| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
Tel: +225 21-63-35 Fax: +225 21-63-35 e-mail: irin-wa@africaonline.co.ci
IRIN-WA Weekly Roundup 21-97 of Main Events in West Africa covering the period 1-6 November 1997
[The weekly round-ups are based on relevant information from UN agencies, NGOs, governments, donors and media. 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 and AFRC hold direct talks
The first direct talks between the West African peacekeeping force, ECOMOG, and Sierra Leone's Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) took place on Sunday. Diplomats described the talks held in Orogoo, 17 km from Freetown, as friendly. The meeting was aimed at discussing modalities of a peace accord signed in the Guinean capital, Conakry, last week between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the AFRC which provides for the restoration of ousted president Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. According to military sources, at Sunday's talks, ECOMOG agreed to stop disarming AFRC soldiers passing through ECOMOG checkpoints, while the AFRC said it would return weapons captured from two Nigerian bases.
AFRC leader says Nigerians must leave
However, AFRC leader Major Johnny Paul Koroma said on state radio on Tuesday the peace plan would only work if Nigerian troops serving with ECOMOG left Sierra Leone immediately. Koroma accused the Nigerian contingent of being "the initiators of the recent unprovoked aggression and are therefore considered as combatants". A Nigerian defence ministry spokesman said on Wednesday that only ECOWAS could request the withdrawal of Nigerian troops from Sierra Leone. He also pointed out that the ECOMOG mission comprised several countries, and not Nigeria alone.
ECOMOG commander says Koroma statement no surprise
ECOMOG commander General Victor Malu told IRIN on Wednesday that Koroma's statement had come as no surprise. He said he would be meeting Koroma in Freetown and would question him on his comments and the peace accord in general. Clarifying some of his comments to IRIN, the general said later ECOMOG would only resume military action against the AFRC in self-defence and then purely at identified military targets.
Twenty-five reported killed in Kamajor ambush
Twenty-five people were killed in an ambush in southeastern Sierra Leone laid by pro-Kabbah Kamajor fighters, Sierra Leone state radio reported on Wednesday. It quoted the AFRC military authorities as saying the Kamajors attacked a bus near Kenema on Sunday. Many more people were injured, the authorities added, alleging that "modern weapons" were used in the attack. Earlier news reports spoke of nine civilians killed. AFP said the incident was the first violation of the Conakry peace accord which the Kamajors had pledged to respect.
LIBERIA: ECOMOG to pull out by December if not needed
ECOMOG commander General Victor Malu on Tuesday said his troops would leave Liberia by December if they were no longer required. He told Liberian Defence Minister Daniel Chea in Monrovia that ECOMOG would leave if it was "no longer relevant" to the restructuring of the Liberian armed forces. Under the peace accord which ended the seven-year civil war in Liberia, ECOMOG was mandated to recruit and train a new non-partisan Liberian army. Liberian President Charles Taylor has said it is his duty as head of state to restructure the army.
Crack soldiers undergoing selection for border duty
The "best trained and most disciplined" soldiers are being selected for deployment along Liberia's borders, according to a Liberian minister. Assistant Defence Minister for Public Affairs, Philbert Brown, said 1,000 soldiers would undergo "orientation training" before being deployed at various border posts. He said the government was being careful not to rearm untrained soldiers. Acting Information Minister James Wolo said the rearming and deployment of the security forces would be done in consultation with ECOMOG.
Security Council briefed on border closure with Sierra Leone
The Liberian government meanwhile explained its decision to close its border with Sierra Leone to the UN Security Council. Liberia's UN envoy William Bull said the closure was for security reasons as his government had intelligence reports indicating the high risk of fighting spilling over the border. Liberia would make concerted efforts to ensure humanitarian aid reached refugees and displaced people as well as ensuring their security. It pledged its "wholehearted" support for the restoration of constitutional rule in Sierra Leone and called on all parties in the conflict to reach a political settlement.
SENEGAL: Army warns it will attack rebel bases
Senegal's military commander for the southern region, Colonel Yoro Kone, last Saturday warned that the army would attack all bases held by the separatist Mouvement des Forces Democratiques de Casamance (MFDC). "The army will not tolerate the presence of rebel bases in Casamance, as was the case a few months ago," he declared in the provincial capital, Ziguinchor. Military sources claimed the army had killed 80 rebels last week. AFP reported unofficial sources as saying around 400 people had died in fighting over the past three weeks.
