• New Report Shows "Sprinkles" are Working to Prevent and Treat Childhood Nutrition Epidemic

Ghana's president is on the second day of his visit to China. (China-Ghana)
Malta's prime minister is flying to Shanghai from Beijing for the second leg of his China visit. (China-Malta)
DHAKA: Following military-led anti-crime drive that has left 15 dead in custody and sparked demands for an independent probe. (Bangladesh-crime)
HANOI: Following up police questioning of two welders accused of starting a fire that killed at least 61 people, including four foreigners, in Ho Chi Minh City. (Vietnam-fire)
ISLAMABAD: Monitoring reax after the Commonwealth refuses to lift Pakistan's suspension from the body. (Pakistan-CWealth)
Parties await the outcome of talks between a key pro-government politician and President Pervez Musharraf aimed at breaking a 23- day deadlock in forming a coalition government. (Pakistan-politics)
JAKARTA: Following multinational investigation into the October 12 Bali bombing. (Indonesia-attacks-probe).
Monitoring developments at Jakarta police hospital where terror suspect Abu Bakar Bashir is being treated pending police questioning. (Indonesia-attacks-Bashir) Pictures.
Covering fall-out from Bali blast. (Indonesia-attacks)
East Timor's President Xanana Gusmao on second day of visit to Indonesia's West Timor to try to encourage thousands of refugees to come home. (Indonesia-Timor)
Monitoring developments in strife-torn Aceh province as rebels announced a unilateral ceasefire for month of Ramadan. (Indonesia- Aceh)
KATHMANDU: Reporting on continuing clashes between Maoists and security personnel. (Nepal-Maoist)
MANILA: President Gloria Arroyo returns from APEC summit and brief visit to the United States. (Philippines-Arroyo) Pictures.
Security alert remains in place across the Philippines in wake of US warnings of further terrorist bombings. (Philippines-attacks)
NAKHON PATHOM, Thailand: Sri Lanka's peace talks enter their third day, after the Tamil Tiger delegation lodged an official protest over the sentencing in Colombo of their leader to 200 years in jail. (SriLanka) Pictures.
NEW DELHI: New state government for troubled Indian Kashmir due to be sworn in. (India-Kashmir-politics)
Monitoring militancy-linked violence that has surged in Indian Kashmir since the beginning of regional elections. (India-Kashmir- unrest).
Third India v West Indies cricket Test goes into fourth day with the visitors in control. (Cricket-Ind-WIs) Pictures.
PHNOM PENH: Filing an advancer on major issues facing members of ASEAN at their annual summit to be held here next week (ASEAN,advancer). Pictures.
Monitoring final preparations for the annual summit of the 10- nation Association of South East Asian Nations as leaders begin arriving here (ASEAN-Cambodia). Pictures.
SEOUL: Following development in the US-North Korean stand-off over the communist country's alleged nuclear weapons programme. (NKorea-nuclear)
Reporting on agreement between North and South Korea to start work on an industrial park at Kaesong near the inter-Korean border next month. (Korea-talks)
SYDNEY: Monitoring fall-out of Bali bomb after PM warns Australia may be home to terrorist sleeper cells. (Australia-attacks)
Gay Games opens. (Australia-games-gay)
World champion Marcus Gronholm bids to stay ahead of the pack as Rally Australia continues. (Auto-rally-Aus) Pictures.
Tracking seasonal bushfires. (Australia-bushfires)
TAIPEI: Chinese aviation chief arrives for meeting on cross- strait aviation damage compensation. (Taiwan-China-air) Picture.
TOKYO: Third day of the World Ladies Match Play Championship in Narita. (Golf-LPGA-Jpn-USA)
afp
Document afpr000020021102dyb200209

AFP Asia-Pacific news agenda Duty editor: Rob Woollard Tel: Hong Kong (852) 2829 6200
1,047 words

