Comoros Coup Leader

In March 2000, dissident political and army elements attempted a coup against Azali. This coup was suppressed, and the leaders of the coup were detained. The two leaders of the coup remained in prison at year's end; no trial date had been scheduled (see Section 1.d.). ...

Several times early in the year, religious leaders on Anjouan and Grande Comore threatened Christians during radio broadcasts. In April in Domoni on Anjouan, a local Christian leader was summoned before local Islamic leaders and threatened. The Christian leader's father was forced to pay a fine, and the leader's family had to leave Domoni for a month. In December 2000, also in Domoni, community members set fire to the house of a Christian man while he was sleeping inside; the man escaped. ... [Read More]

Comoros

In April 2001, in Domoni on Anjouan, a local Christian leader was summoned before local Islamic leaders and threatened. The Christian leader's father was forced to pay a fine, and the leader's family had to leave Domoni for 1 month. In the past, religious leaders on Anjouan and Grande Comore made threats against Christians during radio broadcasts; however, there were no reports of such threats during the period covered by this report. ...

Prior to the incorporation of Anjouan into the federation, the Constitution, written by the separatist leadership of Anjouan, provided for freedom of religion; however, separatist leadership discouraged the practice of religions other than Islam. ... [Read More]

Comoros

There is widespread societal discrimination against Christians in all sectors of life. Christians face insults and threats of violence from members of their communities. Christians have been harassed by mobs in front of mosques and called in for questioning by religious authorities. In April 2001, in Domoni on Anjouan, one of the local Christian leaders was summoned before local Islamic leaders and threatened. The Christian leader's father was forced to pay a fine, and the leader's family had to leave Domoni for a month. Several times in the first half of 2001, religious leaders on Anjouan and Grande Comore have made threats against Christians during radio broadcasts. In December 2000, also in Domini, community members set fire to the house of a Christian man while he was sleeping inside; the man escaped. ... [Read More]

Africa

The United States worked extensively on the problem of inter-religious violence and religious freedom, meeting with national and local political and religious leaders on multiple occasions to gain a better understanding of the problems and to advocate resolution. U.S. officers gave speeches across the country calling for reconciliation, and traveled extensively to work with state officials and Muslim and Christian leaders on promoting peace and ending discrimination. USAID committed $1.044 million to support a range of conflict management and peace-building activities, including sponsoring a Christian pastor and Islamic imam from Kaduna at a peace-building course at the School of International Training in Vermont in 2003. The two leaders then trained members of the Kaduna Peace Committee, and USAID paid for radio and television programs where the pastor and imam could discuss conflict issues in Kaduna and Kano. In 2004 the pastor and imam received the prestigious Common Gr ... [Read More]

Africa

Kenya held successful multiparty general elections on December 27, 2002; election observers concluded the polling broadly reflected the popular will and was free and fair. For the first time since independence in 1963, the Kenya African National Union (KANU) lost the presidency and the majority of seats in Parliament. The National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), a grouping of opposition political parties and former KANU leaders, swept the presidential and parliamentary results. Torture continues to be a problem in Kenya. While the Constitution prohibits such acts, security forces continued during recent years to use torture and physical violence during interrogation and to punish both pretrial detainees and convicted prisoners. The Embassy provided a $1.4 million three-year grant to the U.S. International University to develop a training program and a comprehensive service-support system program for trauma and torture victims. USAID also a ... [Read More]

Money Laundering and Financial Crimes

However, within the last two years, the Japanese National Police have re-evaluated their investigative priorities and increasingly are focusing their efforts on the financial aspects of organized crime. The largest of these financial cases originated in September 1997, when police in Osaka arrested a boryokudan leader who had received $1.3 million in drug proceeds from junior gang members. In February 1998, the Osaka District Court, in the first use of the provisions of the money laundering law which prescribes the receipt of illicit drug proceeds, imposed a penalty of $1.3 million on the boryokudan leader. ... [Read More]