Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 24, 1998)
|g| jg|| j|f The Battalion World Tuesday * Marcl Africa gives Clinton a loud, warm welcome es ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Buoyed by the biggest crowd of his presidency, President Clinton hailed “the new face of Africa” and its growing peace, prosperity and democracy as he opened a historic six-nation tour on Monday. While poverty and war still trouble parts of the continent, Clinton said Americans must shake off “the stereotypes that have warped our view and weakened our understanding of Africa.” Dictatorships have fallen in many countries, Clinton said, and half of the 48 nations of sub-Sa haran Africa now have elected governments. Where business was once stifled, “now Africans are embracing economic reform,” the president said on a mission to applaud political reforms and open the door for U.S.-African trade. After waiting for hours in temperatures that hovered near 100 degrees, a massive crowd roared at the sight of Clinton in Independence Square, a sprawling parade ground alongside the Gulf of Guinea. After weeks of sex-scandal publicity back home, the White House happily passed along Ghanaian government estimates of more than 500,000 peo ple, although that number seemed high. Clinton’s press secretary said the audience was “the largest he’s seen as president, maybe one of the largest any American president has ever seen.” Last July’s visit to Bucharest, Romania, cheered by tens of thousands, had been the pre vious benchmark. The huge turnout and intense heat brought problems. Crowds surged toward Clinton to shake his hand, endangering people pressed against met al barriers. An obviously alarmed Clinton waved crowds to stop, and he shouted, “Back up! Back up!” Spokesman Mike McCurry said Clinton was wor ried about the people in front being injured. Fights broke out in the crowd over scarce bot tles of water. Police and military security whipped people with belts and canes to keep order. Thou sands of people drifted away from the square as the ceremony droned on. Accra, once an Atlantic port for slave traders, was the gateway for Clinton’s 12-day, 21,000-mile journey to Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana and Senegal. Over the course of the trip, he will spend about 42 hours on Air Force One. The United States sees Africa as a huge poten tial market, with per capita income rising in 31 countries. The population of Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to double to 1.5 billion in 27 years. Clinton’s journey is the longest foreign trip of his presidency and the first time an American president has visited any of the six countries on his trip map. “It is a journey long overdue,” the president said. “I want to build a future partnership between our two people and I want to introduce the peo ple of the United States through my trip to the new face of Africa.” Clinton and his national security aides were distracted by news from Moscow that President Boris Yeltsin had fired his Cabinet, though the president said there was no reason to believe that U.S.-Russian policy would be affected. Sitting in oversized wing chairs under an um brella protecting them from the midday sun, Clin ton and President Jerry Rawlings of Ghana watched dancers in native costumes move to the pounding of African drums. Clinton’s wife, Hillary, and Rawlings’ wife, Nana, sat nearby on the red carpeted stage. Rawlings has held power since a military coup in 1981. He has run in two elections, winning easily both times. He assured Clinton that Ghana is committed to freedom and justice and — in terms of trade — is “ready and able to do busi ness in today’s liberalized and competitive mar ket place.” “Africa is not going to be found wanting as we approach the 21st century,” said Rawlings, wear ing a batakari, a smock-like shirt with leopard trim. Clinton posed for pictures draped in colorful kente cloth, and his wife wore a kente cloth shawl. Clinton’s Independence Square speech was a scene-setting address for the entire trip. “My dream for this trip is that together we might do the things so that 100 years from now, your grandchildren and mine will look back and say this was the beginning of a new African re naissance,” Clinton said. “With a new century coming into view, old pat terns are fading