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INSIDE AFRICA
Inside Africa
Aired September 6, 2003 - 12:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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TUMI MAKGABO, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): Uganda's Batwa's pygmies and their cries for equal rights as they face what some call the worst types of discrimination.
Taking charge, the women of Rwandan district and the farming project that could transform lives in their community.
Flying high. Good times for the African airline industry amidst a global economic downturn.
And, these elephants will soon have a new address in a trans-frontier animal park.
These and other stories all coming up on this edition of INSIDE AFRICA.
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Hello, and welcome to the program. I'm Tumi Makgabo.
In the spotlight this week: the reclusive Batwa pygmies of Africa's Great Lakes region. They were once the owners of the region's high montane forests. Today, many are without land and live under some of the hardest conditions possible.
There are about 4,000 Batwa in Uganda, and this story focuses on one community's battle for equal rights and survival.
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MAKGABO (voice-over): These are the children of Uganda's Batwa pygmies on their way to school. The 2-kilometer walk takes them from the outskirts of the Ugandan town of Kisoro to the Sesami (ph) integrated primary school just outside the town. Here, 30 pygmy children are enrolled.
The curriculum is designed to motivate these young people to aspire to a life beyond what their parents and ancestors have known -- a life free of the poverty, disease and discrimination so pervasive in today's pygmy communities.
About 100 Batwa pygmies live in this tiny settlement in southwestern Uganda. Minority Rights Group International says the Batwa suffer from the most severe types of discrimination. They were once masters of these forests -- hunters and gatherers -- who depended on the vegetation for their livelihood. But large-scale deforestation, modern development and civil wars in the Great Lakes region have left them practically homeless. Human rights groups say they've been dispossessed of almost all of their land.
Today, the Batwa pygmies make up less than 1 percent of the population of Rwanda, the DRC, Burundi and Uganda. Analysts say they're mostly despised and relegated to the level of second-class citizenry. Some liken them to the dalits, the former untouchable class in India.
In Uganda, the government says it recognizes that there is a problem with the way the pygmies are perceived.
NSABA BUTURO, MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION: The prejudice you see has been built over the years from colonial times to date, and that has tended to fit into the kind of attitude that you see the rest of Ugandans having towards Batwa.
MAKGABO: It's generally believed that the Batwa pygmies have a natural ability in music. The original inhabitants of this small community near Kisoro were apparently persuaded to come here by a famous chief who was interested in their musical ability. But even after they settled here, little was done to improve their lives. They live in shacks and huts with no access to health care.
In the 1990s, the Anglican Church built 19 two-room flats. The bishop, who headed this effort, says it was met by resistance from the non- Batwa community.
RETIRED BISHOPE ERNEST SHALITA, MAHABURA DIOCESE, KISORO: People who objected said, "Bishop, you are wasting your time. These people you cannot help them." And I said, 'Let us. If we put our full efforts together, we might be able to help them. At least probably two or three might come out.'
MAKGABO: Ugandan Batwa pygmies now have an organization that looks after their interests. John Babuka (ph) is the chairman. He says the group is working to make land available to the pygmies for farming, hoping this will solve the severe food shortage in their communities.
But even the suburb set aside for them in Kisoro is being taken over by people who don't want them nearby. John Babuka (ph) fears that he, too, could soon lose his piece of land and his house.
The Ugandan government has set up a trust fund to help indigenous communities, including the Batwa pygmies. It is administered by the Ugandan Wildlife Authority, or UWA, but many Batwa pygmies say they have yet to receive any money from the fund.
Asked how many pygmies may have benefited thus far, the operations director of UWA replied:
MOSES MAPESA WAFULA, UGANDAN WILDLIFE AUTHORITY: Oh, I could give you a name, you know. I don't remember the name, but I know that there is one, for example, in HCFC (ph).
MAKGABO: Many here say the Batwa pygmies contribute to their own problems by their unwillingness to adapt to a modern way of life. Until that happens, they say, change in the way they are perceived and treated is certainly a Herculean task.
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The Batwa pygmies have been guaranteed rights to settle in several national parks in Uganda, but rights organizations say they still do not have access.
Well, more for on the Batwa, visit our Web site at cnn.com/insideafrica. And while you're there, remember to take part in our quick vote. The address for you once again: cnn.com/insideafrica.
And moving on to Washington now, where United States Secretary of State Colin Powell delivered a key address on Friday in which he underscored relations with other countries. On Africa, Powell highlighted the U.S.'s role in resolving conflicts and Washington's commitment to fighting AIDS on the continent.