Land mine casualties in Casamance
Five people were killed and 20 seriously injured when the bus they were travelling in tripped a land mine in southern Casamance province on Thursday. The incident took place near Cap Skirring, 50 km west of Ziguinchor. Four people were injured when another mine was detonated by a bus on the road between Oussouye and Mlomp on the same day. On Wednesday, one person was killed and another wounded when their truck hit a mine in Mlomp. A local NGO claimed that the MFDC had admitted to planting land mines but had "promised to stop".
NIGERIA: Thousands in pro-government rallies
Thousands of people joined pro-government rallies to protest against Nigeria's "unfair treatment" by the Commonwealth. Demonstrators at rallies in the capital, Abuja, as well as northern and eastern parts of the country, on Tuesday complained about Nigeria's ban from last month's Commonwealth summit in Edinburgh, Scotland, claiming that it had not been allowed to express its views. The summit maintained Nigeria's suspension and gave it one year to prove itself serious about restoring civilian rule, or face possible expulsion from the Commonwealth.
CHAD: Over 40 deaths as army and rebels clash
Thirty rebels and two soldiers were killed in fighting between the army and rebels in southern Chad last week. Ten civilians were killed in subsequent mopping-up operations. Chadian Communications Minister Salibou Garba told Radio France Internationale that insurgents in the oil-rich Moundou area were trying to regroup former rebels of the Forces Armees pour une Republique Federale (FARF). He vowed that a government initiative to reintegrate former rebels would be speeded up as a result of the incident. According to the radio, the rebels trying to regroup claimed the government was not keeping to a peace deal signed earlier this year, according to which FARF members must first be reintegrated and then given positions of authority. A FARF spokesman said the organisation wanted peace but alleged that the government "had done everything to start the war". Moundou was later reported calm but under close army surveillance. The radio said local human rights associations were urging the authorities against arbitrary arrests.
MALI: Pledge to boost border security
The interior ministers of Mali, Senegal and Mauritania pledged to strengthen controls in a bid to eliminate arms and drug trafficking as well as cattle rustling on their common borders. A statement issued on Saturday after a two-day meeting in Bamako, Mali, said the ministers agreed to set up "simultaneous" border patrols to reinforce security.
CAMEROON: Opposition boycotts inauguration
President Paul Biya was sworn in for a second term on Monday, at a ceremony boycotted by the opposition. Biya, elected to another seven-year term on 12 October, called for national unity and joint efforts towards economic and social development in the country. The process of democracy was "irreversible", he added.
GABON: ACP summit opens in Libreville
A two-day summit meeting of heads of state of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)countries opened in Libreville on Thursday. The summit will focus on trade relations with the European Union and strengthening ties among the 71 member countries.
MAURITANIA: Prominent oppositionist drops out of presidential race
Prominent opposition politician Tidjane Koita announced on Thursday that he would not be contesting the presidency in December's elections, contrary to press reports. AFP reported that he did not want to maintain contacts nor collaborate with the Mauritanian leadership. Koita would have been the first black Mauritanian to run for president in the predominantly Arab republic.
Many opposition parties have said they will not participate in the elections and have called for an "active boycott". Their demands include an independent electoral commission, a reliable voter identification system and an independent judiciary.
Abidjan, 7 November 1997
[The distribution of this item has been delayed due to technical problems.]