31 October 2002

Agence France-Presse

AFPR

English

(Copyright 2002)
Oct 31 (AFP) - Asia-Pacific news highlights for Thursday:
+ Second round of talks between Sri Lankan
government and Tamil rebels open in Thailand
+ South Korean president's son due to be
sentenced on corruption charges
+ US alleges human rights abuses and torture
by the Bangladeshi military in crime drive
AUCKLAND: New Zealand cricket strike looming ahead of India tour. (Cricket-Nzl)
America's Cup yacht racing continues. (Yachting-Amcup)
BANGKOK: Monitoring the security situation in Thailand's Muslim- majority south after two bomb blasts and a series of arson attacks on schools. (Thailand-unrest)
BEIJING: Foreign ministry briefing at 0645 GMT. (China-ministry)
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji departs for the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (ASEAN-China)
Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor arrives in Beijing as part of his eight-day official visit to China. (China-Ghana)
Moving a story on growing suspicions that the upcoming switch in the Chinese leadership will not lead to switches in anything else. (China-Congress)
We will also move penpics of 12 rising stars in China's political system. (China-Congress-rising)
Men's World Cup Table Tennis Championships in China's Shandong province. (Chn-TTn)
DHAKA: Seeking reax after the United States said it had seen credible reports of human rights abuses and allegations of torture by the Bangladeshi military during a two-week-old anti-crime drive. (Bangladesh-crime)
HO CHI MINH CITY: Reporting on investigation into a huge fire that swept through an office building in the southern commercial capital killing at least 60 people, including four foreigners. (Vietnam-fire). Pictures
HONG KONG: Reporting on hike in phone rates from Hong Kong to China, which politicians fear could damage the city's development as a regional hub. (HongKong-China-phone)
British-based bank Standard Chartered to list on Hong Kong stock exchange. (HongKong-banking-Britain)
Asia Pacific Aviation Management Roundtable. (HongKong-air)
Reporting on stock markets. (Stocks-HongKong)
ISLAMABAD: Seeking reax after US special envoy to Afghanistan says several top Taliban leaders are in Pakistan. (Pakistan- Taliban)
JAKARTA: Indonesian military chief hold press conference on terrorism-related issues. Presser expected to begin at 10:00 am (0300 GMT) (Indonesia-attacks-military)
Monitoring developments at Jakarta police hospital where terror suspect Abu Bakar Bashir is being treated after he was moved there from his hospital in Solo. (Indonesia-attacks-Bashir) Pictures.
Monitoring fallout from Bali blast. (Indonesia-attacks).
Following developments in the multinational investigation into the October 12 Bali bombing.(Indonesia-attacks-probe).
Monitoring developments in strife-torn Aceh province (Indonesia- Aceh)
KABUL: Checking for further repatriations of Afghans from US detention centre in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba after President Karzai said he would send a delegation there. (US-attacks-Afghan)
KATHMANDU: Reporting on developments after two top ministers from the government ousted by Nepal's king earlier this month were detained after being accused of corruption. (Nepal-politics)
NAKHON PATHOM, Thailand: The second round of landmark talks between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels open at a riverside resort west of the Thai capital at 3:00 pm (0800 GMT) aimed at ending three decades of conflict. (Thailand-SriLanka) Pictures.
NEW DELHI: Monitoring militancy-linked violence that has surged in Indian Kashmir since the beginning of regional elections in the Himalayan state. (India-Kashmir-unrest).
Cricket. West Indies vs India third Test in Calcutta. (Cricket- Ind-WIs). Pictures.
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia's King Norodom Sihanouk celebrates his 80th birthday amid a cloudy future for this country's revered monarchy. (Cambodia-king)
Monitoring final preparations for annual summit of the 10-nation Association of South East Asian Nations - ASEAN. (ASEAN-Cambodia)
SEOUL: Following developments in a face-off over a US call to scrap North Korea's nuclear weapons program. (NKorea-nuclear)
South and North Korea hold Red Cross talks to discuss reunions of separated families. (Korea-talks)
Prosecutors round up 68 loan sharks, businessmen and bank employees for swindling 1.05 billion dollars in a massive financial market fraud. (SKorea-fraud)
SINGAPORE: Parliament sitting. Ministers to be questioned on the economic outlook following a weak third-quarter estimate (Singapore- economy), the issue of water supplies from Malaysia (Singapore- Malaysia), and the naming of Singapore as a high-risk country following the Bali bombing (Singapore-attacks).
Leaders of China and Southeast Asian countries meeting in Cambodia next week will sign a framework agreement on the creation of the world's largest free-trade zone within the decade. (ASEAN- China)
SYDNEY: Australia's top intelligence officer warns that more al- Qaeda attacks are inevitable as leaders hold a "homeland security" conference to debate ways to fight terrorism. (Australia-attacks)
Australian civil liberties groups plan a formal complaint over heavy-handed police raids on the homes of Muslims suspected of links to terrorist groups. (Australia-attacks-reax)
BHP Billiton Ltd., the world's largest resources company, posts a 9.0 percent fall in first quarter net profits and says it expects the second quarter to be just as tough. (Australia-BHP)
Westpac bank announces a 15 percent jump in full-year net profits overcoming mounting bad corporate debts and weakness in global markets. (Australia-bank-Westpac)
Australia's housing market shows the first signs of a widely- anticipated slowdown with building approvals for September falling 19.4 percent. (Australia-housing)
Motor rally. Rally Australia in Perth. (Rally-Aus) Pictures.
TOKYO: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's council on economic and fiscal policy meets. (Japan-economy) Moving analysis of economic package aimed at tackling problems of anti-deflation, and bad loans. (Japan-economy,analysis)
Mazda Motor Corp. president Lewis Booth meets the press to announce progress on its business plan. (Japan-Mazda)
Kyocera Corp., Hitachi Ltd., Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd., Ricoh Co. Ltd., Nomura Holdings Inc. release interim earnings results at 0600 GMT. (Japan-Kyocera) (Japan-Hitachi) (Japan-Fuji) (Japan-Ricoh) (Japan-Nomura)
Reporting on foreign exchange trading in Tokyo and Singapore following the announcement of Japan's anti-deflation and bad-loan disposal measures. (Forex-Asia)
Monitoring Japanese share prices following the announcement of Japan's anti-deflation and bad-loan disposal measures. (Stocks- Japan)
Golf. Women's world golf matchplay championships. (Golf-LPGA)
afp
Document afpr000020021031dyav002be