Some of these same issues were highlighted earlier this year during President Bush's July visit to Africa. Even prior to that, officials in Washington stressed the U.S.'s determination to help the continent develop. But some critics say this is mere rhetoric.
More now from Carol Pineau in Washington.
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GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will ensure that the nations of Africa are full partners in the trade and prosperity of the world.
CAROL PINEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On a five-day sweep of the continent, President Bush made a lot of promises -- promises to deliver on initiatives proposed by his administration, promises with impressive numbers. But critics say they are promises soon to be broken.
PAUL ZEITZ, EXEC. DIR., GLOBAL AIDS ALLIANCE: We're seeing a lot of rhetoric, but we're not seeing a lot of action on the ground.
PINEAU: A look at the president's proposal:
BUSH: Tonight, I propose the emergency plan for AIDS relief.
PINEAU: AIDS. In the State of the Union address last January, the president promised a whopping 15 billion over five years -- 10 billion of it in new money.
ROBLE OLHAYE, DJIBOUTI AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: And has greatly shown an honest interest to seeing that the plight of those infected by AIDS are changed, are given hope.
PINEAU: But his 2004 budget requested only $1.9 billion, not the 3 billion a year that was expected. The president says there are reasons to start slowly.
BUSH: It doesn't make any sense to load up an antiretrovirals if the distribution system won't get them out. In other words, there are some things some countries have to do to prepare for the arrival of a lot of money.
PINEAU: But critics say there is capacity on the ground, and that waiting will only delay the full impact of any increased funding.
ZEITZ: That money won't hit the ground in Africa until calendar year 2007. Well, that's another 10 million Africans that have to die, needlessly in our view. And so, we're saying that this initiative, if it was a true emergency plan, they would front-load the spending.
PINEAU: Administration officials point out the president requested 760 million for refugee assistance in 2004, an increase from the 705 million requested in 2003. But critics point out the 2004 request is still below the amount Congress ended up approving and the president signed, a total of 781 million.
BUSH: Today, I call for a new compact for global development.
PINEAU: The Millennium Challenge account, 10 billion over three years given to developing countries worldwide to practice good governance. Congress is still debating final appropriations, but at about half of what was expected, and AGOA, the much heralded African Growth and Opportunities Act, designed to promote free market growth.
LEON SPENCER, WASHINGTON OFFICE ON AFRICA: So, you've got 38 countries that were declared to be eligible for AGOA. You end up with less than half of those who are eligible for exporting textile apparel to the United States. Of those, you've only got six that have shown any appreciable change.
PINEAU: And what AGOA gives in market access critics say the farm bill, with its dramatic increase in subsidies to U.S. farmers, takes away. The White House says the farm bill does not hurt nations trying to enter the U.S. market.
PINEAU (on camera): The president's harshest critics say his interest in Africa is not genuine. That it is driven by his interests in oil, as the war on terrorism. But the president's aides say he is fully engaged in Africa. They point out he has met with more African leaders than any other sitting American president.
Carol Pineau for CNN in Washington.
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MAKGABO: And INSIDE AFRICA continues right after this break, so stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MAKGABO: And welcome back.
Taking a look now at some of the other stories making headlines around Africa.
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MAKGABO (voice-over): Sudan's main rebel leader, John Garang, resumed peace talks Friday with the country's first vice president, after their initial meeting on Thursday. Negotiations stalled recently over the country's wealth and power sharing arrangements.
Those attending the meeting in Naivasha, Kenya, hopes it will result in agreement on key issues, including the merger of rebel and government troops into a new army, as well as the country's oil wealth. Another meeting is expected next week.
A Uruguayan fishing vessel seized off the South African coast about 10 days ago is now on its way to Cape Town. The Viarsa, whose crew is accused of illegally catching highly-prized Patagonian toothfish, will eventually make its way to Australia. It was captured after a three-week-long chase by Australian and South African officials, who claimed to have found almost $1 million worth of fish aboard.
And this week marked the 34th anniversary of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's rise to power. Thousands celebrated on Tripoli streets with festivities, including a parade and motorcades, marching bands and combat drills by Libyan soldiers.
On September 1, 1969, Gadhafi, along with a group of army officers, toppled the then vacationing King Mohammed Idris al-Sinusi (ph).
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And turning now to business news on the continent this week, a look at the airline industry. Brenda Bernard has that.
BRENDA BERNARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Tumi.
We begin in South Africa, where the country's national carrier has made a major comeback after a year of huge losses. The airline has announced a 446 million rand profit for this year. It comes after a 1.4 billion rand loss in 2002.
