An innovative health and human rights program in Senegal is on the brink of eradicating a centuries-old custom that involves excising large parts of the female genitalia, a custom which can have a debilitating effect on women's reproductive and general health, as well as their overall quality of life. It's known to most as female genital mutilation, or FGM, and currently some 2 million women around the world are subjected to it every year.

The City of Dakar in partnership with the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa (SWAA) International are organising a march in Dakar, Senegal as a prelude to the 6th International Home and Community Care Conference for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS. In honour of the World AIDS Campaign 2003, the march will focus on raising awareness about stigma and discrimination, which are often the principle obstacles to the provision of care and to preventing the spread of HIV.

Deported Senegalese Imam Mamour Fall has accused the Italian government of racism. The controversial cleric, who lived in Italy for 11 years, told the BBC he felt victimised for being an African. The Italian Interior Ministry deported Imam Fall for supporting Osama Bin Laden after he predicted more attacks on Italians in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As the U.S. Congress approves $87 billion for the U.S. occupation of Iraq, long-standing promises by rich creditors to provide debt "relief" of some $49 billion for 42 countries remain unfulfilled, and largely off the radar screen for policymakers. Yet debt remains a crippling burden not only for the 34 African countries that qualify as Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC), but also for major African powers such as Nigeria and South Africa. A new issue of the AfricaFocus Bulletin contains the summary of a new report on Debt and Destruction in Senegal by Dembe Moussa Dembele, director of the Forum for African Alternatives.

Leaders in Senegal - from government and business to the arts and media - are embarking on initiatives against HIV/AIDS to reinforce the country's success in limiting the spread of the deadly disease. These activities began to take shape at a workshop earlier this year in which eight ministers learned the need for emotional intelligence - traits such as empathy, motivation, persistence, warmth and social skills - vital for effective interpersonal relations and leadership in dealing with the epidemic.

Under the overall authority of the Director-General and his Assistant Directors-General, and under the supervision of the Director, Bureau for Field Coordination, the Director of the UNESCO Office in Dakar will be responsible for the two dimensions of the Office, namely, as the Regional Bureau for Education in Africa, and as the Cluster Office serving Cape Verde, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Senegal and Sierra Leone in all the fields of competence of the Organisation.

Trade in belts, shoes, and ladies bags made out of reptile skin is no longer a lucrative business in Senegal. The international treaty banning all exports of such items has meant a serious downturn for vendors in the craft market in the capital, Dakar.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is disturbed that Senegalese authorities have refused to lift an October 6 expulsion order against Sophie Malibeaux, correspondent for Radio France Internationale (RFI). At the time, the order was temporarily reversed, but Malibeaux has again been ordered to leave the country.

Sophie Malibeaux, Radio France Internationale (RFI) correspondent in Dakar, who was served with an expulsion order on 7 October 2003, must now leave the country. "We are surprised by this measure taken by the Senegalese authorities. For a number of years, this country has been an example to follow in terms of press freedom. The situation is starting to deteriorate in a worrying manner," said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard in a letter to President Abdoulaye Wade.

A 21-year secession war in Senegal's southern province of Casamance has finished, says the rebel leader. Jean-Marie Francois Biagui was speaking at a gathering of hundreds of rebel delegates in the Casamance capital, Ziguinchor.

Dieynaba Hamady Sow, 12, died on May 31 from haemorrhaging caused by sexual intercourse on her wedding night after she was forced to marry her 35-year-old cousin. Sow died six days after her marriage to Moussa Coulibaly in Matam, a town 720 kilometres north of the Senegalese capital, Dakar. The only punishment he received was a two-month prison sentence. The case shocked the nation, where women are increasingly becoming victims of domestic violence.

The long-running debate over capital punishment in Senegal was revived this week when a local court sentenced to death an armed robber who slit the throat of a young soldier 10 years ago. Senegal has enjoyed uninterrupted civilian rule and a strong tradition of tolerance and democracy since independence from France in 1960. No-one has been executed in the West African state since 1967.

In a new report on Niger and Senegal, produced to coincide with the 22-24 September WTO review of those countries' trade policies, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) details continued violations of core International Labour Organisation conventions that the two countries have ratified. The ICFTU calls on the authorities to comply fully with core labour standards and to ensure that more than just a handful of people enjoy these basic rights.

Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs), required by the IMF and the World Bank for access to debt relief and concessional assistance are loaded with a number of myths that should be debunked. According to these two institutions, PRSPs are country-driven and reflect the priorities of each country in its fight against poverty. But 'national ownership' is more theoretical than real. In many cases, CSOs have been frustrated by the process and democratically-elected parliaments have been bypassed. And the fact is that African governments put in PRSPs what the Bretton Woods Institutions (BWI) would like to see, rather than what the poor really want.

Women's groups are urging health officials to make premarital HIV testing mandatory so that ''young women are protected against AIDS''. The CAR-Femmes coalition, which is spearheading the campaign, is being supported by the Association of Women and Youth for Africa's Development. Safietou Ba Diop, the coordinator of CAR-Femmes, says ''many Senegalese women believe that prenuptial testing will protect them against HIV infection''.

Displacement of civilians caused by intermittent clashes between Senegalese government forces and rebels of the separatist Mouvement des forces démocratiques de Casamance (MFDC) continued to be reported in 2002 and 2003. Due to the fact that the southern Casamance province is virtually cut off from the rest of the country by the Gambia, most people fleeing the violence have sought refuge in neighbouring Gambia and Guinea–Bissau. But at the end of 2002, an estimated 5,000 people remained internally displaced, according to the US Committee for Refugees. Both parties to the conflict have been guilty of human rights abuses against civilians, including extrajudicial executions, "disappearances", torture and forced displacement.

Senegal is shutting down all mining operations in protected forests in a bid to preserve the country's natural resources. No new mining permits will be issued for protected forestlands throughout Senegal. When current ones expire, they will not be renewed, government sources say.

As you probably know, this week George Bush is visiting Africa. Starting with Senegal, he arrived this morning at 7.20 PM and left at 1.30 PM. Let me share with you what we have been through since last week: More than 1,500 persons have been arrested and put in jail between Thursday and Monday. Hopefully they will be released now that the Big Man is gone; The US Army's planes flying day and night over Dakar. The noise they make is so loud that one hardly sleeps at night; About 700 security people from the US were here for Bush's security, with their dogs, and their cars. Senegalese security forces were not allowed to come near the US president; All trees in places where Bush will pass have been cut. Some of them have been there for more than 100 years; All roads going down town (were hospitals, businesses, schools are located) were closed from Monday night to Tuesday at 3 PM. This means that we could not go to our offices or schools. Sick people were also obliged to stay at home; National exams for high schools that started on Monday are postponed until Wednesday.

The purpose of the position is to implement a work plan agreed by the regional director to prepare the contingency plans at national and community level for Senegal, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau in accordance with Oxfam International standards.

The Gambia government Sunday imposed a 7pm to 6am countrywide curfew to stem rising anti-Senegalese violence across the country. The curfew came after a day of looting and attacks on Senegalese nationals and properties in the country. Sunday's violence was a reaction to violent attacks upon Gambian players and fans attending the African Nations Cup qualifying match between the two countries by Senegalese football hooligans on Saturday.