UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
IRIN-West Africa Update 152, 98.2.24

IRIN-West Africa Update 152, 98.2.24


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

Tel: +225 21-73-54 Fax: +225 21-63-35 e-mail: irin-wa@africaonline.co.ci

IRIN-WA Update 152 of Events in West Africa, (Tuesday) 24 February 1998

SIERRA LEONE: ECOMOG opens Sierra Leone's ports

The Nigerian-led West African intervention force, ECOMOG, which overthrew Sierra Leone's ruling Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) earlier this month, lifted an embargo on Monday stopping ships entering the country, media reports said.

Deputy ECOMOG commander, Brigadier General Abdul One Mohammed, told IRIN on Tuesday both commercial and humanitarian cargoes could now enter the harbour of the capital, Freetown. The airport was also open, Mohammed said.

The embargo was imposed last year by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to force the AFRC to reinstate Sierra Leone's ousted civilian president, Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. According to the BBC on Tuesday, ECOMOG commander Major General Timothy Shelpidi said an embargo on weapons shipments, however, would remain for the time being.

Kabbah visits Nigeria

Meanwhile, media reports said Kabbah arrived in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Tuesday to meet Head of State General Sani Abacha in preparation for his return to Sierra Leone. According to Nigerian state radio, arrangements for Kabbah's return after his nine months in exile were "at an advanced stage".

Fighting subsides in Bo

ECOMOG forces and Kamajor militia loyal to Kabbah appeared to be winning the battle for Sierra Leone's second city, Bo, AFP reported on Tuesday. Remnants of the AFRC and soldiers from the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) had put up stiff resistance at the weekend. The fighting, however, had subsided as ECOMOG gained the upper hand and some AFRC troops fled, AFP said. According to the news agency, ECOMOG had also deployed to Kamajor-controlled areas to the north and east of Bo.

LIBERIA: Sierra Leonean refugees arrive in northern Liberia

Some 14,000 refugees fleeing fighting in the east of Sierra Leone have arrived in northern Liberia in recent weeks. UNHCR confirmed to IRIN an AFP report on Tuesday that people were continuing to arrive in Lofa county at a rate of 700-1,000 a day. UNHCR said the condition of the refugees was generally good, but it was concerned existing clean water sources were insufficient to cope with the influx. A UNHCR spokesman said international agencies in Liberia had moved additional resources to the area at the weekend to ensure an adequate water supply.

Security agents allegedly seize refugee property

Meanwhile, the independent Monrovia-based Star Radio said Liberian security agents in Lofa county had reportedly seized property from refugees crossing into Liberia. One refugee told Star Radio his car had been confiscated in Kolahun, 200 km north of the capital. A local source in Voinjama, Lofa's main town, also told Star Radio three vehicles had been confiscated recently from Lebanese nationals fleeing Sierra Leone.

NIGER: Soldiers mutiny

Mutinous soldiers in eastern Niger took several officers and civilian officials hostage at the weekend in a dispute over alleged salary arrears and working conditions, AFP reported. It said the incident occurred in the remote garrison at Diffa, 1,150 km east of the capital Niamey. Although details of the incident were scant, it quoted travellers from the region as saying the soldiers were holding their deputy commander and an unspecified number of senior local administrators.

The defence minister, Yayha Tounkara, was quoted in a local radio broadcast as saying a "mutiny" had occurred, but gave no further details. The AFP account added that a delegation of senior military officials was travelling to the region in a bid to negotiate a settlement with the soldiers.

In a separate development, a government peace mission visited Diffa at the weekend to renew talks with rebels of the Front Democratique Revolutionnaire (FDR), AFP reported. State radio La Voix du Sahel reported last Friday that the FDR had agreed to resume talks with the Nigerien authorities on 7 March in N'Djamena, capital of neighbouring Chad.

Former premier barred from leaving the country

The former prime minister of Niger, Hama Amadou, has said that he had been prevented from leaving the country by the authorities, AFP reported on Tuesday. Amadou said he had been stopped as he was about to board a flight to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital. He said that he had given the government requisite advance notice of his trip which was not tied to any "political activities".

AFP quoted him as describing the action as a move to keep "the tension alive" between the government and opposition, despite its "appeasing official statements" on defusing tension. Amadou was released on bail in January after being accused of creating a "militia" to topple the government.