BBC Monitoring News Prospects for Monday 28 October 2002.
1,059 words

27 October 2002

08:53 PM

BBC Monitoring Newsfile

BBCMNF

English

(c) 2002 The British Broadcasting Corporation [date of publication]. All Rights Reserved. No material may be reproduced except with the express permission of The British Broadcasting Corporation.
Main Stories
DENMARK: World Congress of Chechens meets in Copenhagen despite Russian calls for its ban (Chechen news agency Chechenpress)
Asia-Pacific
CHINA: Ghanaian President John Kufuor visits at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Jiang Zemin (-3 Nov) (Ghanaian Joy FM radio text web site, Chinese news agency Xinhua)
CHINA: Zimbabwean Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi visits for talks with his Chinese counterpart Chi Haotian. (Chinese news agency Xinhua)
NORTH KOREA: Russian Railways Minister Gennadiy Fadeyev visits to discuss prospects for holding meetings between officials from the two Koreas and Russia on linking a trans-Korea railway with the Trans-Siberian Railway (-28) (South Korean news agency Yonhap)
SOUTH KOREA: Presidential election process begins, culminating on 19 December polling day. (South Korean news agency Yonhap)
JAPAN: Funeral of Japanese politician Koki Ishii takes place. The House of Representatives member in the main opposition party, Democratic Party of Japan was stabbed to death on 25th October. (Japanese news agency Kyodo)
PAKISTAN: Joint US-Pakistan military exercises `Inspired Gambit' being held (-2 Nov) (Indian news agency PTI)
PHILIPPINES: End of joint military exercises between US marines and Philippines Armed Forces on island of Luzon (Philippine Star web site)
Former Soviet Union
RUSSIA: National day of mourning for those who died when security forces stormed a theatre to rescue hostages seized by Chechen gunmen (Radio Russia)
RUSSIA: Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio visits (-29) (Russian news agency Prime-Tass)
RUSSIA: Sweden's Immigration Minister Jan Karlsson visits Moscow for talks with Russian Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov on rise in former USSR asylum seekers (Russian news agency ITAR-TASS)
GEORGIA: Delegation of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) visits Georgia's Pankisi Gorge (Russian news agency ITAR-TASS)
UKRAINE/USA: Ukrainian Defence Minister Vladimir Shkidchenko visits USA. Due to meet US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld and other officials. Expected to discuss allegations of radar systems sales to Iraq (Russian news agency ITAR-TASS)
AZERBAIJAN: Day of mourning for victims of the sinking of the ferry Merkury-2 in the Caspian Sea on 22 October. (Russian news agency ITAR-TASS)
Europe
DENMARK: World Congress of Chechens meets in Copenhagen despite Russian calls for its ban. Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller urged all involved to reassess their attitude in the light of the theatre siege in Moscow (Chechen news agency Chechenpress)
DENMARK: Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, President of the European Commission Romano Prodi, Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen and High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana meet leaders of 13 EU candidate countries to brief them on terms of EU membership offer (Regional sources)
SPAIN: Iranian President Mohammad Khatami visits with a delegation from Iran's private sector. Delegates will attend seminars designed for the exchange of information between the two countries' private sectors (Iranian press)
FRANCE: Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong begins four-day trip to France in a bid to boost trade relations with its former colonial ruler and leading European investor (French news agency AFP)