[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-list]
From owner-irinlist@dha.unon.org Sat Nov 8 08:59 EST 1997 Received: from siafu.iconnect.co.ke (qmailr@siafu.iconnect.co.ke [208.208.120.2])
by orion.sas.upenn.edu (8.8.5/8.8.3/SAS.03h) with SMTP id IAA13182 for <aadinar@mail.sas.upenn.edu>; Sat, 8 Nov 1997 08:58:45 -0500 (EST) Received: (qmail 19862 invoked by uid 108); 8 Nov 1997 13:54:29 -0000 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by dha.unon.org (8.6.12/8.6.12) id QAA32668; Sat, 8 Nov 1997 16:39:27 +0300 Message-Id: <199711081339.QAA32668@dha.unon.org> Date: Fri, 07 Nov 1997 18:36:24 +0000 From: Linda <linda@wa.dha.unon.org> To: irin-wa@wa.dha.unon.org Subject: IRIN-WA Weekly Roundup 21-97 of Main Events in West Africa, 1-6 Nov 1997 97.11.7 Content-Type: text Content-Length: 10194 Status: RO
U N I T E D N A T I O N S Department of Humanitarian Affairs Integrated Regional Information Network for West Africa Sender: owner-irinlist@dha.unon.org X-URL: http://www.reliefweb.int/emergenc/greatlak/latest.html Tel: +225 21-63-35 Fax: +225 21-63-35 e-mail: irin-wa@africaonline.co.ci
IRIN-WA Weekly Roundup 21-97 of Main Events in West Africa covering the period 1-6 November 1997
[The weekly round-ups are based on relevant information from UN agencies, NGOs, governments, donors and media. 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 and AFRC hold direct talks
The first direct talks between the West African peacekeeping force, ECOMOG, and Sierra Leone's Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) took place on Sunday. Diplomats described the talks held in Orogoo, 17 km from Freetown, as friendly. The meeting was aimed at discussing modalities of a peace accord signed in the Guinean capital, Conakry, last week between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the AFRC which provides for the restoration of ousted president Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. According to military sources, at Sunday's talks, ECOMOG agreed to stop disarming AFRC soldiers passing through ECOMOG checkpoints, while the AFRC said it would return weapons captured from two Nigerian bases.
AFRC leader says Nigerians must leave
However, AFRC leader Major Johnny Paul Koroma said on state radio on Tuesday the peace plan would only work if Nigerian troops serving with ECOMOG left Sierra Leone immediately. Koroma accused the Nigerian contingent of being "the initiators of the recent unprovoked aggression and are therefore considered as combatants". A Nigerian defence ministry spokesman said on Wednesday that only ECOWAS could request the withdrawal of Nigerian troops from Sierra Leone. He also pointed out that the ECOMOG mission comprised several countries, and not Nigeria alone.
ECOMOG commander says Koroma statement no surprise
ECOMOG commander General Victor Malu told IRIN on Wednesday that Koroma's statement had come as no surprise. He said he would be meeting Koroma in Freetown and would question him on his comments and the peace accord in general. Clarifying some of his comments to IRIN, the general said later ECOMOG would only resume military action against the AFRC in self-defence and then purely at identified military targets.
Twenty-five reported killed in Kamajor ambush
Twenty-five people were killed in an ambush in southeastern Sierra Leone laid by pro-Kabbah Kamajor fighters, Sierra Leone state radio reported on Wednesday. It quoted the AFRC military authorities as saying the Kamajors attacked a bus near Kenema on Sunday. Many more people were injured, the authorities added, alleging that "modern weapons" were used in the attack. Earlier news reports spoke of nine civilians killed. AFP said the incident was the first violation of the Conakry peace accord which the Kamajors had pledged to respect.
LIBERIA: ECOMOG to pull out by December if not needed
ECOMOG commander General Victor Malu on Tuesday said his troops would leave Liberia by December if they were no longer required. He told Liberian Defence Minister Daniel Chea in Monrovia that ECOMOG would leave if it was "no longer relevant" to the restructuring of the Liberian armed forces. Under the peace accord which ended the seven-year civil war in Liberia, ECOMOG was supposed to recruit and train a new non-partisan Liberian army. Liberian President Charles Taylor has said it is his duty as head of state to restructure the army.
Crack soldiers undergoing selection for border duty
The "best trained and most disciplined" soldiers are being selected for deployment along Liberia's borders, according to a Liberian minister. Assistant Defence Minister for Public Affairs, Philbert Brown, said 1,000 soldiers would undergo "orientation training" before being deployed at various border posts. He said the government was being careful not to rearm untrained soldiers. Acting Information Minister James Wolo said the rearming and deployment of the security forces would be done in consultation with ECOMOG.
Security Council briefed on border closure with Sierra Leone
The Liberian government meanwhile explained its decision to close its border with Sierra Leone to the UN Security Council. Liberia's UN envoy William Bull said the closure was for security reasons as his government had intelligence reports indicating the high risk of fighting spilling over the border. Liberia would make concerted efforts to ensure humanitarian aid reached refugees and displaced people as well as ensuring their security. It pledged its "wholehearted" support for the restoration of constitutional rule in Sierra Leone and called on all parties in the conflict to reach a political settlement.
