nigeria will join other nationalistic nations of the world to halt an American (?cloning) of the races of the world.

It is amazing that, in spite of its problems at home, the American government can still stomp around the world.

The serial sex scandals that President Clinton is facing, apparently with the instigation of the opposition, should be enough to make a moral and responsive government put back its claws, even if for a while - but not America, and not Clinton, who have perfected the art of minding other people's business when they are [word indistinct] begging for attention.

The Americans should not continue to proclaim that the Clinton sex scandals are immaterial, because they are not, and will definitely take their toll.

It should bother them that the self-righteous president of almighty America cannot keep his eyes and hands off the anatomies of young, attractive women.

Where Abacha is riding high in moral and political estimation of the people, the same cannot be said of Clinton right now. So, the American government and people should leave other nations alone, and try to put their house in order.

Right now, South Africans are preparing to demonstrate against Clinton's planned visit to selected African countries, because of his economic policies, which, they say, are designed towards the economic recolonization of Africa.

Clinton is avoiding Nigeria in the proposed visit - but who cares? People who really matter to the world of our dreams, like the Pope, have regard for Nigeria. The Pope is visiting in the next few days, and this is more salutary than Clinton's highly biased junket.

The Gulf and Nigerian diversions are not enough to wash Capitol Hill and the White House clean of this hogwash. They should go back to the drawing board, and replan their policy objectives on equal terms.

Source: Voice of Nigeria external service, Lagos, in English 1030 GMT 19 Mar 98

BBC Monitoring (http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk), based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.
 

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