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INSIDE AFRICA

Liberians Prepare for Runoff Elections; Violence in Zanzibar

Aired November 5, 2005 - 12:30:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEMI OKE, HOST (voice-over): This week on INSIDE AFRICA: Liberians prepare for round two of their presidential elections. The Iron Lady takes on King George as the race for president gets personal.

In Zanzibar, another election passes, and again demonstrators take to the streets. The opposition party accuses the government of rigging the vote.

Nigerian basketball players stand tall as scouts in the U.S. come looking for new talent.

And we take a look inside Ethiopia's beautiful Irrecha festival.

These stories and more coming up on INSIDE AFRICA.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OKE: Hello, and welcome to the program. I'm Femi Oke. Now, this week we spotlight some political developments across the continent, from preparations for run-off elections in Liberia to civil unrest in Ethiopia.

We go first to Liberia, where campaigning is in full swing ahead of next Tuesday's second round of voting. Veteran politician Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf will try to pull a come-from-behind victory to become Liberia's next president. But hers is an uphill battle. She came second to popular football legend George Weah in the first phase of the elections. Weah took 28 percent of the votes, while Mrs. Sirleaf got 20 percent.

This time around, the campaign -- the campaign is getting dirty, and the Liberian media is being accused of contributing to the mudslinging by allegedly fueling ethnic tensions, which is one of the hallmarks of Liberia's 14-year civil war.

Earlier, we called up journalist Ledgerhood Rennie, and asked him what was happening in this phase of the campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEDGERHOOD RENNIE, JOURNALIST: I think that (INAUDIBLE) how the Liberian media have taken the coverage in the last couple of weeks leading up the runoff. We've seen a lot of mudslinging; we've seen a lot of innuendoes, we've seen a lot of disinformation and misinformation on the pages of newspapers and on the airways of radio stations. And that's why, in fact, today, there has been a joint call by the minister of the information, by -- on all executives of the Liberian media, and asking them to do all they can to water down the tension, because some reporters certainly are (INAUDIBLE).

OKE: Ledgerhood, let me ask you about the debates. The first time out there were some fascinating days, people were glued to the radio. I don't believe there have been any debate this time around. What's happened?

RENNIE: It seems the matter was that the Congress of Democratic Change, the party of George Weah, (INAUDIBLE) that they had -- they're trying -- they're trying to (INAUDIBLE). And hence he would have been unable to appear in any public debate, because he would have been crisscrossing the country. Mrs. Sirleaf, Unity Party and Mrs. Sirleaf herself agreed to go into a public debate, but it didn't happen because of George Weah and his party itself (ph), that it coincided with their campaign strategy, and hence they were not going to avail themselves of a public debate this time around.

OKE: Tell me how motivated the public are? I know there's a big educational -- voter education program, people going around telling people about the run-off elections, trying to encourage them to vote again. Is -- is Liberia up to a second round of voting? Will people take part en masse?

RENNIE: After the first round of voting, there were talks about people expressing their (INAUDIBLE) about participating in the second round of voting. But now, as the date of November 8th becomes closer, you see that more and more people are thinking about it, having a second thought. And now, putting that together, and -- and -- I reckon that we will have at least, if not the same, 75 percent of the overall voter turnout we had on October 11th, I think that it will be large. We will have about a 10 percent less of that -- of that amount, which, I believe, also is a huge amount of turnout.

OKE: You have a 50/50 chance of being right here, from being on the ground as an experienced journalists, who is going to win?

RENNIE: It's a very difficult, difficult one. Difficult (INAUDIBLE), but I believe the vote will be down to the wire. From where I sit, very difficult for me to say who is going to win, but I can tell you surely, is (INAUDIBLE) that will go down to the wire, because there has been a lot of horse trading, there have been a lot of debates, there have been a lot of overtures, there have been a lot of maneuvering, and so, I think that it's just going to go to the wire. It's too difficult to say who's going to win at this moment.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OKE: And a very diplomatic answer there from journalist Ledgerhood Rennie in Monrovia.

