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INSIDE AFRICA
Zimbabwe's Conflict Diamonds?; Bela Fleck, Toumani Diabate Team Up
Aired July 4, 2009 - 19:30:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to INSIDE AFRICA. I'm Isha Sesay. On the program this week, the musical collaboration of Toumani Diabate and Bela Fleck. And the lessons World Cup organizers should be taking from the Confederations Cup.
But first to Zimbabwe. Human Rights Watch says it has met face to face with dozens of victims and witnesses who they say confirm reports of murder and brutality in Zimbabwe's diamond fields. CNN is banned from reporting inside the country, but our Canadian partner network, the CBC, recently was granted access. At the time, CBC correspondent Adrienne Arsenault reported on the alleged abuses. She now has this update from London.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADRIENNE ARSENAULT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Canadian Ian Smillie has led the world campaign against blood diamonds, and his anger mirrors that of the Human Rights Watch investigation that backs up what CBC first reported a month ago. That under the orders of the Robert Mugabe government, soldiers not only took control of vast diamond fields, but likely murdered possibly hundreds of diamond panners, buried them in mass graves, then filled their own pockets and the pockets of powerful politicians with stolen riches.
IAN SMILLIE, PARTNERSHIP AFRICA CANADA: The government of Zimbabwe, they allegedly -- supposedly illegitimate government is actually doing it itself. I mean, they're the ones that are putting blood on the diamonds.
ARSENAULT: Diamond panners we interviewed in Zimbabwe told of witnessing the violence and the theft.
(on camera): Do you think the soldiers are in control of the market (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not thinking, but I'm sure, because those are the people in there, they get (ph) the greatest panners, the soldiers themselves. They take (inaudible) young children in the village, they go with them and do panning.
ARSENAULT (voice over): That particular claim, that soldiers are using forced and child labor was one of Human Rights Watch's most serious claims of abuse. It urges the world to hold Zimbabwe's government accountable, and urges Zimbabwean officials to remember the diamonds when they ask the international community for money.
KENNETH ROTH, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Rather than using the Marange mines to pay off the military, to pad the Swiss bank accounts of senior ZANU-PF officials, why don't you use that $200 million a month to begin to serve the people of Zimbabwe?
ARSENAULT: In the next few weeks, officials from all over the world including Canada will head to Zimbabwe to try to get to more of the truth about what happened and still happens in those diamond fields. But the fear of most is that by the time they get there, Zimbabwean officials will have quite literally buried the evidence.
Adrienne Arsenault, CBC News, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: Georgette Gagnon is the director of Human Rights Watch's Africa division. I asked her for more details about HRW report.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGETTE GAGNON, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: In October 2008, just last year, the army, the Zimbabwean army decided to assert its control over the area and launched an operation called "Operation No Return," where it went into the area with helicopter gunships, hundreds of soldiers on foot armed with AK-47s, and began to take over these fields. It killed at least -- army soldiers killed at least 200 miners, tortured some of them. And then still it's in this area, it's controlling this area, and it is forcing women, children and men to work mining diamonds for the military. The people being made -- forced to work there are, you know, doing that without pay, without compensation, working very long hours. So, it's really a very terrible abusive situation.
SESAY: So, Georgette, these claims that have been made by Human Rights Watch -- I must point out that CNN cannot independently verify them. These are the findings of Human Rights Watch. But give us a sense of the scale of your probe. How many people did you speak to, and also crucially, did you speak to the Zimbabwean authorities?
GAGNON: Yes, we spent over a month in the area. We talked to over 100 people, both victims, witnesses to these abuses, actual Zimbabwean soldiers and police, who -- we talked to more than 30 soldiers and police who told us what they had been doing in these diamond fields and how the army had actually had different brigades and groups rotated through that area so they could benefit off the illegal diamond mining.
SESAY: And what do the Zimbabwean government authorities say?
GAGNON: Well, at this point in time, the minister of information has denied all allegations of human rights abuses in the Marange diamond fields.