HUNGARY: Uzbek President Islam Karimov visits (-29) (Uzbek National News Agency web site)
CYPRUS: US State Department Special Coordinator for Cyprus Thomas Weston visits (-30) (Cypriot news agency)
SWITZERLAND: Informal talks take place in Geneva between Russia and WTO officials (-1 Nov) (Russian news agency Prime-Tass)
BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA: Bosnian Serb Supreme Defence Council meets to discuss illegal export of military equipment by Orao Aviation Institute to Iraq. (Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA)
BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA: New Bosnian Presidency convenes. Mirko Sarovic, Sulejman Tihic and Dragan Covic were elected at as the new members on 5th October. (Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA)
Middle East
WEST BANK AND GAZA: Palestinian Legislative Council meets in Ramallah to vote on proposals for a new Palestinian cabinet (Palestinian radio)
LIBYA: Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi meets Libyan leader Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi in Tripoli (Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Libyan newspaper Al-Zahf al-Akhdar)
EGYPT: Trial resumes in Cairo of 18 defendants, including three Britons, charged with forming a group seeking to overthrow the government. Adjourned from 20 October (Egyptian news agency MENA)
MOROCCO: Trial begins in Casablanca of three Saudi nationals and seven Moroccans (three of them women) in the case known as the "sleeping cell of Al-Qa'idah in Morocco". The defendants are accused, amongst other charges, of planning attacks against Nato warships in the Straits of Gibraltar (Moroccan newspaper Attajdid web site)
MOROCCO: Egyptian President Husni Mubarak visits for talks with King Mohammed VI (-30) (Egyptian news agency MENA)
SAUDI ARABIA: Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers, visiting (Saudi news agency SAPA)
TUNISIA: Qatari Emir Shaykh Hamad Bin-Khalifah Al Thani visits (Tunisian radio)
BAHRAIN: Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri visiting from Kuwait as part of a regional tour that will also take him to the United Arab Emirates (-29th ) (Egyptian news agency MENA)
IRAN: Swiss Minister for Foreign Affairs Joseph Deiss visiting (Iranian news agency IRNA)
IRAN: Jalal Talabani, leader of Kurdish party PUK visiting (Kurdish TV)
IRAN: Delegation of British MPs led by MP Phyllis Starkey visit (Iranian news agency IRNA)
Sub-Saharan Africa
DR CONGO/SAFRICA: Talks aimed at finding an interim power-sharing deal between warring parties in the Democratic Republic of Congo continue (South African news agency SAPA)
RWANDA: Annual summit on unity and reconciliation ends (Rwandan news agency RNA)
Americas
BRAZIL: Watching developments as presidential elections end and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva claims victory over his government-backed rival, Jose Serra (Brazilian sources)
USA/UKRAINE: Ukrainian Defence Minister Vladimir Shkidchenko visiting. Due to meet US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld and other officials. Expected to discuss allegations of radar systems sales to Iraq. (Russian news agency ITAR-TASS)
CHILE: Over 300 US special forces join nine South American countries (Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay ) in a multinational peacekeeping exercise "Cabanas 2002" at a military base north of Santiago. The exercise - the largest of its kind in the region - will focus on UN peacekeeping tasks (-29) (Global Security web site)
Sources and trailers as available, inclusion of items does not necessarily mean that BBC Monitoring will file reports on them.
If you have any comments, queries or suggestions regarding BBC Monitoring's Daily Prospects, please e-mail us at [e-mail].
Document bbcmnf0020021028dyas00001