Civil service starts two-day strike

Niger's civil servants began a two-day strike on Tuesday to press demands for the payment of up to seven months' salary arrears, AFP reported. The strikers also demanded the reinstatement of the Union of National Customs Agents. It was disbanded shortly after President of Niger Ibrahim Bare Mainassara came to power in 1996. It said the strike was also fully observed in schools where teachers have been demanding back pay owed for December and January.

NIGERIA: Amnesty demands clemency for coup plotters

Amnesty International has appealed to the Nigerian government not to impose death sentences against 26 people on trial for plotting to overthrow the country's leader, General Sani Abacha. The 26, who include 15 senior military officers, could face "execution or long incommunicado imprisonment" if found guilty, Amnesty said. It added the use of the death penalty in Nigeria was extensive with more than 1,200 prisoners executed since 1983.

GHANA: President fires minister

Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings has fired his minister of state in the office of the president, amid allegations of financial impropriety, AFP reported on Tuesday. It said the minister, Kobina Fosu, was fired on the recommendation of a committee of inquiry investigating a sea wall construction deal. The committee said in a statement that although it had proof of personal impropriety, Fosu, a former minister of works, should nevertheless assume responsibility for lapses while he was in charge.

WEST AFRICA: Taiwan foreign minister says tour "fruitful'

Taiwan Foreign Affairs Minister Jason Hu returned to his country on Monday after a six-country African tour, which he described as "fruitful and significant", according to Taiwan's news agency. Hu said that his visit was aimed at "shoring up" the government's diplomatic ties with its allies in the region. He said Taiwan government would work even harder to assist "its allies" in various developmental sectors. However, Hu stressed that these efforts should not be interpreted as "cheque book diplomacy" because Taiwan's efforts compared to other donors was negligable.

Abidjan, 24 February, 18:15 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]

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by wa.dha.unon.org (8.8.4/8.8.4) with SMTP id SAA03342 for <irin-wa-updates@dha.unon.org>; Tue, 24 Feb 1998 18:12:51 GMT Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 18:12:51 +0000 (GMT) From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.dha.unon.org> To: irin-wa-updates@dha.unon.org Subject: IRIN-West Africa Update 152, 98.2.24 Message-Id: <Pine.LNX.3.95.980224181103.3333A-100000@wa.dha.unon.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: owner-irin-wa-updates@dha.unon.org Precedence: bulk X-URL: http://www.reliefweb.int/emergenc Status: O

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

Tel: +225 21-73-54 Fax: +225 21-63-35 e-mail: irin-wa@africaonline.co.ci

IRIN-WA Update 152 of Events in West Africa, (Tuesday) 24 February 1998

SIERRA LEONE: ECOMOG opens Sierra Leone's ports

The Nigerian-led West African intervention force, ECOMOG, which overthrew Sierra Leone's ruling Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) earlier this month, lifted an embargo on Monday stopping ships entering the country, media reports said.

Deputy ECOMOG commander, Brigadier General Abdul One Mohammed, told IRIN on Tuesday both commercial and humanitarian cargoes could now enter the harbour of the capital, Freetown. The airport was also open, Mohammed said.

The embargo was imposed last year by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to force the AFRC to reinstate Sierra Leone's ousted civilian president, Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. According to the BBC on Tuesday, ECOMOG commander Major General Timothy Shelpidi said an embargo on weapons shipments, however, would remain for the time being.

Kabbah visits Nigeria

Meanwhile, media reports said Kabbah arrived in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Tuesday to meet Head of State General Sani Abacha in preparation for his return to Sierra Leone. According to Nigerian state radio, arrangements for Kabbah's return after his nine months in exile were "at an advanced stage".

Fighting subsides in Bo

ECOMOG forces and Kamajor militia loyal to Kabbah appeared to be winning the battle for Sierra Leone's second city, Bo, AFP reported on Tuesday. Remnants of the AFRC and soldiers from the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) had put up stiff resistance at the weekend. The fighting, however, had subsided as ECOMOG gained the upper hand and some AFRC troops fled, AFP said. According to the news agency, ECOMOG had also deployed to Kamajor-controlled areas to the north and east of Bo.