Many Liberians are hoping that next Tuesday's election will be an opportunity for the country to make a fresh start and begin the process of rebuilding. For a nation at war with itself for 14 years, the challenges are many. One of the biggest tasks will be rehabilitating thousands of former fighters, many of whom are women.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OKE (voice-over): Beyond the political rallies, beyond the headlines and campaign promises, Liberia is a country deeply wounded. There's a lost generation of youth who had spent their childhood fighting and killing others. In this center in Liberia's rundown capital Monrovia, some of these ex-combatants are trying to reclaim their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have 159 ex-combatants, a mixture of women and men, women being in the majority, 120.

OKE: About 20 percent of Liberia's former fighters are women.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) we were fighting.

OKE: Today, Comfa Gray (ph) is one of the 120 women being trained at the community empowerment center. The goal is to help women acquire the necessary skills to reintegrate in the society. Here, they are taught to sew and hem.

Like many of the child soldiers of Liberia's civil war, female fighters too were forced into battle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was 11 years old, (INAUDIBLE). It was many.

OKE: Many?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. And I can't remember all their faces. (INAUDIBLE) and run away. It made me angry to get more (INAUDIBLE). It made me to fight.

OKE: In the 2003 interview, this young woman, who calls herself Black Diamond, recalls her bitter experience, an experience that led her to take up arms and rise to the rank of colonel in the now defunct rebel LURD movement. Black Diamond returned to school after the war. There are many like her across Liberia, looking for a second chance at life, and they've placed their hopes and dreams in electoral process, hoping that whoever is elected in next Tuesday's run-off, the country's chosen leader will help them rebuild their lives.

Both candidates, football legend George Weah and veteran politician Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, are promising to do just that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OKE: And official results of next Tuesday's elections may not be known for two weeks.

And next week, we return to Liberia for a special report from the huge rubber plantation run by the U.S. corporation Bridgestone/Firestone. INSIDE AFRICA investigates complaints about child labor, worker abuse and appalling living conditions. It's a show you won't want to miss.

Now, still ahead on this week's program -- another election on the continent is brewing a political storm in the Indian Ocean. We have a report from Zanzibar coming up.

And the Horn of Africa's latest round of violence -- we take a look at the situation in Ethiopia. Stay with us. We'll be back after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

OKE: Welcome back. Our next stop is a Tanzanian offshore island of Zanzibar. Following elections last Sunday, the incumbent president was inaugurated this week, amidst allegations of irregularities at polling centers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OKE: Cheers and a 21-gun salute for the victor. Incumbent President Amani Abeid Karume as he was inaugurated for another five-year term. The Zanzibar Electoral Commission says he won with more than 53 percent of the votes. And some international election observers have given the polls a stamp of approval.

But defeated candidate of the Civic United Front, Seif Shariff Hamad, has alleged fraud in last Sunday's election, and if refusing to recognize the president.

SEIF SHARIFF HAMAD, CIVIC UNITED FRONT: We don't recognize this president as legally elected president of Zanzibar. He was imposed by (INAUDIBLE) accept the results, and we don't recognize the president, and we will not cooperate with the government.

OKE: Violent protests followed last Sunday's elections, and authorities say one person was killed. But the opposition says five of its supporters died. It is now promising widespread demonstrations against the election's results.

But shortly after his inauguration on Wednesday, President Karume had a strong warning for anyone, he says, who threatens the security of Zanzibar.

AMANI ABEID KARUME, ZANZIBAR'S PRESIDENT (through translator): The government cannot let groups that are illegal go on a rampage, doing whatever they feel like, hurting people. That is unfair. The government has the responsibility of maintaining peace in this country, and that is why we have to destroy these illegal groups.

OKE: Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania. Unlike the rest of Tanzania, which has enjoyed nearly three decades of political stability, Zanzibar has a history of electoral violence.

This is the opposition Civic United Front's third attempt to wrestle power from the ruling party, and every elections since 1995 has been followed by violence. About 35 people were killed during post-election protests in 2000.