SESAY: What are you working towards doing right now?
GAGNON: First, we want the army to leave the area, to be pulled out of the area, and we're calling on the new power-sharing government in Zimbabwe to do that, because the army is very abusive. They don't need to be there.
We want the abuses to stop, and we certainly urged the government to put a stop to that, and there are international supporters and others to call for an end to this forced labor and other abuses.
We also want, as I said earlier, the -- any trade in these sorts Marange diamonds from Zimbabwe to be banned until the situation is cleaned up. And we're also asking the Kimberley Process to expand the definition of what they call "conflict diamonds" to include diamonds mined in extremely abusive situations like Zimbabwe. These are blood diamonds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SESAY: INSIDE AFRICA contacted Zimbabwe's information minister and minister of mines. Both declined to comment on the HRW report, pending the outcome of an investigation by a team from the Kimberley Process.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WEBSTER SHAMU, ZIMBABWEAN INFORMATION MINISTER: We would not want to pre-empt the release of that report, their findings. They need us to wait for them to finish. When they leave, then we can talk to you. Let us not comment about that at the moment. Or rather give them room to do whatever research they have to do, let them proceed to (inaudible) people to whatever area they want, at their own pace, and let's wait for the result.
OBERT MPOFU, ZIMBABWEAN MINISTER OF MINES: I can only comment to the issue that relates to the Kimberley Process, which issues are being addressed by the team which is in Zimbabwe. We are (inaudible), and this is, as the result of (inaudible) to them. And we have got them here, we have been talking to them, they are moving around the country, meeting people that they're talking to, and we have nothing to hide. They can go to wherever they want to go to, but the most important thing is that for a government, this is quite a development which is quite exciting to us, because we want to conform to the requirements of the Kimberley Process in terms of the handling of diamonds in Zimbabwe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SESAY: The Kimberly Process certification scheme is an initiative to stop the flow of so-called "conflict diamonds." Members must meet extensive requirements to certify that their diamonds are conflict-free. As always, INSIDE AFRICA will continue to closely follow developments in Zimbabwe.
World Cup organizers in South Africa have some work to do if they hope to meet FIFA's expectations next year. We'll look at the successes and setbacks of the Confederations Cup.
(COMMERICAL BREAK)
SESAY: Welcome back to INSIDE AFRICA. Dressed rehearsal is over, and the main event is on the horizon. I'm talking about the 2010 World Cup, of course. And FIFA President Sepp Blatter says organizers have plenty to learn from hosting the Confederations Cup.
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SEPP BLATTER, FIFA PRESIDENT: At the end of the World Cup 2010, I would like to give you the ten, then you're in the masters. But for the time -- for the time being, let's just be with 7.5 with the -- for you to have the opportunity to go to 8.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: About half a million visitors are expected to descend on South Africa next year. We decided to get a progress report on the preparations.
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, at the beginning of the tournament, maybe people felt that a lot of the stadiums were half empty, particularly for those initial matches when Spain or New Zealand or Iraq was playing. But remember that most of these tickets were bought by South Africans. So, next year at the World Cup, you're going to have groups of Brazilians or Spanish coming in. It's going to be an entirely different scene.
But by the end of the Confederations Cup, I mean most of those stadiums were chock-a-block full, and there was a wonderful vibe. So I think in terms of ticket sales, FIFA and the organizers are actually at pains to point out that they were pretty similar to the German Confederations Cup four years ago. They say that the stadiums on average had about 37,000 fans in them in Germany for years ago. And here in South Africa for the Confederations Cup, it was about 36,500 fans on average per stadium.
SESAY: What's the sense of how they did on the issue of hotels and transportation?
CURNOW: Now, Isha, that is where I think there is going to be a lot of work over the next 12 months. You know, I think both FIFA and the organizers have said and admitted and acknowledged that there are hiccups, issues to be ironed out, you know, or to use a kind of euphemism, but basically there was some failures on that front. Accommodation in towns like Bloemfontein, for example. There really just weren't enough beds. And in Durban, I mean I went to -- to film the rugby, and there just weren't enough beds in Durban. They were all booked up for the Lions tour, which was also happening simultaneously to the Confederations Cup. Durban was full. So that is a real concern. Many people building new hotels, many big groups building new hotels, but will there still be enough?
