IRIN-WA Weekly Roundup 38, 98.3.6

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IRIN-WA Weekly Roundup of Main Events 38 in West Africa covering the period (Friday-Thursday) 27 February - 5 March 1998

SIERRA LEONE: ECOMOG takes control of northern cities

The Nigerian-led West African intervention force in Sierra Leone, ECOMOG, said it captured the northern regional centre of Makeni and the nearby town of Lunsar on Monday. Troops loyal to the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), which was ousted by ECOMOG from the capital, Freetown, and southern Sierra Leone last month, fled Makeni as Nigerian troops advanced. Local people, who fled to the bush during the AFRC occupation, came out to greet ECOMOG troops, one local missionary told AFP.

AFRC "still holding out" in north

Meanwhile, AFRC soldiers and their allies, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), were still holding out and had 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 had spread panic amongst the residents, an aid agency worker told AFP. Rebel activity had also been reported in Baleke, a village in Kambia district, 80 km north of Freetown. ECOMOG commander Major General Timothy Shelpidi told IRIN on Wednesday, however, his forces would be deploying to the hinterland now the larger Sierra Leonean cities had been brought under control. ECOMOG would also be deploying to Kabala, some 250 km north of Freetown, where a number of senior AFRC officials were said to be based.

Earlier in the week, a Sierra Leone analyst in Freetown told IRIN it was not clear ECOMOG would bring all Sierra Leone under its control quickly. "A protracted bush war could start again, particularly in the east around the diamond areas," the source said.

Hostages freed

AFRC troops released seven Western hostages they were holding in the north of the country last Saturday, news reports said. The detainees included five Catholic missionaries abducted from Lunsar and two workers from the NGO, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). Reuters quoted church sources as saying all the hostages were in good condition. A Dutch photographer reported missing since 14 February also emerged from the Sierra Leonean bush on Wednesday. The Dutch Association of Journalists said the photographer had not been abducted, as previously reported, but had probably been forced to hide.

UN seeks funds for humanitarian needs

The United Nations on Tuesday launched a flash appeal for US$ 11.2 million to meet priority humanitarian needs in Sierra Leone over the next three months. Two UN assessment missions to Sierra Leone determined last month that the current humanitarian situation remained "serious". The appeal sought funds for urgent interventions to re-establish basic health and education services, ensure the resumption of food aid distributions and provide assistance to the most vulnerable groups affected by the conflict.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that 20,000 displaced Freetown residents and some 5,000 Liberian refugees had received WFP food. Another 6,000 persons, whose homes had been destroyed, were provided with food and other relief supplies. A second WFP-chartered vessel carrying 1,500 mt of food was expected in Freetown port on Friday.

WFP's Regional Director for West Africa, Paul Ares, said 15 trucks carrying some 389 mt of food had also arrived in Kambia, northeast Sierra Leone. Ares added that some 2.5 mt of additional 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.

ECOMOG prepares return of elected president

ECOMOG commander Major General Timothy Shelpidi told IRIN on Wednesday that he had met the eleven-man task force appointed by elected Sierra Leone President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah in the capital, Freetown, earlier in the week. Preparations for Kabbah's return home on 10 March were discussed.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Kabbah said his government had not yet issued any official statement on how it intended to deal with AFRC officials and supporters. Earlier, the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) secretary general, Prince Harding, was reported as saying the government would punish AFRC supporters and members in line with their complicity. AFP reported some 750 people were being held in connection with abetting the former AFRC government.

NIGERIA: Police break up anti-government march

Heavily armed police broke up a rally of 5,000 anti-government protesters in the largest Nigerian city, Lagos, on Tuesday. The police used tear gas to disperse the crowd and arrested some 30 people. The two-day anti-Abacha protest had been called by a coalition of 26 pro-democracy and human rights organisations under the umbrella of the national United Action for Democracy (UAD). The European branch of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), in a statement issued on Wednesday, said that Olisa Agbakoba, the convener of the UAD, had been arrested and severely beaten at a Lagos police station. He had not received any medical treatment. Agbakoba and the other arrested demonstrators were charged with unlawful assembly and released on bail on Wednesday.

The UAD filed a US$ 122 million suit against the federal government for alleged disruption of the opposition rally.

Pro-Abacha rally goes ahead

Meanwhile, in the federal capital, Abuja, a two-day pro-Abacha rally, dubbed the "two million-man march" went ahead unhindered and was attended by only around 20,000 people. The rally was covered by Nigerian state radio and television. The government denied being behind the Abuja rallies. Organisers said they wanted to show Abacha that the people were "clamouring" for him to remain in power beyond October, when Nigeria is scheduled to return to civilian rule. Sule Hamman, Abacha's political adviser, addressing the final day of the rally, said Abacha would consult family and friends whether he should run for president and would decide in a matter of weeks.

