The technical problems which have been brewing in Zimbabwe’s email system for months came to a head this week, with widespread failures affecting subscribers at almost all internet service providers in the country. People outside Zimbabwe reported that email sent to Zimbabwe email addresses were returned with the message "user/domain unknown". Those sending email from Zimbabwe to international addresses had messages bounced back to them, and access to Zimbabwean websites from outside the country has also been difficult, or impossible at times, reports ZWNews.

Editor-in-Chief Abdoulie Sey and Managing Editor Alagi Yorro Jallow, both of the Banjul daily Independent newspaper have received a series of death threats from unknown persons, who vow to eliminate them in retaliation for reports published by the paper.

How can African research become more accessible to both African and external policy-makers and researchers? How can African researchers exchange knowledge and expertise? Research by the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) for Comunex explores ways in which policy-makers in Africa can network and share knowledge between research networks.

A statement from the Civil Society Co-ordinating Group, comprising representatives of groups participating at preparatory committee meetings for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), has been sent to the WSIS Secretariat as input into plans and preparations for PrepCom 2 in Geneva, February 14-28, 2003.

The Internet Society has started a new discussion list: [email protected]. Description of list: "Discussions on software as a public good. Free software and open source software applications on third world development and Internet access. Open standards for interfaces and communications." Please visit http://www.isoc.org/members/discuss/pubsoft.shtml if you'd like to join the discussions.

Simputer, a hand-held computing device developed in India to take Internet to the rural masses, is set to be launched in the Middle East and African markets soon, its promoter said Monday. "We are looking at the market potentials of Africa and the Middle East to give out Simputer for contract manufacturing," said Vinay Deshpande, chairman and chief executive officer of Encore Software.

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have set up a joint Science and Technology Council for East Africa in an attempt to boost science and technology in the region. The council is intended to allow the three countries to share and exchange their skills in science and technology. It will also seek funding from foreign donors, and co-ordinate science and technology training in the region to ensure that new developments are distributed evenly between the three countries.

Vincent Matovu, managing editor of Mazima, a Ugandan weekly, was remanded in custody on two counts of sedition on 6 January. Matovu denied the charges before magistrate Suzan Kanyange. He was remanded until 21 January. Prosecutor Acio Marion alleged that Matovu, 34, published a seditious article about Joseph Kony and the Ugandan LRA rebels in November 2002.

Reporters sans frontières (RSF) has protested over the Ugandan government's crackdown on live outdoor radio broadcasts of the views of ordinary Ugandans. "This is just a means of preventing people from debating national issues and making themselves heard," RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard said in a letter to Information Minister Basoga Nsadhu, while calling on him to allow the broadcasts to continue.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and the IFJ promoting Accountability Website (IFJ-PA), contains information on submitting articles and reports on public accountability, corruption and democracy; information on the IFJ Journalism for Tolerance Prize; and links to journalism and advocacy resources.

* African Security Review, Volume 11, Number 4
This issue includes a special section on NEPAD

This is a PDF version of the ASR. The html version will appear on our web site soon.

* Quarterly Report No 3 2002
http://www.iss.co.za/pubs/Reports/3rdQuartReport2002.html
And the PDF version
http://www.iss.co.za/pubs/Reports/2002Q3.pdf

A Zimbabwe correspondent for the BBC, Lewis Machipisa, has been accused of spying for the broadcasting station in Zimbabwe. The state owned weekly newspaper The Herald says that Machipisa is now working for the BBC and a London-based community radio station, SW Radio Africa. This was happening despite the "fact" that the government banned the BBC from operating in Zimbabwe, after accusations that the station was peddling "falsehoods". The paper says that Machipisa is now going "underground" in the rural areas, shooting images for the BBC, writing stories and sending them to Britain.

An international journalist arrested on Monday in southwestern Cote d'Ivoire has been released after hours of questioning, Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) reported on Tuesday.
Anne Boher, a French journalist with Reuters News Agency, was arrested in the port city of San Pedro and driven to Abidjan for questioning, according to state-owned Radio Cote d'Ivoire, which accused her of being a "spy" for the Patriotic Movement of Cote d'Ivoire (MPCI).

Munyaradzi Hwengwere, the Chief Executive Officer of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, says that the state owned corporation welcomes the production of programmes on any topic and that the ZBC would not censor programmes. Hwengwere says that it would be a crime for a national broadcaster to limit people's freedom, ideas and creativity.

This web site, although aimed at journalists, contains links for web developers and anyone else who is looking for information. Well organised and nicely annotated. Take a look!

HREA is offering an introductory course on using the Internet for human rights work. Participants will be introduced to proven methods of using the Internet efficiently and effectively, including the use of search engines, Web browsers, listservs, Web-to-email services, information management, and security and privacy tools.

This is a revised and updated version of A Guide to Press Law in Zimbabwe published by the Legal Resources Foundation of Zimbabwe. As this guide covers the law relating to both print and electronic media this new edition has been entitled A Guide to Media Law in Zimbabwe. This booklet is intended to assist journalists to understand the various aspects of the laws in Zimbabwe that have a bearing on their professional work. Media practitioners in both the print and electronic media can use it as a reference work.

The American Bar Association (ABA) produces a weekly newsletter focusing on human rights news and events. Sections of the newsletter include a Bulletin Board, Featured Websites, Job & Volunteer Postings, Educational Courses and Conferences, and Human Rights News. To subscribe to the ABA International Human Rights Committee listserv visit http://www.abanet.org/scripts/listcommands.jsp?parm=subscribe/inthumrig… or send an email to [email protected] with a line "Subscribe inthumrights followed by your first and last name" (without quotations) in the body of message. To unsubscribe to the list send a message containing the text: “signoff inthumrights” without quotations to [email protected].

[email protected], previously known as Somali Civil Society News, is delivered by email every two weeks and is part of a project that aims for the achievement of permanent respect for human rights, justice through rule of law, pluralism, good governance and sustainable peace in Somalia and Somaliland. The name of the newsletter has been changed to [email protected] to ensure synergy between this newsletter and the one that is also produced periodically by the NOVIB Somalia project that is also known as KARTI. For more information on this project visit http://www.somali-civilsociety.org. The newsletter contains links to stories about the Horn of Africa region in various content categories. For free subscription send an email to [email protected]

The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) has written to DRC president Joseph Kabila expressing 'grave concern” at the detention of journalist Kadima Mukombe. According to reports, Mukombe, a journalist from Radio Kilimandjaro in Tshikapa, was arrested by seven soldiers on 31 December, and is accused of 'insulting the army'.