As for transportation, real issue, Isha. And I think this is where many people feel that there was -- the biggest failures. Getting to and from the games was a huge problem. The system the organizers have put in place just didn't work. Many people took hours to get to a game and arrived late in the middle of the game, or afterwards, it took them hours to get home.
Now remember, it's cold, it's dark here in South Africa. It's winter. And that kind of spoiled it for some people. So I think in terms of transport and accommodation, those are the two major issues that really have got to be worked on next year.
SESAY: Yeah, absolutely, much bigger. Many more fans expected, which really of course brings up the issue of crime and safety, Robyn.
CURNOW: Isha, you know, that was the big talk before the -- before the Confederations Cup. Many people and, of course, FIFA really concerned that there was going to be some major incidents. But it actually went off quite smoothly. I felt very safe as an ordinary fan in those stadiums in terms of public safety. It was -- it was great. I mean, there was orderly queues going in an out, there was, you know, there was a process that was followed and I felt safe, you know. And that goes, I think, for most of the people that I know went to these games.
In terms of public safety, the only dangerous aspects I would call upon FIFA or the organizing committee, you know, post-match, trying to get on to these park-and-ride buses, when everybody was leaving at the same time, not enough transport organized, not enough orderly organization in terms of getting people out of the games. That for me was the biggest public safety issue.
Crime-wise, no major incidents, you know. So I think, you know, that's a big tick (ph) for many of the South Africans. I think it went all pretty smoothly on that front. And I think, you know, it really did -- it really did win for South Africans, and I think that was -- that's a very important point. And I think what also should bring up in terms of atmosphere and celebrations is this controversial issue of the vuvuzela, which is the big plastic trumpet that South African fans, you know, tooted to much to the irritation of the foreign -- the foreign fans and the foreign players. But actually, I got quite addicted to these things. They're quite fun.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: It sounds like an elephant trumpeting or a foghorn, a noise so obnoxious and irritating to many, that the footballers have actually complained to FIFA.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: And the sound is very irritating, but it was fun, and I think that really added to the vibe and to the sense of celebration, and to the fact that it was very, very uniquely South African.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: Maybe South Africa could score a perfect 10 next year.
What do you get when you mix a banjo with a kora? The music of Bela Fleck and Toumani Diabate, that's what you get. We'll bring you their collaboration.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SESAY: You're watching INSIDE AFRICA. Welcome back. American musician Bela Fleck is considered one of the best banjo players the world has even known. What many fans may not know is that the banjo's roots can be traced to Africa. Fleck decided to do just that, and his journey is the subject of the documentary, "Throw Down Your Heart." Along the way, he met Malian kora master Toumani Diabate, and they decided to tour together. INSIDE AFRICA recently met up with them at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in the U.S. state of Tennessee.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BELA FLECK, MUSICIAN: A hand for Toumani Diabate.
SESAY: Two virtuosos on one stage. American banjo master Bela Fleck and Malian kora master Toumani Diabate dazzle the crowd and each other.
FLECK: It's a profound thing. When it's sparkling, that's what I love, and I like to play with musicians who sparkle. And you put enough sparkling musicians together, and you get quite a surge of energy.
SESAY: Together, they go where the music takes them.
TOUMANI DIABATE, MUSICIAN: We don't hear so much, and, you know, we don't need to do that, because it's already there, it's spiritual, and, you know, it's just divine inspiration.
SESAY: Perhaps because the instruments share a common history. The banjo has distinctly African roots.
FLECK: I discovered that it came from Africa originally, and that does not seem to be common knowledge, or a lot of people have forgotten over the years where the banjo comes from.
SESAY: West Africa, to be exact. A descendent of gourd instruments brought to the United States during the slave trade. Fleck developed a deep passion for the banjo as a boy.
