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IRIN-WA Update 401 of Events in West Africa (Friday 12 February)
SIERRA LEONE: Humanitarian catastrophe developing, aid agencies warn
A humanitarian catastrophe is developing in eastern and southern Sierra Leone due the deteriorating situation in and around Kenema, UN and NGO sources told IRIN today (Friday).
As more details emerged of rebel attacks on the town this week, heightened security consciousness in nearby Bo, the country's second city, has limited or completely prevented new influxes of displaced people there. Consequently, some 200,000 people fleeing Kenema are stuck between the two towns, which are 60 km apart.
The NGO, MERLIN, which has been operating in Kenema for three years, confirmed that a "huge humanitarian crisis" is in the making. The organisation told IRIN that four lactating mothers and their children were killed when rebels launched their attack early Tuesday on the hospital side of the town. The attack came without warning and traumatised the entire population. [ For more details please see IRIN item issued separately, headlined "Humanitarian crisis developing" ]
WFP warns of imminent food crisis in Freetown
WFP today warned that the capital Freetown faced a "large-scale food crisis" in as little as three weeks. In a news release, the UN food agency noted it had previously estimated Freetown residents could face and extensive food crisis within two months.
"But continued insecurity caused by sporadic fighting between rebels and the Nigerian-led ECOMOG security forces has exacerbated food shortages in the city and displaced more people from their homes, leaving them with no food, water or shelter," the statement said.
WFP's West Africa Regional Manager, Paul Ares, said if the problem was not addressed "we'll be seeing the numbers of people in need of our help skyrocket".
"If the general population can't get enough food, we could see a massive movement of people trying to get out of the city...the problem will become bigger than just providing food aid," he warned. He said the fighting must stop so that reconstruction could begin and the food merchants could replenish their stocks.
NGOs urge increased US intervention
Forty-one NGOs have sent a letter to US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and National Security Adviser Sandy Berger calling for "more meaningful action for peace" on the part of the US.
In the letter, Reynold Levy, president of the International Rescue Committee, noted the "stark contrast between the attention and resources the Administration is committing to resolution of the crises in Kosovo and Central America with its response to the desperate situation in Sierra Leone". The NGOs urged increased US diplomatic involvement in the crisis and more support for ECOMOG.
Defence chief says Nigerian pullout will be "gradual"
Sierra Leone's Chief of Defence Staff General Maxwell Khobe has said ECOMOG troops will stay in the country beyond May and Nigeria's pullout would have to be gradual, news organisations reported. He told a news briefing yesterday (Thursday) that Nigeria's withdrawal from the force would first have to be approved by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
"Nigeria is not going to withdraw immediately," he said. "If there is a thing like that, it is going to be gradual because in the first place, Nigeria and Sierra Leone have bilateral agreements." Nigeria has said it wants to withdraw its troops by the end of May.
Meanwhile, 400 Malian troops were due to arrive in Freetown yesterday to reinforce the ECOMOG force, news reports said. PANA quoted the Malian authorities as saying the contingent would solely be carrying out peacekeeping duties and would not take part in fighting.
GUINEA BISSAU: Protagonists discuss government functioning
Guinea Bissau President Nino Vieira and Prime Minister-designate Francisco Fadul held talks in what news reports described as a "very cordial" meeting yesterday to discuss when the country's government of national unity could begin functioning, the Portuguese news agency Lusa reported.
Fadul's spokesman, Cherno Balde, said the prime minister-designate understood Vieira's reasons for delaying the swearing-in of the government, the agency said. A date for the swearing-in will be given after the signing of a formal agreement on the deployment of ECOMOG peacekeepers and the withdrawal of Senegalese and Guinean troops backing Vieira against the rebel Military Junta. The accord on the government, announced on 30 January just hours before a renewed outbreak of fighting in the capital, is still in draft form.
Guinean and Senegalese troops to leave by end February
Senegal's Interior Minister Lamime Cisse said today troops from his country and from Guinea would leave Guinea Bissau, at the latest, on 28 February, Reuters reported. Earlier this week, news reports said, 1,200 of the estimated 3,000 troops would begin leaving on Sunday. Their departure has been a key demand by the Military Junta for swearing in the government of national unity. The departure is also an essential provision of the Abuja accords signed in November 1998 that officially ended a five-month military uprising in the country.
Cisse said he was in Banjul to brief Gambian President Yahya Jammeh on the security situation in Bissau and informed him that Senegalese troops would leave as agreed. Benin, Gambia, Niger and Togo have troops under ECOMOG in Guinea Bissau. Their arrival is expected to ease the way for the withdrawal of the Guineans and Senegalese.
European Parliament urges immediate pullout of foreign troops
The European Parliament called yesterday for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from Guinea Bissau, except those of ECOMOG, news reports said. The parliament said the continued presence of non-ECOMOG troops in the country would have a destablising effect on efforts to secure lasting peace.
Meanwhile EU Comissioner Emma Bonino is to visit Guinea
Bissau at the weekend on a four-nation tour of West
Africa, Lusa said. Speaking in Lisbon yesterday, she
said it was necessary to
"avoid the politicisation of humanitarian aid
and to provide NGOs with adequate protection similar
to the Convention which protects members of the UN".
She is also due to visit Guinea-Conakry, Senegal and
Sierra Leone.
WFP sends in food aid by sea
A cargo ship chartered by WFP was due to arrive in Guinea Bissau today carrying 445 mt of food aid, urgently needed by tens of thousands of civilians. A WFP news release said this was the first time since fighting broke out nine months ago that the food agency had been allowed to send in food by sea. The statement added that Bissau residents were also facing power and water shortages.
LIBERIA: Catholic commission stands by report on forced labour and child captivity
The Liberian Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (JPC)
has defended its report alleging forced labour and
child captivity in southeastern Liberia and said its
joint investigation with a child advocacy group was
done "without prejudice," Star radio reported
today. In a statement, the JPC said the report was
not a campaign to discredit the government nor to discourage
investment and aid to the country. Allegations of forced
labour were published in the local media before its
own investigation, it added.
The JPC statement claimed that a government team sent
to the southeast supported the allegations of forced
labour and captivity and acknowledged "complaints"
from residents in Pynes. The residents alleged that
their relatives had been captured and taken to Nimba
and Grand Gedeh counties by fighters and were not allowed
to return.
The JPC denied allegations by some government officials, referring to a statement by the labour minister during a news conference on 26 January, that the report was written in order to receive funds from international sources.
Armed forces to be restructured
The Liberian government says one of its "preoccupations" is to restructure the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Star Radio reported today. In a statement, read on behalf of President Charles Taylor, who is Commander-in-Chief of the AFL, Defence Minister Daniel Chea said the government would need "a small, effective and disciplined military". Chea said the reorganisation of the army was a "key challenge". The reorganised armed forces, he said, would be made up of "an aggressive air force and reliable navy".
Abidjan, 12 February 1999, 17:15 gmt
[ENDS]
Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 17:22:48 +0000 (GMT) From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.ocha.unon.org> Subject: IRIN-West Africa Update 401 for 1999.2.12
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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