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IRIN-WA Update 260 of Events in West Africa, Tuesday
28 July 1998
GUINEA BISSAU: Truce breach claimed
Guinea Bissau Defence Minister Samba Lamine Mane said
the ceasefire between government and rebel forces was
breached on Monday a day after a truce had been signed,
news reports said.
According to the Senegalese pro-government daily 'Le
Soleil,' Mane said on Senegalese television that "these
people (the rebels) have violated today the agreement
we signed yesterday. They have attacked Mansoa, Bouba
and Bambadina" in central Guinea Bissau. There
was no independent confirmation of the report. Meanwhile,
a Senegalese army spokesman told IRIN on Tuesday that
the Senegalese soldiers backing up government forces
would respect the ceasefire but would retaliate if
fired upon.
Meanwhile, the French government called on all warring
parties to observe the ceasefire and seize the opportunity
to "settle the crisis in a peaceful way,"
AFP said. The US Department spokesman James Rubin
welcomed in a statement the cease-fire in Guinea Bissau
adding that it was an "essential step in the restoration
of peace and security."
The ceasefire called for an immediate cessation of hostilities,
the beginning of negotiations in eight days, the deployment
of a peacekeeping force, the opening of humanitarian
corridors and the demilitarisation of the city of Mansoa,
north of the capital, Bissau. The truce was mediated
by a contact group established by the Community of
Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP).
The revolt against the President of Guinea Bissau Joao
Bernardo Vieira began on 7 June after he sacked his
chief of staff, General Ansumane Mane, for alleged
gun smuggling to the neighbouring Senegalese separatist
province of Casamance. The mutineers have accused the
president of corruption and concentrating power in
his own hands.
Brazil against Lusophone intervention
Brazilian Vice-President Marco Maciel said on Tuesday
he was against the establishment of a Lusophone military
force within the framework of the CPLP, Portuguese
news agency Lusa reported, quoting a Brazilian daily
'Correio Brazilense'. The report quoted Maciel as saying
that Brazil would "never" support the proposed
deployment of a peacekeeping force in Guinea Bissau,
but favoured peaceful means to solve political problems.
He added that it was important to avoid the internationalisation
of the current conflict in Guinea-Bissau.
Humanitarian situation raises concern
The Bishop of Bissau, Settimio Ferrazzetta, said it
was "absolutely indispensable for the tragedy-stricken
population" for humanitarian corridors to be opened,
the Missionary news agency, MISNA, reported on Monday.
Ferrazzetta said Guinea Bissau was in the middle of
the rainy season and that there was a serious shortage
of food and medical supplies.
A United Nations report on Tuesday noted that approximately 228,000 people had been displaced in the country by the conflict, with another 60,000 crowding the outskirts of the towns of Bissau, Bolama and Prabis. Since 7 June, WFP distributed some 2,800 mt of food to Bissau , the Bijagos islands and in the Bafata area. UNHCR has focused its attention on providing aid to some 1,400 refugees located near the Dakar airport, while supporting 150 refugees in The Gambia and 200 in Cape Verde.
Meanwhile, five land convoys brought humanitarian assistance from Dakar, Senegal, to Bafata, 125 km north of Bissau, carrying 127 mt of food, medical supplies and 32,500 liters of kerosene and fuel for transportation and generators in the last week.
NIGERIA: Army urges "absolute neutrality"
Nigeria's army said on Monday it was committed to "absolute neutrality" in the transition to civilian rule promised last week by the country's new military ruler, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, AFP reported.
The news agency quoted army chief General Ishaya Bamaiyi as saying he did not want to see military personnel taking part in "political campaigns" in the barracks, although they could vote freely.
"Men and officers must face their traditional role of defending the integrity of the country," Bamaiyi said.
Senator released
A former senator, Polycarp Nwite, gaoled by Abubakar's hardline predecessor, General Sani Abacha, was released on Monday, media reports said.
According to the state-owned 'Daily Times', Nwite's release - after nearly a year in prison - came as part of the general amnesty for political detainees announced last week.
Abubakar has released scores of political prisoners since coming to power and has promised more would follow.
Shell reports oil spill
Royal Dutch Shell announced on Monday that a "minor oil spill" had occurred from one of its pipelines in southern Nigeria. News reports quoted Shell as saying 1,850 bbl had spilled at the weekend in the southern Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
"Impact on rivers and creeks is not apparent," Shell said.
Oil spills are common in southern Nigeria and have caused confrontations between the oil companies and local residents. Shell which said it was conducting an investigation to establish the cause of the spill added: "Containment and clean-up equipment have been mobilised and we are in dialgoue with the community to secure their cooperation."
NIGER: Malaria kills more than AIDS
Malaria has killed between 150,000 and 250,000 people
in Niger since 1990, AFP reported on Monday, quoting
Ministry of health figures. More than two million cases
of malaria were recorded across the country in 1990
and 1991 and a further 850,000 cases every year since.
Children under five years old and pregnant women are
the most vulnerable to the disease. According to the
WHO statistics, AIDS has killed some 25,000 people
in Niger.
The government of Niger launched an awareness campaign
to coincide with the onset of the rainy season focusing
on treating sceptic tanks and stagnant water pools
which favour breeding, AFP said.
Abidjan, 28 July, 17:30 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, 28 Jul 1998 17:44:14 +0000 (GMT) From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.dha.unon.org> Subject: IRIN-West Africa Update 260, 98.7.28 Message-Id: <Pine.LNX.3.95.980728173313.9611A-100000@wa.dha.unon.org>
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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