FLECK: I never actually thought it was possible to play one. It's such an incredibly fast, you know, sound. But then my grandfather gave me one, right before I started high school, and I started playing it, and I started to find my way, and I learned very fast.
SESAY: Fleck went on to introduce the banjo to modern jazz, pop and classical music. He has 11 Grammies to his credit, and he's been nominated in more categories than anyone else.
A few years ago he traveled to Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia and Mali to explore the banjo's African roots. He documented the trip in the award- winning film, "Throw Down Your Heart."
FLECK: The experience of playing with these musicians made my life a lot richer, made my worldview a lot bigger. In a lot of cases I learned music that was so new to me that it's affected the way I played music ever since.
SESAY: Fleck instantly took to Diabate and his music.
FLECK: I had bought every record of his that I could find, because I was curious about the kora, because it relates to the banjo, because it plays these rippling arpeggios, right? Well, that's what the banjo does. And the differences is he plays with two thumbs and two fingers, and he does it that way, and I do it this way. I do my rippling by revolving my three fingers of my right hand, so.
SESAY: Diabate says the kora is a fixture in its family going back generations.
DIABATE: The music I play has a history, it has a geography, has a legend. It's the roots what I'm playing.
SESAY: Also a Grammy winner, Diabate says his touring with Fleck has allowed him to share the kora with new audiences. They both seem to relish the collaboration.
FLECK: When he does something I've never heard before, all of a sudden I have to pull something out of my bag. And when I do something he's never heard, I can see he laughs, and he's like uh-oh, and then he lays it on you.
DIABATE: I brought my music, and Bela brings his music. We put together, and we become a new music.
SESAY: New music rooted in tradition.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: Two virtuosos sharing a stage making a beautiful sound. And this is quite a sight -- a baby rhino in Uganda. We'll bring you some of the first pictures of this rarity.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SESAY: Welcome back to INSIDE AFRICA. For the first time in decades, a rhino has been born in Uganda. And it's raising hopes that the country's rhino population might make a comeback. They were wiped out during the regime of former dictator Idi Amin. Robyn Curnow introduces us now to the calf.
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CURNOW: Protected by rangers in the Ugandan animal sanctuary, this group of white rhino have a brand new addition to the family -- a bouncing baby, the first white rhino calf born in Uganda since the early 1980s.
ANGIE GENADE, ZIWA RHINO SANCTUARY: And overall, the last rhinos in Uganda we've seen 27, 28 years ago. So I think for tourism and for Uganda as a whole and its people, you know, just to have rhino back in the national parks would just be a huge boost for the country.
CURNOW: White rhinos are endangered, poached almost to extinction. Breeding programs like this one are slowly re-introducing white rhinos back to Africa's wild.
GENADE: There is one that was getting rhino to Uganda, and it's (inaudible) sanctuaries where we can look after them, and phase two was breeding. Phase three is reintroducing them to the national parks in Uganda. So that would probably start around five to seven years from now.
CURNOW: The project is funded by tourism and donations. And tourists who travel to the sanctuary get to track the animals on foot, getting a rare, close-up view of nature's second largest animals after the elephants.
The gender of the baby rhino has still not been determined, which is why he or she hasn't yet been named.
GENADE: We have some ideas. We have Obama if it's a boy. And the reason for that is because the mother comes from the U.S., Nandi. She came from Disney Animal Kingdom, and the father actually comes from Kenya. So we thought there was a little bit of a history attachment there. So, if it's a boy, Obama. If it's a girl, probably Michelle. We have to keep it in the family.
CURNOW: An illustrious association for the first Ugandan-born white rhino in nearly 30 years.
Robyn Curnow, CNN, Johannesburg, South Africa.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: Hopefully, the start of a comeback for rhinos in Uganda.
And there we must leave it. Be sure to tune in next week for a brand-new INSIDE AFRICA. We leave you know with another dose of Bela Fleck and Toumani Diabate at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. Thank you for watching.
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