The company's chief executive officer and president attributes the success to sound fiscal management.
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ANDRE VILJOEN, CEO, SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS: We focused on reducing costs. We've grown revenue. We took markets where we had opportunities. We've moved in, grew the airline with the political legitimacy in Africa (UNINTELLIGIBLE) have all of the airlines wanting to do business with us. And (UNINTELLIGIBLE) our role as assisting these airlines to be viable, to create good alliances and relationships with South African Airways.
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BERNARD: The success of South African Airways comes amidst a difficult time for the global airline industry. The fear of terrorism has led to a drop in the number of air travelers, forcing some international airlines to go under. But the industry in Africa is witnessing a rebirth of sorts. It is now the second fastest-growing market after Asia, and overall profits are up by 50 percent.
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CHRISTIAN FOLLY-KOSSI, SECRETARY GENERAL, AFRICAN AIRLINES ASSOC.: The yields in Africa are very high, and we can say also that industry has been spared by the event of 9/11, the SARS outbreak and the increasing threat of terrorism.
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BERNARD: South African Airlines, or SAA, and Kenya Airways are the giants on the continent. Kenya Airways controls the East African corridor.
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CATHERINE MWANGI, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, KENWAY AIRWAYS: If you looked at air travel a few years ago, I mean, to a lot of -- from east to west, a lot of people had to go through Europe, or you were traveling and had to wait for a whole week to come back because the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) was so bad. But now, it's definitely so much easier.
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BERNARD: But SAA has begun making inroads in the east, acquiring a 49-percent share Air Tanzania. Meanwhile, Kenya Airways recently acquired a share in another Tanzanian carrier: Precision.
There are several other smaller airlines that have started off on the continent, and Nigeria recently announced plans to launch a new carrier to replace the now defunct Nigerian Airways.
That's a look at your money for this week. I'm Brenda Bernard.
Tumi -- back to you.
MAKGABO: All right, Brenda, thank you very much.
And speaking of money, Rwanda's economy has been suffering from a general depression in world market prices for most of that country's exports, but there is one crop that it hopes and believes can turn its fertile soil into a foreign currency (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
And some women north of the capital of Kigali are hoping that this crop could also help change their lives.
Sylvia Smith reports.
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SYLVIA SMITH CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rwanda's landscape determines its fortunes. These opulent slopes have long provided the vast majority of agricultural exports. Now, the lowlands are becoming just as productive for farmers in the south of the country.
Here, a field of chili peppers grows in a fertile lowland or valley near Butare. The soil is rich, ideal for this type of crop.
This two-hectare farm is owned by a group of Rwandan women. They grow one of the hottest and most popular varieties of chili, a local favorite.
The United States Agency for International Development, USAID, helps fund the project.
GRACE AMANKUNUNZA, MWANUKUNDWA ASSOCIATION (through translator): We decided to grow this chili pepper because it will give us the greatest profit. We are an association of orphans of the genocide and women with HIV. The aim is to provide them with income so they can pay for better medical care.
SMITH: The pepper is a good choice. Its price has continued to climb on world markets, as demand grows due to unrest in other chili-producing countries, like Zimbabwe and Madagascar.
TIM SCHILLING, USAID: And those problems resulted in a drastic net reduction of their chili pepper production. That, coupled with the fact that there is a drought in northern-southern Africa, the counties of Malawi and Zambia, has led to a paucity of these chili peppers on the world market, driving the prices up.
SMITH: One of the main advantages Rwanda has is lots of natural irrigation. Water flows freely. This means a far higher yield than other countries, because there are no lengthy dry periods during the year. The farmers here expect a continual harvest for the next three years.
And there are many uses for the peppers they grow, like this one, called the Birdseye.
SCHILLING: I don't know exactly what the percentage is, but a large percentage of these Birdseye chili peppers are used for capsenol (ph) or chemical extraction which goes into the making of tear gas and mace and products like that.
SMITH: The business of growing, drying and packaging peppers is expected to bring economic benefits to the whole of the district.
AMANKUNUNZA (through translator): Because we are not able to do all of the work ourselves, some of the profits go to pay people to help us. The rest will go into buying drugs for those with HIV and paying school fees for the children. We can also buy food for children with nowhere to live.
SMITH: And along with that, help rebuild an economy still struggling from the effects of years of political upheaval.
For CNN's INSIDE AFRICA, I'm Sylvia Smith in Butare, Rwanda.
