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IRIN-WA Update 159 of Events in West Africa, (Thursday) 5 March 1998
SIERRA LEONE: No decision on plans to punish AFRC supporters
A spokesman for elected President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, Souleymane Tejan-si, told IRIN on Thursday that his government had not yet issued any official statement on how it intended to deal with the officials and supporters of the ousted Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC). AFP had reported on Wednesday that the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) leader, Prince Harding, had said the government would punish AFRC supporters and members in line with their level of complicity. The report quoted Harding as saying Kabbah had determined that those who had supported the AFRC would go through the "due process of the law". Junior employees, who were obeying orders, would be cautioned and retreating AFRC forces and "their agents" responsible for causing "mayhem in the interior" in the last weeks would appear before a war crimes tribunal.
AFRC "still holding out" in north
Soldiers of the toppled AFRC and its allies, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), are still holding out and have been wreaking havoc in northern parts of Sierra Leone, AFP reported on Thursday. More than 300 armed men in Kamakwie, 160 km north of Freetown, and in neighbouring villages have spread panic amongst the residents, an aid agency worker told AFP. Looting property and raping women and girls have been widely practised by fighters on the rampage. Rebel activity has also been reported in Baleke, a village in Kambia district, 80 km north of Freetown.
The force commander of the West African peacekeeping force, ECOMOG, Timothy Shelpidi, told IRIN on Wednesday that his troops would be deploying into the hinterland, now that the larger Sierra Leonean cities had been brought under control. Shelpidi told AFP that ECOMOG would deploy to Kabala, 250 km north of Freetown, where a number of senior AFRC officials were said to be based. Sources quoted by AFP said ECOMOG troops had rounded up some 250 AFRC soldiers at Teko military base, near Makeni, 140 km northeast of Freetown. Meanwhile, thousands of civilians have been returning to Makeni,
Missing Dutch photographer resurfaces
A Dutch photographer reported missing since 14 February, Teun Voeten, emerged from the Sierra Leonean bush on Wednesday, AFP reported. Voeten contacted his wife by phone and told her he was safe, but did not provide any further details on his whereabouts or his disappearance. The Dutch Association of Journalists said the photographer had not been abducted, but had probably been forced to hide.
According to AFP, the medical NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) had said last month Voeten had been abducted together with MSF staff probably by RUF rebels.
Food airlifted to Kenema
WFP regional director for West Africa, Paul Ares, told IRIN on Thursday that 2.5 mt of food had been airlifted to Kenema, 250 kms east of Freetown. He expected the next food airlift would be destined for Bo, the second largest city, once clearances had been obtained by various organisations.
LIBERIA: Minister denies refugee harassment
The Liberian justice minister denied reports that Liberian refugees leaving Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea faced harassment at various entry points into Liberia, independent Star Radio reported on Thursday. Koffi Woods, the head of the Liberian Justice Peace Commission (JPC), told IRIN on Thursday that returnees had been subjected to extortion and harassment by security forces. Woods called on the Liberian authorities to educate border security forces on how to treat returning refugees. A Liberian justice spokesman said searching and interrogating people entering the country was "routine", Star Radio said.
The JPC said its findings were based on a mission to
the area and reports given by refugees to its offices.
It added that the spontaneous return of Liberian refugees
was no more than 25 to 50 people a week.
EU to continue to resettle internally displaced
The European Union (EU) representative in Liberia, Paul Harrington, said the EU would continue to help resettle the internally displaced, Star Radio reported on Thursday. Harrington said the EU would distribute seeds and tools to returning farmers. With EU assistance, former combatants and residents had cleared the roads in southeastern Liberia rendering them accessible.
NIGERIA: Abacha to decide on presidency in coming weeks
Sule Hamman, political adviser to Nigerian leader General Sani Abacha said that Abacha's backers would "not be disappointed" by his decision on whether to run for president, Reuters reported on Thursday. Addressing thousands of people at a pro-Abacha rally in Abuja, the federal capital, Hamman said Abacha would be engaging in a series of consultations. Abacha's decision would be "consistent with his character and therefore in the interest of the nation," he added. Leaders of the five registered political parties ended the rally with a call to Nigerians to support the transition programme. Four of the five parties have asked Abacha to stand as the sole presidential candidate. The most serious contender, former police chief Mohammed Dikko Yususfu, is battling against suspicion that he was put up to give the impression of a contest, according to Reuters.
Human rights group calls for release of lawyer
The US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday called for the immediate and unconditional release of some 30 pro-democracy demonstrators in Lagos, AFP reported. It said they include Olisa Agbakoba, a former Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) leader and convener of the anti-Abacha rally in Lagos. Agbakoba and the other detained demonstrators appeared in court and were charged with holding an illegal meeting, according to AFP. Agbakoba was released on bail on Wednesday. HRW demanded that charges against Agbakoba be dropped.
Meanwhile, the United Action for Democracy (UAD), the umbrella group which organised the Lagos rally, filed a US$ 122 million suit against the federal government for alleged disruption of the event.
Political analysts quoted by Reuters said that the police's heavy-handed response to the Lagos anti-Abacha rally had shown how precarious stability was in the country and how seriously any opposition was dealt with.
SENEGAL: Government calls for food aid
Senegalese president Abdou Diouf has called on the international community to provide food assistance to his country, AFP reported on Wednesday. According to the ministry of agriculture, emergency food needs were estimated at 82,600 mt, while the global cereal shortfall was estimated 214,912 mt. An FAO representative in Dakar told IRIN that the deficit stemmed from prolonged dry spells which have affected many Sahelian countries in the second part of 1997.
Opposition calls for peaceful demonstrations
A coalition of 19 Senegalese opposition political parties called for "peaceful demonstrations" to protest the increase in the number of seats in parliament from 120 to 140, AFP reported on Thursday. The coalition accused Diouf of being "partial" when he submitted the law to the vote in parliament. Analysts believe that the increase will benefit Diouf's ruling Parti Socialist at the legislative elections slated for 24 May.
GHANA: Customs intercept arms
Ghanaian customs said on Tuesday it had intercepted two lorries loaded with arms and ammunition headed for Niger, PANA reported. Assistant Commissioner for Customs, J.K. Ocloo, said the trucks carrying ammunition and "Soviet-made shot guns" had been intercepted along the Ghanaian coast. He added that the three suspects had admitted in statements that the arms were loaded in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, and were destined for Niger.
Abidjan, 5 March 1998, 19:15 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: Thu, 5 Mar 1998 19:26:25 +0000 (GMT) From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.dha.unon.org> Subject: IRIN-West Africa Update 159, 98.3.5 Message-Id: <Pine.LNX.3.95.980305191708.10505A-100000@wa.dha.unon.org>
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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