Commonwealth urges "credible" transition programme

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group called on the Nigerian government to issue the new Nigerian constitution providing benchmarks for the electoral process, media reports said. The Commonwealth, while acknowledging the holding of the state elections in December 1997, urged the government to put in place a "credible transition process".

NIGER: Army mutiny ends

Soldiers in Niger returned to barracks on 1 March, ending a violent mutiny over pay arrears. Mamadou Baraze, eastern regional military commander, was quoted by Reuters as saying the situation in Diffa, where the mutiny started, was "back to normal". Baraze said troops had freed all government officials detained at the start of the dispute, which quickly spread to the northern town of Agadez and Niger's second city, Zinder. The government reportedly promised to pay soldiers two of the four months' salary reportedly owed.

Students boycott classes

Meanwhile, school and college students in Niger's capital, Niamey, also boycotted classes on Monday in a mark of solidarity with students from the university campus, which the government closed last Friday to defuse tension between students and police. According to government figures, some 14 members of the security forces were injured in clashes last Thursday at the university. Five undergraduates were also allegedly injured by tear gas canisters.

Students are also demanding payment full payment of grant arrears and the unconditional re-opening of the university.

Social forum meets in capital

Niger government representatives, employers, union leaders and prominent civilians met in Niamey on Monday, 2 March, to discuss the current economic crisis behind the wave of recent strikes. Opening the "social truce" forum, President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara said "mutual understanding" between workers and employers was the best guarantee of stability. But he said he hoped delegates would bear in mind the economic situation in Niger.

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. Koffi Woods, the head of the Liberian Justice Peace Commission (JPC), told IRIN returnees had been subjected to extortion and harassment by security forces.

Taylor denies unrest in southeast

In a separate development, Taylor denied there was unrest in southeastern Liberia. Describing reports of unrest as a "disinformation campaign" against his government, Taylor told journalists the region was as calm as Monrovia. However, Taylor warned any groups attempting to destabilise Liberia would meet "stiff resistance". Taylor's comments came in the wake of persistent rumours that elements of the former Mandingo wing of the United Liberation Movement for Democracy in Liberia (ULIMO-K) were preparing to invade from neighbouring Sierra Leone.

SENEGAL: Government calls for food aid

Senegalese president Abdou Diouf has called on the international community to provide food assistance to his country. 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 said the deficit stemmed from prolonged dry spells, which have affected many Sahelian countries in the second part of 1997.

GUINEA: Defence challenges mutiny trial

Defence lawyers acting for some 96 Guinean soldiers charged with treason following a 1996 mutiny, which turned into a coup attempt, have challenged the jurisdiction of a special court set up to try the case. Speaking at the re-opening of the court session following a second defence adjournment, lawyers said the court was not competent to try the accused.

GUINEA BISSAU: Suspected arm smugglers tortured, parliament claims

The Parliament in Guinea Bissau was told that a number of people arrested on suspicion of being involved in the smuggling of arms to rebels in the neighbouring separatist Senegalese province of Casamance had been tortured. The chairman of the parliamentary investigating committee said Defence Minister Samba Lamine Maneh, who last week denied that anyone had been tortured, tried to prevent committee members from visiting the prisoners in jail. At least 15 people were being held at two military barracks in Guinea Bissau.

BENIN: Government and unions reach agreement

Benin trade union officials appeared to have agreed on Monday to end an eight-day general strike for pay arrears. The 14-hour talks with government officials covered salary increase arrears for 1992.

WEST AFRICA: Nigeria denies killing Cameroonian soldiers

Nigeria denied Cameroonian reports on Tuesday that its forces had killed seven Nigerian soldiers in the disputed Bakassi peninsula. Nigerian spokesman Godwin Ugbo said that the report on the killing was a "lie". Ugbo said that there had been no more clashes since the UN had declared a ceasefire between Nigeria and Cameroon in 1997. The Cameroonian pro-government daily 'Cameroon Tribune' said its forces had repelled the assailants and recaptured several guard posts taken in recent months by Nigerians forces.

Nigeria rejected the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague on Monday, the first day of the hearing over the disputed territory. The two countries have clashed several times since 1994 over the peninsula, which is thought to hold significant oil reserves.

Peacekeeping exercise ends

A French-led African peacekeeping exercise ended successfully in Senegal on Monday. Some 3,500 troops from eight West African countries took part in the ten-day manoeuvres with additional support from the US, Britain and Belgium.

Abidjan, 6 March 1998 20:00 GMT

[end]

[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-weekly]

Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 20:10:11 +0000 (GMT) From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.dha.unon.org> Subject: IRIN-WA Weekly Roundup 38, 98.3.6 Message-Id: <Pine.LNX.3.95.980306195922.18819A-100000@wa.dha.unon.org>

Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar

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