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IRIN-WA Update 110-97 of Events in West Africa, (Tuesday) 23 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.]
NIGERIA: Coup plot aftermath
Diplomats greeted allegations of Sunday's attempted coup in Nigera with surprise and wariness, AFP reported. One diplomat said that, if true, the coup was "ill-timed" and "ill-advised" with only 10 months before military ruler General Sani Abacha's pledged transition to civilian rule. Amnesty International raised concerns over the possible ill-treatment of the detainees and their right to due process.
The government arrested 11 alleged coup plotters on Sunday, 10 of them high-ranking military officers. Unconfirmed reports said more soldiers were arrested later. The government declined for a second day running on Tuesday to provide details of the alleged plot or those involved. The Nigerian Post Express Wire said, however, Abacha's government had assured Nigerians that "the transition to civilian rule is very much on course and will be pursued to a logical conclusion".
Local reactions
Meanwhile, opposition groups called on the government to prove its allegations, the BBC reported. The chairman of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Abraham Adesanya, said he suspected that the aim of the alleged coup plot was to create a climate of confusion, providing an excuse for Abacha's continued rule and his candidacy in the October 1998 presidential election.
But Abacha's supporters denounced the coup demanding the culprits be punished. Daniel Kanu, chairman of a group called "Youths Earnestly Ask for Abacha '98" (YEAA), told a news conference that the plot showed Nigeria needed a man capable of crushing a coup, like Abacha.
Media and soldiers warned
The country's acting director of defence information, Colonel Godwin Ugbo, warned the media in a radio broadcast "not to engage in insinuations on the plot". He reminded listeners of the 1995 coup plot in which several journalists were arrested for "insinuations and unguarded journalism". A recurrence of such behaviour would not be tolerated.
In another broadcast, Army Chief of Staff Major-General Ishaya Bamaiyi called on Nigerian soldiers to remain "loyal to constituted authority". Press reports said his statement was backed up by General Timothy Shelpidi, who specifically warned peacekeeping troops returning from Liberia not to get involved in anything that would affect the peace and stability of the country.
Diya's arrest an attack on Yorubas
The most senior official arrested this week was Abacha's deputy, Lieutenant-General Oladipo Diya. Nigeria's number two leader since 1993, Diya is a Yoruba who opposed the annulment of the 1994 elections. In the wake of the crisis, however, Reuters said he had acted as the go-between the military and pro-democracy movements and had been instrumental in convincing prominent Yorubas to join Abacha's government.
He was also the only military officer to have survived Abacha's numerous cabinet reshuffles. More recently, he narrowly avoided being killed in a grenade explosion at the airport last week. The incident, in which a person was killed and others injured, was officially declared an accident. AFP quoted the daily 'Tribune' as saying the sidelining of Diya "would not be unconnected with the calculated plan to relegate the entire Yoruba race to the background."
LIBERIA: Journalist abducted
Unidentified men believed to be supporters of Liberian President Charles Taylor have abducted a broadcast journalist, news organisations reported. The journalist, Alex Redd, was seized near Gbarnga, in central Liberia's Bongo County, his brother was quoted as telling a local radio station. He said they were returning together to the capital Monrovia after the funeral of opposition leader Samuel Dokie, who was murdered after a similar abduction in the same area. The Press Union of Liberia expressed concern over Redd's abduction and requested a meeting with Taylor to discuss continued threats to journalists.
SIERRA LEONE: Food supplies critically short
Sierra Leone was facing serious food shortages which had already become acute in some areas, sources told IRIN on Tuesday. The Committee on Food Aid, which includes WFP, estimated that the balance of stocks would provide rations for only 60,000 of the most vulnerable on the register of 157,000 internally displaced people. With relief supplies in the country now below 500MT, the sources said feeding programmes for the most needy had virtually ground to a halt.
Growing insecurity upcountry had further isolated some communities. UN and humanitarian agencies also indicated it would be extremely difficult to maintain even the most basic health services without additional supplies. A cross-border operation to bring in badly needed supplies from Guinea was still on hold pending authorisation from ECOWAS, which maintains sanctions against the country's military government.
SENEGAL: Casamance death toll rises
Gunmen, believed to be members of Senegal's separatist Mouvement des Forces Democratiques de Casamance (MFDC), killed four people and wounded five on Tuesday in an attack near Bounkiling, northern Casamance, AFP reported. At the weekend, a further four people were killed and seven wounded in a similar attack on a bush taxi outside the capital, Ziguinchor. Authorities are on the alert for an increase in attacks to coincide with this month's 15th anniversary of the start of the rebel war, Reuters reported. Authorities have banned all vehicles from leaving the regions capital after 8 pm.
In a related story, five card-carrying MDFC members were arrested in Talto, Sedhiou district, over the weekend, the daily 'Sud Quotidien' reported.
CAMEROON: President's health fine
A government spokesperson has denied allegations that President Paul Biya of Cameroon was suffering from ill health, AFP reported. The opposition newspaper, 'Le Messager', claimed the president had suffered recent heart troubles.
GHANA: Fuel shortage shortens tempers
A fuel shortage in Ghana has angered the capital's inhabitants, AFP reported. The fuel shortage, now in its second week, has created long queues at petrol stations throughout Accra, stranding people in the city. One station owner said he had sold out within three hours. As tempers rose, fights resulting in several injuries were reported. The director of Tema refinery is being held responsible for not having taken adequate measures to prevent the crisis when a main supplier missed a November delivery.
BURKINA FASO: Radio blackout
Four commercial radio stations in Burkina Faso announced a seven-hour blackout of their stations for 24 December, AFP said. The move was to protest the government's recent ban on local stations re-transmitting foreign radio broadcasts, such as BBC, Voice of America and Radio France International. According to the government, the relay of foreign broadcasts raised questions of sovereignty.
Abidjan, 23 December 1997, 20:00 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: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 19:58:22 +0000 (GMT) From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.dha.unon.org> Subject: IRIN-West Africa Update 110-97, 97.12.23 Message-Id: <Pine.LNX.3.95.971223195421.8678A-100000@wa.dha.unon.org>
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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