Reuters Africa Highlights / [Dec 5]

[Reuters]

KASINDI, Zaire - Zairean rebels pushed north and west toward
towns held by the Zairean army and Ugandan troops patrolled the
streets of at least one Zairean town which they seized last
week. Travellers arriving in the eastern Zairean town of Kasindi
from the frontlines to the north said rebels were advancing
toward the towns of Watsa and Isiro and the northeastern
regional capital of Kisangani, Zaire's fourth largest city.
KINSHASA - Authorities in Zaire are worried that the
country's demoralised soldiers are helping a Rwandan-backed
rebel offensive by alienating local populations before rebels
arrive, senior government sources say. Given the utter failure
of the army to beat the rebels who have seized a swathe of
eastern Zaire since October, some government officials privately
see negotiations with guerrillas as Zaire's only way out.
KIGALI - Rwanda's president made mud bricks at the launch of
a house-building program for more than half a million refugees
returning from Zaire to help bridge the rift of genocide.
DAR ES SALAAM - The U.N. refugee agency and the Tanzanian
government told more than half a million Rwandan refugees in
Tanzania to go home by the end of this month, a U.N. official
said.
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BANGUI - Army mutineers clashed with loyalist forces and
French troops in the worsening conflict in the Central African
Republic, witnesses said. French troops helping the government
fight the uprising, which has paralysed the capital Bangui since
November 16, fired back as mutineers trying to break out of
their strongholds rained mortar shells on the city center.
PARIS - France insisted its troops would not get involved in
an internal conflict between rebels and the government in the
Central African Republic, only hours after they were involved in
their first serious fighting.
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JOHANNESBURG - An angry Taiwanese foreign minister said his
nation would recall its ambassador to South Africa and
immediately suspend all aid projects and treaties in protest at
the breaking of diplomatic ties. John Chang told a news
conference the moves showed the island state's displeasure at
Pretoria's decision to cancel diplomatic links with Taiwan from
1997 in favor of China.
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OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso - France urged African countries
at a summit meeting to work for peace, democracy and justice as
fighting involving several of the summit participants raged in
central Africa.
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ACCRA - Tens of thousands of supporters of Ghana's President
Jerry Rawlings packed the main stadium in the capital Accra in a
rally wrapping up tense campaigning for weekend presidential and
legislative elections.
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ROME - The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) said economic sanctions against Burundi were hitting the
central African country's ability to feed itself and refugees.
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BRUSSELS - The 15-country European Union and South Africa
signed a cooperation pact allowing their researchers to take
part in joint projects.
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SIMONSTOWN, South Africa - Street cleaners clambered through
thick bush to evict scores of Jackass penguins that had invaded
some of South Africa's best real estate, offending their hosts
with loud behavior and smelly droppings.