Japan to Assist Ghana With $80 Million Grant in the Road Sector.
331 words

17 October 2002

05:54 PM

All Africa

AFNWS

English

(c) Distributed via COMTEX News.
Accra, Oct 18, 2002 (Accra Mail/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) - An agreement for an 80-million-dollar grant from the Japanese government to Ghana is expected to be signed in Tokyo during President John Agyekum Kufuor's State visit to Japan next week.
Mr Kwabena Agyapong, Government's Spokesman, who disclosed this when briefing newsmen on President Kufuor's visits to Japan and China in Accra on Wednesday said the grant, would be used for the rehabilitation of the Accra-Cape Coast road.
President Kufuor is expected to leave Accra today and return on Monday, November 4.
Mr Agyapong said President Kufuor's visit to Japan is of crucial importance because in recent years, Japan has steadily overtaken all donors as the leading contributor of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to Ghana.
He said Japan's economic aid to Ghana as at now amounts to about 75 million dollars and under Japan's New Development Strategy (NDS), Ghana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Cambodia and Peru are considered priority targets of assistance.
Japan recently took a historic decision to convert Ghana's commercial loans to grants, something that has never happened in Japanese foreign relations.
This was in spite of her decision to discontinue extending commercial loans to Ghana due to the adoption of the Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) Initiative.
Mr Agyapong said in Japan, President Kufuor would hold talks on bilateral relations and international issues and visit the Noguchi Memorial Centre.
He said in China, issues to be discussed would relate to telecommunications, infrastructure development, expansion of Ghana's rail network and funding of the construction of new sports stadia in Tamale, Koforidua and Sekondi-Takoradi.
The delegation would also visit some small and medium-scale industries on bamboo and rattan processing factory and explore areas of potential Chinese technical assistance to Ghanaian entrepreneurs. GNA

Copyright Accra Mail. Distributed by All Africa Global Media(AllAfrica.com)


KEYWORD: Ghana.