SENEGAL: Army warns it will attack rebel bases
Senegal's military commander for the southern region, Colonel Yoro Kone, last Saturday warned that the army would attack all bases held by the separatist Mouvement des Forces Democratiques de Casamance (MFDC). "The army will not tolerate the presence of rebel bases in Casamance, as was the case a few months ago," he declared in the provincial capital, Ziguinchor. Military sources claimed the army had killed 80 rebels last week. AFP reported unofficial sources as saying around 400 people had died in fighting over the past three weeks.
Land mine casualties in Casamance
Five people were killed and 20 seriously injured when the bus they were travelling in tripped a land mine in southern Casamance province on Thursday. The incident took place near Cap Skirring, 50 km west of Ziguinchor. Four people were injured when another mine was detonated by a bus on the road between Oussouye and Mlomp on the same day. On Wednesday, one person was killed and another wounded when their truck hit a mine in Mlomp. A local NGO claimed that the MFDC had admitted to planting land mines but had "promised to stop".
NIGERIA: Thousands in pro-government rallies
Thousands of people joined pro-government rallies to protest against Nigeria's "unfair treatment" by the Commonwealth. Demonstrators at rallies in the capital, Abuja, as well as northern and eastern parts of the country, on Tuesday complained about Nigeria's ban from last month's Commonwealth summit in Edinburgh, Scotland, claiming that it had not been allowed to express its views. The summit maintained Nigeria's suspension and gave it one year to prove itself serious about restoring civilian rule, or face possible expulsion from the Commonwealth.
CHAD: Over 40 deaths as army and rebels clash
Thirty rebels and two soldiers were killed in fighting between the army and rebels in southern Chad last week. Ten civilians were killed in subsequent mopping-up operations. Chadian Communications Minister Salibou Garba told Radio France Internationale that insurgents in the oil-rich Moundou area were trying to regroup former rebels of the Forces Armees pour une Republique Federale (FARF). He vowed that a government initiative to reintegrate former rebels would be speeded up as a result of the incident. According to the radio, the rebels trying to regroup claimed the government was not keeping to a peace deal signed earlier this year, according to which FARF members must first be reintegrated and then given positions of authority. A FARF spokesman said the organisation wanted peace but alleged that the government "had done everything to start the war". Moundou was later reported calm but under close army surveillance. The radio said local human rights associations were urging the authorities against arbitrary arrests.
MALI: Pledge to boost border security
The interior ministers of Mali, Senegal and Mauritania pledged to strengthen controls in a bid to eliminate arms and drug trafficking as well as cattle rustling on their common borders. A statement issued on Saturday after a two-day meeting in Bamako, Mali, said the ministers agreed to set up "simultaneous" border patrols to reinforce security.
CAMEROON: Opposition boycotts inauguration
President Paul Biya was sworn in for a second term on Monday, at a ceremony boycotted by the opposition. Biya, elected to another seven-year term on 12 October, called for national unity and joint efforts towards economic and social development in the country. The process of democracy was "irreversible", he added.
GABON: ACP summit opens in Libreville
A two-day summit meeting of heads of state of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)countries opened in Libreville on Thursday. The summit will focus on trade relations with the European Union and strengthening ties among the 71 member countries.
MAURITANIA: Prominent oppositionist drops out of presidential race
Prominent opposition politician Tidjane Koita announced on Thursday that he would not be contesting the presidency in December's elections, contrary to press reports. AFP reported that he did not want to maintain contacts nor collaborate with the Mauritanian leadership. Koita would have been the first black Mauritanian to run for president in the predominantly Arab republic.
Many opposition parties have said they will not participate in the elections and have called for an "active boycott". Their demands include an independent electoral commission, a reliable voter identification system and an independent judiciary.
Abidjan, 7 November 1997
[ENDS]
[The material contained in this communication comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. UN IRIN Tel: +254 2 622123 Fax: +254 2 622129 e-mail: irin@dha.unon.org for more information or subscriptions. 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 WWW at: http://www.reliefweb.int/emergenc or can be retrieved automatically by sending e-mail to archive@dha.unon.org . Mailing list: irinlist]
Message-Id: <199711100628.JAA05773@dha.unon.org> Date: Sat, 08 Nov 1997 11:17:11 +0300 From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.dha.unon.org> Subject: IRIN-WA Weekly Roundup 21-97 of Main Events in West Africa, 1-6 Nov 1997 97.11.7
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
| Previous Menu | Home Page | What's New | Search | Country Specific |