Even leading up to the polls this year, rival supporters fought running battles with each other. Today, security forces continue to patrol the streets, and many on the traditionally Muslim island stayed away from celebrations marking the end of Ramadan. There is an air of uncertainty as the opposition plans its next move.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OKE: Reports on Saturday say opposition presidential candidate Seif Shariff Hamad was briefly detained at the airport as he waited to board a plane for mainland Tanzania. Hamad was later allowed to make the trip to attend a meeting of his party to plan further protests against last week's election's results. Elections on mainland Tanzania are postponed until next month, because of the death of a presidential candidate.

To Ethiopia next, where they're burying the dead after days of political violence in the capital, Addis Ababa.

The man being buried here was one of at least 42 people killed during opposition protests during the week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I'm extremely bitter. I leave this to God. I pleaded with them to save him, but they threatened me with guns. He was the only one I had.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OKE: The latest rounds of violence began on Tuesday, after the opposition coordinated supporters to return to the street to protest the May the 15th elections. The opposition accused the government of rigging the votes in favor of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Another 40 people were killed in the days following the elections.

The latest round of violence has now spread to a second city, with reports of clashes on Saturday between demonstrates and security forces northeast of Addis Ababa.

We take a break here, but when we return, we'll be shifting gears with a story about some young Nigerian basketball players who hope to become the next Hakeem Olajuwon. Plus, a colorful look at an ancient festival. You don't want to miss it. See you on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): (INAUDIBLE), so welcome MTV to Africa. (INAUDIBLE). You're watching CNN!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OKE: Thank you so much. That was the sound of 2-Face IDIBIA. This week, the Nigerian artist made music history by becoming the first to win the Best African Act Award at a 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards in Lisbon. And the award was created in honor of MTV's new Panafrican Channel, which launched in South Africa earlier this year.

Now, Nigerians have also jumped to superstardom through basketball. Do you remember Hakeem Olajuwon? Now, he is the former Nigerian star for the Houston Rockets who became a household name in the '90s. U.S. scouts for the very competitive NBA consistently search the country for the next best player to have a slam-dunk career. So, who is it going to be this time around? CNN Africa correspondent Jeff Koinange has a look from the sidelines.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Slam-dunking NBA style, but these high schoolers are half a world away. They are Nigerians, strutting their stuff before an enthusiastic crowd, and a team of NBA scouts, in Nigeria on a talent search.

It's part of pre-game festivities before the national high school basketball finals between defending champions Lagos and a team from Kano in the country's north.

Basketball is Nigeria's second most popular sport behind football, and teenagers like Ismail Doda (ph) and Matthew Isibi (ph) are determined to prove they can be as good as their U.S. counterparts.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our games. Our talent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wonder if they will come and they're looking -- they will come and be looking for us. You come from Nigeria? And we say, yes, we come from Nigeria.

KOINANGE: The two are rated top in the country's high school league in scoring and blocking shots. But both come from poor, underprivileged families and have little prospect of going to a university without a scholarship. Both consider basketball as their meal ticket out of poverty, and would like nothing better than to take their game to the U.S.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That would be -- it's going to be an opportunity in our life. That would be our dream. A dream come true.

KOINANGE: Whether that goal is a hoop dream or a pipe dream did not seem to deter this dynamic duo on this day, as they helped the Kano All- Stars defeat their Lagos rivals to take the national title. Matthew Isibi (ph) was voted man of the match.

They also caught the eyes of the visiting NBA scouts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The talent in Nigeria is unbelievable. Brave, huge kids from eastern Nigeria, from western Nigeria, from northern Nigeria -- unbelievable size, and that's why everybody -- everybody in the NBA is looking for a coordinated, like 7-footer, everybody is looking for Hakeem the Dream, you know, and Hakeem's footwork was like dancing ballet. And we're trying to find that kid.

KOINANGE: And no matter how difficult it may be to discover a future superstar, the scouts are determined to search the globe until they find him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't fly all the way out here just to come and spend a couple of days in Nigeria. I mean, I can go to, you know, a thousand other places, but I come here because I think it's important. I think there is talent here, and there is an opportunity to help a young -- a young men here to go to the United States, get an education, and play -- play a great game of basketball.