Document afnws00020021017dyah0066g
BURKINA FASO - COUNTRY PROFILE.
2,164 words

26 September 2002

Africa Review World of Information

QEDAFR

1

English

(c) 2002 by Quest Information Limited. Quest Information Limited and publishers assume no liability for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained in this database
Historical profile
Formerly an ancient African kingdom, the area was taken over by France in the nineteenth century.
1958 Given self-government.
1960 Granted full independence from France as Upper Volta.
1980-82 The first president, Maurice Yameogo, was ousted by Colonel Sangoule Lamizama, who was in turn deposed by another colonel, who was ousted by a group of sergeants and corporals, later joined by some officers.
1983 Captain Thomas Sankara took over as president and changed Upper Volta's name.
1987 Sankara was assassinated. Captain Blaise Compaore seized power on 15 October.
1991 Compaore was elected president in November, following the withdrawal of opposition candidates.
1992 Legislative elections postponed from January took place on 24 May, when the Organisation pour la Democratie Populaire-Mouvement du Travail (ODP-MT) (Compaore's party) won a convincing victory. The President appointed a coalition seven-party cabinet.
1998 Compaore won 87.53 per cent of the votes in the November presidential elections which were boycotted by opposition parties.
1999 Prime Minister Ouedraogo and his cabinet resigned on 8 January but he and his cabinet were reinstated by presidential decree on 11 January.
2000 Student demonstrations were broken up by police who allegedly killed and tortured some of the protestors. The IMF and World Bank agreed US$400 million in debt relief under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. In December, advisers to the UN claimed that Burkina Faso had helped destabilise the region by breaking a UN arms and diamonds embargo.
2001 In June, international donors agreed to fund a US$85 million programme to combat the AIDS epidemic in Burkina Faso.
Political structure
Constitution
Military rule ended on 2 June 1991 and a constitution was adopted allowing for multi-party politics.
Constitutional changes were adopted by the National Assembly in January 1997. These included the abolition of the limit of two seven-year terms for the president, and an increase in the number of seats in the legislature from 107 to 111.
Form of state: Unitary and secular state
The executive
Executive power is vested in the head of state (the president), who is elected by universal suffrage for a seven-year term, and in the government, which is elected by the president.
National legislature
Multi-party Assemblee des Deputes Populaires (ADP) (National Assembly) with 111 members, elected by universal suffrage for a four-year term.
Last elections: 15 November 1998 (presidential); May 1997 (legislative).
Next elections: 5 May 2002 (parliamentary, delayed); 2005 (presidential).
Political parties
Ruling party
Coalition led by Congres pour la Democratie et le Progres (CDP) (Congress for Democracy and Progress)
Main opposition party
Parti pour la Democratie et le Progres (PDP) (Party for Democracy and Progress)
Population: 11.90 million (2000)
The annual population growth was 2.4 per cent in the period 1994-2000. Approximately 46 per cent of the population is under 15 years.
Population density: 39 inhabitants per square km. Urban population: 19 per cent (1994-2000).
An estimated two million Burkinabes live in neighbouring Cote d'Ivoire.
Ethnic make-up
There are a number of ethnic groups, the most numerous of whom are the Mossi in the north (49 per cent), the Gourma in the east and the Bobo in the south-west. Other sizeable groups include the Fulani, the Hausa, the nomadic Tuareg with their Bella domestic serfs in the north-west and the Lobi in the south.
Religions
Animist (55 per cent), Muslim (40 per cent), Catholic (5 per cent).
Education
Three in five children are unable to go to school, since more children apply for schools than there are places. Although most children will not have heard any French at home, it is used in teaching. School fees are charged although payment can be put off until after harvest. About 10 per cent of schools are run outside the state system. Oxfam estimates that 49 per cent of children age 6-11 will enrol for school in 2015.
Health
Life expectancy: 44 years (1998). Infant mortality rate: 104 per 1,000 live births (1998). About 33 per cent of children were malnourished (1992-98).
Around 7 per cent of the population are infected. With over 70 per cent of sex workers testing positive, there is a distinct chance that the pandemic will hit the country badly in coming years. According to studies by UNAIDS, the economic impact is being felt at the household level with AIDS expenditures double the GDP per capita income. This is exacerbated by the decline in agricultural incomes caused by AIDS deaths in the agricultural sector. The UN-affiliated organisation claims that there is a serious shortfall in public expenditure on scaled-up care and preventative measures. Moreover, it states that the loss in GDP per capita income is likely to be 0.8 per cent by 2010.
In June 2001, international donors pledged US$85 million to Burkina Faso for a five-year programme to fight the epidemic and its effects.
Main cities
Ouagadougou (estimated population 900,000 in 1998), Bobo Dioulasso (250,000), Koudougou (50,000).
Languages spoken
French is the universal medium for documentation. African languages include More, Dioula, Gourmantche and Peul.
Official language: French
Media
Press
Dailies: The main national dailies are Sidwaya (government-controlled), Le Pays, l'Observateur (Burkinabe daily newspaper) and 24 Heures, published from May 2000 by the Journal du Jeudi media group.
Weeklies: Weeklies published from Ouagadougou include Independent, Intrus Journal du Jeudi, Observateur and Le Journal du Soir.
Periodicals: Several periodicals mainly economic and industrial are published.
Broadcasting
Radio: Radio Burkina broadcasts in French and 13 African languages. Also private FM stereo radio (Horizon FM).
Television: Television Nationale du Burkina provides transmissions seven days a week to Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso, Koudougou and Ouahigouya, in French and African languages.
Economy