away,” he said. “The Cold War is gone. Colonialism is gone. Apartheid is gone. Remnants of past troubles remain, but surely there will come a time when everywhere reconciliation will replace recrimina tion.” Clinton acknowledged that Africa is not free from peril. He cited genocide in Rwanda, civil wars in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo and the Re public of Congo, a military dictatorship in Nige ria and condnent-wide poverty, malnutrition, dis ease, illiteracy and unemployment. Ghana is considered one of Africa’s success stories, with a 3 percent economic growth rate. A severe drought has caused an energy crisis re sulting in regular power outages of 12 hours a day. Clinton told Rawlings the United States will guarantee a $67 million loan from the Trans portation Department for the purchase of two barge-mounted power plants from the Westing- house Corp. After a daylong stay, Clinton headed for Ugan da. First the president visited with Peace Corps volunteers, noting that Ghana was the first coun try where Peace Corps worked. Bertelsmann bu largest US publisle NEWYORK (AP) — Putting best-selling writers JohnG; Michael Crichton on the same corporate bookshelf,Ge glomerate Bertelsmann AG struck a deal Monday tob House, the biggest U.S. book publisher. The purchase price was not disclosed. Bertelsmann is the world’s third-largest media andeir jjl company, with holdings that include Bantam Doubledj lisher of Grisham’s courtroom thrillers. Random House has published the books of Criditt jp Mailer and lohn Updike. "Our new company will draw and build upon thestrt Fu great publishing traditions... with an unpnicedenteddw ort. lishing choices,” said Peter Olson, current chairmanof] Book Group North America, who will head the newRar The German company trails onlyTime Warner Inc. ney Co. among media giants. It already owns the BMG music club, the RClAandfaig, bels, and such magazines as McCall’s and Family Circle Random House is being sold by Advance Publication- wants to focus on its main businesses of newspapers,? business journals and cable FV. \dvance, which is oww “ er( house family, also owns Thr GQ and Vault The new ci >mp.m\ u ill combine a variety of publishi;. 31 ’® Doubleday, Bantam Books, Dell Delacorte and Bi 1 from Bertelsmann, and Random House, Knopf. Crowd m tine from Advance. Random House also \ an online book-selling ve petition with Amazon.co Bertelsmann has been n erat ion since purchasing B. Random 1 louse was fout S. Klopfer, two friends who collection of classic reprint They then expanded int company to suit their randi iturc that H n and Barn seas alth of titles to. ; lir ^ telstnannispla: i e ,, - Noble. bull pnnd itsEngli&j 7 by Bennett ( ! 99 buying the Mode - •-Tor inge of books ar:|;J2 Nigerians desperate for change, place hope on papal should iF-Br lUB-C McGt ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — For Philip Ak- abuese, a 9-year-old believer, the frail, stooped man in the gold-hued robes meant a better chance for food on his plate, a de cent education and life in a free country. The Rev. Ande Godwin, a 31-year-old Roman Catholic priest, saw improved odds for a return to human dignity in a deeply troubled country. Many others wanted to see results be fore venturing a guess. But the mood during Pope John Paul IPs whirlwind visit to Nigeria was expressed by a headline writer in the daily Vanguard: “Pope — Our Last Hope.” A colorful sea of 100,000 people gath ered Monday on a sweep of open bush near the Nigerian capital to hear the pope celebrate Mass, encourage Catholics to keep the faith and take a parting shot at Nigeria’s dictatorship. “Respect for every human person, for his dignity and rights, must ever be the inspi ration behind your efforts to increase democracy and strengthen the social fabric of your country,” John Paul II said. In the Catholic heartland of eastern Nigeria, near Onitsha, more than a half mil lion faithful prayed with the pope on Sun day. The Abuja mass attracted not only Catholics but also Muslims from nearby northern states. “We see a growing return to religion,” said the Rev. Maurice Henry, an Irish mis sionary in the north who has spent 27 years watching Nigeria rise from rags to riches and sink back to rags. Muslims did not meet the pontiff when he last visited in 1982, the priests recalled. A