KOINANGE: The visiting scouts are particularly impressed with Matthew Isibi's (ph) game, and promise they'd be in touch in the coming months. Perhaps bring him a step closer to his dream of one day playing in the NBA.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, Lagos.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OKE: Oh, yes. We grow them tall in Nigeria. What happened to me?

Moving on to a different celebration, the colorful festivities of the Oromo people. Ethiopia's largest ethnic group recently celebrated one of their most ancient rituals. On this day, the faithful observe a day of prayer and Thanksgiving, and they turn to the gods of the water for special blessings. Chandrika Narayan walks us through the sacred event.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHANDRIKA NARAYAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Every year, thousands of Ethiopians celebrate a festival known as Irrecha, that reinforces the bond between man and nature. People from Ethiopia's largest ethnic group, the Oromo, gather at villages, dotting lakes and scenic mountains to celebrate.

The colorful function in the town of Debre Zeyit, just 50 kilometers from the capital Addis Ababa, is perhaps the largest and most symbolic. It is much like Thanksgiving in the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We perform the Irrecha ritual every year. It is the time to ask for forgiveness from God. Every one comes here to communicate with God. We also consider this place a holy place, where we can get solutions for our pressing problems.

NARAYAN: The Oromo are predominantly Christians and Muslims, but they retain much of their traditional beliefs, such as the believe in one god, known as Waka, a force that rules the cosmos. They believe its creative power is found in each living entity, be it human, animal or plant.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is something that teaches you that what we breathe, the carbon dioxide, goes to the tree, and the oxygen from the tree is what we live on. And none of us can live without the other. We must have oxygen to survive, and the tree needs carbon dioxide to survive. Therefore, this is a celebration, a ritual that takes place under the tree.

NARAYAN: The ritual began the morning of October 3rd, after the spiritual leader blessed the festival. Worshipers put leaves and flowers around the sycamore tree, and offer prayers to their one god.

The Oromo throw bait, bread and other food items into the lake as offerings.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The water is holy, water being you. You being 75 percent water, you are water. You are the tree. You are the plant. You are the animal. You're everything. Everything is connected with one another.

NARAYAN: Water is seen as a healing element of nature. Early in the morning, the Oromo bring the cattle, which are an essential part of their life, into the water.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The cattle is their family. So they bring their family into the water, asking the water to keep them clean, keep them healthy and have continuity, have a peaceful existence with this -- with this oneness of nature.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We bathe them every year. I've been doing this for almost 20 years. The water has a healing effect.

NARAYAN: The festival includes ancient rituals that worshipers say they have been practicing for thousands of years, and brings together the forces of nature and the spirit of humans.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We are performing the rituals in the same way as our forefathers did long ago. We pray for the peace of our country. We pray for the sick, for the weak, for the poor, for all mankind.

NARAYAN: Chandrika Narayan, for INSIDE AFRICA.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OKE: Thank you, Chandrika, and thank you, more importantly, to Salva (ph), our freelance producer in Ethiopia. Stunning video. Thank you so much.

But we're not done with Ethiopia yet. Oh, no. More fascinating images coming out of Ethiopia, from the remote and rarely visited volcano Erta Ale. We will find out why it's (INAUDIBLE), but take a look at these pictures. This mountain, full of very hot, molten rocks, is found in the northeastern part of Ethiopia. It's about 550 kilometers from the capital, Addis Ababa.

Many researchers believe that the volcano's lava lake has been active for over 100 years, making it one of the longest known historic eruptions.

And please, remember to e-mail us. And let us know what you think of this week's program. The address is insideafrica@cnn.com. Let me give you a chance to get a pencil and some paper. Here we go. Insideafrica@cnn.com. Don't forget to include the country you're writing from, and your response may be used on a future broadcast. The address again, insideafrica@cnn.com. There you go, I'm spoiling you.

That's all for this week's show. Thank you for joining us. This was a (INAUDIBLE) production. I'm Femi Oke, and until the next time, take care.

END

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