The government is heavily in arrears on domestic and foreign debts and depends on foreign aid. More than 80 per cent of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture and nomadic livestock rearing.
The government has implemented a series of economic reforms under the auspices of the IMF. Although GDP growth has improved in recent years, particularly after the devaluation of the currency in the mid-1990s, the economy is fragile and there has been little headway in reducing poverty.
External trade
Exports
Main exports include cotton, gold, live animals, hides and skins and manufactures.
Main destinations: China, France, Italy, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, UK, Japan.
Imports
Main imports are food, fuel and energy and capital goods.
Main sources: France, Cote d'Ivoire, Italy, US, Ghana, the Netherlands.
Agriculture
The agricultural sector accounts for around a third of GDP and employs three-quarters of the workforce. It accounts for around 50 per cent of export earnings. Over 90 per cent of the population is engaged in subsistence farming and nomadic stock raising.
Principal food crops are sorghum, millet, yams, maize, rice and beans.
Burkina Faso is prone to drought and has poor soil. Only 10 per cent of the total land area is cultivated. There are plans to mechanise farming and open up new areas for development.
Cotton is the main cash crop; others are sheanuts, sesame and sugar cane.
Livestock production is concentrated in the north, mainly for export to Cote d'Ivoire (which has severely restricted its Burkinabe beef imports in recent years) and Ghana.
Industry and manufacturing
The industrial sector as a whole contributes around 28 per cent to GDP and employs 10 per cent of the workforce; manufacturing contributes over 20 per cent.
Production is centred on the processing of agricultural commodities (flour milling, sugar refining, manufacture of cotton yarn and textiles) and production of consumer goods including moped/bicycle assembly, footwear and soap manufacture.
Foreign investment is minimal and development remains handicapped by the chronic shortages of raw materials and spares.
Tourism
The tourism sector employs around 10,000 people directly, and more than 20,000 indirectly.
Mining
The sector contributes around 7 per cent to GDP and employs 2 per cent of the workforce.
Activity is confined to extraction of gold-bearing quartz at Poura (reserves estimated at 30 tonnes), marble and antimony.
There are viable deposits of zinc and silver at Perkoa, and some 15 million tonnes of manganese deposits at Tambao, as well as known reserves of limestone, bauxite, nickel, phosphates and lead.
Exploitation of resources is hindered by weak infrastructure.
Burkina Faso has a geological structure similar to that of the world's richest gold producing areas.
Hydrocarbons
Burkina Faso has no known hydrocrabons reserves and its downstream industry entirely relies on imported refined oil.
Energy
The rural population relies on wood as a fuel for cooking, which is causing problems of deforestation and desertification in some areas.
Electricity supply is overseen by the Societe Nationale Burkinabe d'Electricite (Sonabel). Installed generation capacity is estimated at around 90MW. Only 7 per cent of the country has access to electricity and there is no national electricity grid. Thermal power generators supply 60 per cent of electricity.
Government policy is directed towards reducing Sonabel's production costs, thereby reducing its extortionate prices. Moreover, electricity development is regarded as crucial to the country's development and the government is keen to extend transmission lines and improve supply to meet growing demand.
Financial markets
Burkina Faso has no stock exchange.
Banking
The banking sector has undergone liberalisation in recent years, with the government restricting its involvement to around a quarter of the sector.
Central bank
Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (central banking authority for the members of the West African Monetary Union)
Main financial centre: Ouagadougou
Time: GMT
Geography
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the west and north, by Niger to the east, and by Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire to the south.
Climate
The climate is tropical. The dry season runs from November-March, when the Harmattan wind blows keeping the humidity low. Temperatures in Ouagadougou range from 14 degrees C at night to over 35 degrees C during the day. The main rainy season is from June-October. The highest rainfall is in the south, lowest in the far north where an arid desert climate prevails.
Entry requirements
Passports
Required by all except holders of national identity cards issued to nationals of Benin, Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
Passports must be valid for six months after departure.
Visa
Required by all except nationals of Benin, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
An onward or return ticket is also required.
Currency advice/regulations
There are no restrictions on the import/export of foreign currency or local currency.
Health (for visitors)
Mandatory precautions
Yellow fever vaccination certificate.
Advisable precautions
Typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and polio vaccinations are recommended. Malaria prophylaxis should be taken as risk exists throughout the country. Water precautions are also advisable. There is a risk of rabies. Visitors should seek advice with regard to vaccinations for diphtheria, heptaitis B, meningitis and tuberculosis.
Hotels
Hotels are available in Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso with limited availability elsewhere. It is advisable to book in advance. Service is included in bills and gratuities are customary for taxis and porters.
Public holidays (2002)
Fixed dates
1 January, 8 March, 1 May, 4 August (National Day), 15 October, 1 November (All Saints' Day), 1 December, 25 December.
Variable dates
Easter Monday, Ascension, Whit Monday, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Ashura, Prophet's Birthday, Al Hijra.
Working hours
Banking: Mon-Fri: 0830-1130 and 1530-1630.
Business: Mon-Fri: 0730-1230 and 1500-1730.
Government: Mon-Fri: 0730-1230 and 1500-1730.
Shops: (Mon-Sat) 0800-1300 and 1500-1900; (Sun) 0800-1200.