UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
IRIN-West Africa Update 103-97, 12/12/97

IRIN-West Africa Update 103-97, 12/12/97


U N I T E D N A T I O N S Department of Humanitarian Affairs Integrated Regional Information Network for West Africa

Tel: +225 21-63-35 Fax: +225 21-63-35 e-mail: irin-wa@africaonline.co.ci

IRIN-WA Update 103-97 of Events in West Africa, (Friday) 12 December 1997

[As a supplement to its weekly round-ups of main events in West Africa, IRIN-WA will produce a daily synopsis of reports on the region. IRIN issues these reports for the benefit of the humanitarian community but accepts no responsibility as to the accuracy of the original source.]

SIERRA LEONE: ECOMOG air raid

The Sierra Leone Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) said ECOMOG jets had bombed the town of Kenema on Thursday killing 10 people in an air raid, AFP reported. According to military sources quoted by the news agency, a Nigerian air force Alpha jet dropped three cluster bombs on the town 240 km east of the capital Freetown. AFRC spokesman Major John Milton said at least 10 people died and 18 were wounded in the 15-minute attack.

ECOMOG Chief of Staff Brigadier General Abdul One Mohammed confirmed the air raid in a telephone interview, the dispatch said. He explained it had been "an act of self-defence" in which the jet had retaliated after being fired at from the ground. He was unaware of any casualties.

AFRC accused of attacking Kamajors

AFP said ECOMOG accused the AFRC of committing a "flagrant violation" of the Sierra Leone ceasefire when it attacked positions of Kamajor militiamen loyal to ousted President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. During the attack on 9-10 December, AFRC units backed by helicopters and artillery had razed several villages in the southeast, sending women, children and elderly people fleeing across the border to an ECOMOG base at Bo Waterside in Liberia.

ECOWAS demands strict compliance on sanctions

In a related development reported Friday by PANA, the ECOWAS ended its 42nd session in the Nigerian capital Abuja with a call for strict compliance with the UN oil and arms embargo and regional sanctions imposed on the AFRC government. An ECOWAS statement said the AFRC had failed to respect the Conakry peace deal signed in October. It recommended further high-level talks "to resolve the disagreement in the implementation of the accord".

NIGERIA: Human rights studies to be introduced

A senior Nigerian judge said on Friday that human rights should be introduced as a high school subject, PANA reported. Justice Paul Nwokedi, chairman of the Human Rights Commission, noted in a speech marking the 49th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that Nigeria had come under growing international pressure over rights abuses.

The commission established by Nigeria's head of state, General Sani Abacha, a year ago, had received 150 complaints: "I wish to reiterate the need for further enlightenment of our law enforcement agencies," Nwokedi said. "I still repeat that many overzealous functionaries of our law enforcement agencies give the impression that this country is completely lawless and hence has no respect for human rights." European Union countries, he added, had imposed a range of sanctions on Nigeria for such violations.

Washington demands formal explanation

Justice Nkowedi's speech came as the State Department in Washington demanded an official explanation of the circmstances which led to the death this week of the imprisoned former vice president, General Shehu Musa Yar'Adua. According to an AFP dispatch, his wife had found him in good health during a prison visit a month ago. The State Department noted that Abacha had already pledged the release of some detainees: "We therefore make an urgent appeal for the liberation of all political prisoners currently detained in Nigeria." It said the Nwokedi commission estimated their number at between 100 and 200 people.

SENEGAL: Three thousand stranded in Dakar airport

At least 3,000 passengers were stranded on Friday at Dakar airport, where air traffic controllers have been on strike over pay conditions since Wednesday, AFP reported. Airline officials told IRIN, however, that they expected the dispute to be settled by the weekend. The only aircraft allowed to land during the strike was that of President Abdou Diouf on his return from the Islamic summit in Tehran. The airport closure this week affected participants at a number of international meetings, AFP said. Among the most prominent of those unable to leave was the visiting president of Taiwan's national assembly, Frederick Chien.

MAURITANIA: Voting under way in presidential election

Mauritanians went to the polls on Friday in the country's second post-independence presidential election. They were choosing from five candidates, including the incumbent, Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya. There was no immediate indication as to what extent people complied with a call by opposition parties to boycott the election at 1,500 polling booths around the country. The polling was being closely monitored by a team of international observers.

Abidjan, 12 December 1997, 18:10 gmt

[ends]

[The material contained in this communication comes to you via IRIN West Africa, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. UN IRIN-WA Tel: +225 21 73 66 Fax: +225 21 63 35 e-mail: irin-wa@africaonline.co.ci for more information or subscription. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this report, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. IRIN reports are archived on the Web at: http://www.reliefweb.int/emergenc or can be retrieved automatically by sending e-mail to archive@dha.unon.org . Mailing list: irin-wa-updates]

Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 18:16:11 +0000 (GMT) From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.dha.unon.org> Subject: IRIN-West Africa Update 103-97, 97.12.12 Message-Id: <Pine.LNX.3.95.971212181339.1196A-100000@wa.dha.unon.org>

Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar

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