LIBERIA: Sierra Leonean refugees arrive in northern Liberia

Some 14,000 refugees fleeing fighting in the east of Sierra Leone have arrived in northern Liberia in recent weeks. UNHCR confirmed to IRIN an AFP report on Tuesday that people were continuing to arrive in Lofa county at a rate of 700-1,000 a day. UNHCR said the condition of the refugees was generally good, but it was concerned existing clean water sources were insufficient to cope with the influx. A UNHCR spokesman said international agencies in Liberia had moved additional resources to the area at the weekend to ensure an adequate water supply.

Security agents allegedly seize refugee property

Meanwhile, the independent Monrovia-based Star Radio said Liberian security agents in Lofa county had reportedly seized property from refugees crossing into Liberia. One refugee told Star Radio his car had been confiscated in Kolahun, 200 km north of the capital. A local source in Voinjama, Lofa's main town, also told Star Radio three vehicles had been confiscated recently from Lebanese nationals fleeing Sierra Leone.

NIGER: Soldiers mutiny

Mutinous soldiers in eastern Niger took several officers and civilian officials hostage at the weekend in a dispute over alleged salary arrears and working conditions, AFP reported. It said the incident occurred in the remote garrison at Diffa, 1,150 km east of the capital Niamey. Although details of the incident were scant, it quoted travellers from the region as saying the soldiers were holding their deputy commander and an unspecified number of senior local administrators.

The defence minister, Yayha Tounkara, was quoted in a local radio broadcast as saying a "mutiny" had occurred, but gave no further details. The AFP account added that a delegation of senior military officials was travelling to the region in a bid to negotiate a settlement with the soldiers.

In a separate development, a government peace mission visited Diffa at the weekend to renew talks with rebels of the Front Democratique Revolutionnaire (FDR), AFP reported. State radio La Voix du Sahel reported last Friday that the FDR had agreed to resume talks with the Nigerien authorities on 7 March in N'Djamena, capital of neighbouring Chad.

Former premier barred from leaving the country

The former prime minister of Niger, Hama Amadou, has said that he had been prevented from leaving the country by the authorities, AFP reported on Tuesday. Amadou said he had been stopped as he was about to board a flight to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital. He said that he had given the government requisite advance notice of his trip which was not tied to any "political activities".

AFP quoted him as describing the action as a move to keep "the tension alive" between the government and opposition, despite its "appeasing official statements" on defusing tension. Amadou was released on bail in January after being accused of creating a "militia" to topple the government.

Civil service starts two-day strike

Niger's civil servants began a two-day strike on Tuesday to press demands for the payment of up to seven months' salary arrears, AFP reported. The strikers also demanded the reinstatement of the Union of National Customs Agents. It was disbanded shortly after President of Niger Ibrahim Bare Mainassara came to power in 1996. It said the strike was also fully observed in schools where teachers have been demanding back pay owed for December and January.

NIGERIA: Amnesty demands clemency for coup plotters

Amnesty International has appealed to the Nigerian government not to impose death sentences against 26 people on trial for plotting to overthrow the country's leader, General Sani Abacha. The 26, who include 15 senior military officers, could face "execution or long incommunicado imprisonment" if found guilty, Amnesty said. It added the use of the death penalty in Nigeria was extensive with more than 1,200 prisoners executed since 1983.

GHANA: President fires minister

Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings has fired his minister of state in the office of the president, amid allegations of financial impropriety, AFP reported on Tuesday. It said the minister, Kobina Fosu, was fired on the recommendation of a committee of inquiry investigating a sea wall construction deal. The committee said in a statement that although it had proof of personal impropriety, Fosu, a former minister of works, should nevertheless assume responsibility for lapses while he was in charge.

WEST AFRICA: Taiwan foreign minister says tour "fruitful'

Taiwan Foreign Affairs Minister Jason Hu returned to his country on Monday after a six-country African tour, which he described as "fruitful and significant", according to Taiwan's news agency. Hu said that his visit was aimed at "shoring up" the government's diplomatic ties with its allies in the region. He said Taiwan government would work even harder to assist "its allies" in various developmental sectors. However, Hu stressed that these efforts should not be interpreted as "cheque book diplomacy" because Taiwan's efforts compared to other donors was negligable.

Abidjan, 24 February, 18:15 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, 24 Feb 1998 18:18:11 +0000 (GMT) From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.dha.unon.org> Subject: IRIN-West Africa Update 152, 98.2.24 Message-Id: <Pine.LNX.3.95.980224181716.3333D-100000@wa.dha.unon.org>

Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar

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