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MAKGABO: And, of course, there is more still ahead on INSIDE AFRICA, so don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MAKGABO: Hello again.
The Fifth World Parks Congress begins in South Africa on Monday. Participants will discuss ways to protect the world's wildlife. Ahead of the gathering, seven African authorities took a giant step towards implementing a new wildlife project: the creation of a trans-frontier park.
Cynde Strand takes us there.
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CYNDE STRAND, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Three tons of African might is hauled onto a specially-designed tractor-trailer.
This sleeping beauty is lifted onto a transport truck. Immobilized by dart guns, elephant families are loaded up for relocation from South Africa's Kruger National Park to a newly-created sanctuary just across the border in Mozambique.
There is little talk as the highly-attuned team moves these 10 from the capture site to transport containers. Once in the containers, an injection of antidote gets the jumbos back up on wobbly feet. This calf shows no signs of distress.
This is the beginning of what will one day be a mammoth conservation area, the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, stretching across three international boundaries -- South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Border fences will come down and the wildlife will be free to follow age-old migratory routes.
DR. MARKUS HOFMEYR, GAME CAPTURE, KRUGER NAT'L. PARK: Animals in ecological areas do not know international boundaries. And the fact that politicians are now standing next to each other to try and rectify that I think is a huge leap forward compared to just even 20 years ago.
STRAND: Bold steps into a new home in Mozambique and a bold step into a new era of conservation.
(on camera): More than 5,000 animals have been moved from Kruger National Park to Mozambique, but there is little else here -- no infrastructure, almost no roads, and as yet no tourist accommodations.
(voice-over): Conservation like this is costly, and it may take 10 to 20 years before this mega-park is fully realized, and that leaves the park managers at Kruger with a problem: an elephant problem. The population is nearing 12,000 and increasing by 7 percent a year. That's 5,000 more than is needed to safeguard biodiversity.
HOFMEYR: The translocation of elephants into Mozambique at this stage is not going to solve the overpopulation in South Africa.
STRAND: The park may be forced once again to cull entire herds of elephant, a move sure to generate an international outcry. The hope is that cross-border parks will one day make a hard decision like that unnecessary.
By restoring the freedom to roam, countries working together as neighbors can both protect wildlife and maybe eventually profit.
Cynde Strand for INSIDE AFRICA in the Kruger National Park.
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MAKGABO: And finally, to Guinea in West Africa, where experts predict a stronger economy for the country as its neighbors become more stable. That's apparently good news for one woman with an entrepreneurial spirit. Deep in the forest of the country's south, Marie-Francoise Lamah is making her contribution to Guinea's economic growth.
Seema Mathur picks up the story.
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SEEMA MATHUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Marie-Francoise Lamah lives in the little town of Zaracori (ph) near what's known as the Sacred Forest in Guinea. Others know the forest for its ancestral rituals, but for Marie-Francoise, the forest is sacred because it's blessed with natural resources that she's turning into beautiful cloth for profit.
MARIE-FRANCOISE LAMAH, SMALL FABRICS WORKSHOP OWNER (through translator): We call them the fabrics of the Sacred Forest because all of the products used to make them come from the forest.
MATHUR: Soil, leaves, bark and cola nuts are just a few of the ingredients gathered to make the fabric. Then, there is the challenge of getting the cloth to the capital, Conakry, for sale. It's a 20-hour trip, and rebels from neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone can make the roads dangerous.
AMADOU LAH, MARKET STALL VENDOR (through translator): She is really brave. She does extraordinary designs and we can rely on her. These women do a good job, and with it they feed their children.
MATHUR: Marie-Francoise is able to earn enough to not only provide for her eight children, but give them opportunities.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I come to help my mother so we can earn more and live a better live.
MATHUR: Neighbors also join in. They grind the cola nuts and seeds, wash cloth in earth-colored water, and help with the design. It's a craft that Marie-Francoise has perfected over the past 10 years. And according to merchants in Conakry, her cloth is gaining international demand and popularity.
SAMBA NIANGAMOU, STALL VENDOR (through translator): Many clients buy the Sacred Forest fabrics. Now that people are getting to know them, we're increasing their publicity. We even go to international trade fairs.
MATHUR: In a region that's had its share of hard times, one woman's determination and creativity to harvest the Sacred Forest brings just the economic growth needed.
Seema Mathur for INSIDE AFRICA.
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MAKGABO: And, of course, we look forward to hearing your thoughts on the program, so send your comments to insideafrica@cnn.com.
And that's our show for this week. I'm Tumi Makgabo.
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