scheduled session was canceled when Muslim leaders could not decide among themselves who would attend. This time, John Paul met at length with the Sultan of Sokoto and other senior Is lamic leaders. He was greeted warmly at the airport by Gen. Sani Abacha, the head of state and a Muslim. The pontiff called for freedom for polit ical prisoners, respect for human rights and the creation of a higher standard of living for this oil-blessed but impoverished na tion of 108 million. The Vatican asked Nigeria to free from prison about 60 political opponents and journalists. Abacha made no reference to that re quest in remarks he made at the pope’s de parture Monday evening. Scenes at the pontiff’s open-air Mass suggested that was a tall order. Police controlled crowds by flailing people with whips made of long lengths of electrical wire, a practice inherited from past governments. Gaunt pilgrims walked for hours to the site, 10 miles west of Abuja. Those with cars waited in endless lines for scarce fuel, the result of dilapidated re fineries and unpaid import bills. The few outspoken newspapers still ap pearing urged the government to heed the pope’s words. The Sunday Concord noted that after the pope visited Cuba, "It is remarkable that Fi del Castro has toned down his iron-fisted rule, even as he has caused to be released hordes of political adversaries.’’ The Concord's publisher, Moshood Abio- la, has been imprisoned since 1993, when he received the most votes in what was regard ed as a free and fair presidential election. Abacha has been in power since then. Elsewhere in the paper, writer Adebayo Williams called the pope’s beatification of a Nigerian monk “a haunting reminder of Nigeria’s prodigious natural capacity to throw up heroic individuals.” He added, “In a country overtaken by greed, opportunism and short-termism, the priest from Eastern Nigeria, who died in 1964, is the noblest and purist expression of ... what ought to be.” Across this newly built, multiethnic cap ital, people lauded the papal visit. Whether responding to John Paul H’s religious mes sage or his star quality, most: he could make a positive irnpt “I am Muslim, but I willgo: Bala Ali, a young tailor, saidar bolts of cloth and piles of ripf Wuse market. “He is a great?, something for us all.” Down on Church Alley," costals rather than Catholicsp the joy was tinged with a" caution. “I love what he says,” Pastor said outside his Dominion Ch: “He has given a challenge? ities, and I hope they will hearii for change.” A nearby worshipper, act named Greg Yusuf, said his It had not varied. “It takes the grace of Got things, not the coming of aim “Still, his coming is good draws people to God. It unitesc culture and tradition.” tHP. tHP J Merki ipoi Ken ig 1 THIS SATURDAY. MARCH 28,1998 Rudder Auditorium Doors Open 7:00 • Show Starts 7:30 Tickets On Sale Now! Ticket Prices: $8.00 A&M Students * $10.00 All Others MSC BOX OFFICE 845-1234 Presented By: MSC Town Hall Cards Maxed Out? Give Us A Shout! Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS), a non-profit agency, can help you get out of debt. Services are completely free and confidential. We have an office at 3833 S. Texas in Bryan. To make an appointment to talk to a counselor, call: 409-691-8319 or 1-800-873-2227 Visit us on the World Wide Web at http://www.cccsintl.org Traditions Council Presents: “How the Past creates the present, opening up the Archives of Texas A&M University”. Featuring Dr. David Chapman Thursday March 26,1998 at 7:00 p.m. in Rudder Theatre Free Admission Join us in learning the fascinating history of Texas A&M from one of the leading experts on A&M history. Visit us at www.rtis.com/traditions-council. TA MC TEXAS AVEIf MEDICAL CL Rany Cherian, MD Walk-ins &. Appointff HOURS: Welcomed Mon. - Sat. 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sun. 1 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Member of BrazosVa Alliance & Brazos Va Physician OrganizaK X-Rays, EKG's, Lab lei Physicals, Breath Alcof Screens Si more Student Discount w/JOp 401 S. Texas Ave., Bryan ■ (409) 7794 QIl> IOm :: TIjXAS! ^ • ^ i A*ixx.'oiidiiii THURSDAY C o 1 1 c K e Station, T e x a s 1 teke ‘ts aval lab Id h t Dixie ( hicken. VUroorva Rei.cntte & Rolher s Roookxlorcs Pat Green Live CD Recoilin'- Shadow Canyon/Giiienc I 1 Scheduled Release September^'