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IRIN-WA Update 403 of Events in West Africa (Tuesday 16 February)
NIGERIA: Presidential race between Falae and Obasanjo
Former Nigerian finance minister, Samuel Olu Falae, was picked late yesterday (Monday) to run as the presidential candidate of an alliance between two of Nigeria's main political parties, the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the All People's Party (APP), news organisations reported.
Speaking on Nigerian radio after his nomination, Falae said he was "physically, mentally and spiritually prepared for the race."
According to the radio, a large delegation from the alliance arrived at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) "at about five minutes to midnight to submit the names". The deadline for the submission of candidates was midnight.
Although Falae - who belongs to the AD - will run on the APP platform, he stressed he was not a an APP member but was merely using its logo to contest the elections.
INEC, the body monitoring the elections, has consistently stated that in order for the alliance between the two parties to be legal, only one presidential candidate under one party logo can be nominated. Party officials said the APP presidential candidate, Ogbonnaya Onu, nominated on Sunday after a party convention, had withdrawn his candidacy.
The alliance's vice-presidential candidate was named as former security chief Umaru Shinkafi of the APP, news reports said.
The 27 February presidential race is now on between former military ruler, General Olusegun Obasanjo, representing Nigeria's largest party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), and Falae.
SIERRA LEONE: Government sends peace proposals to rebels
The Sierra Leone government has reportedly delivered a set of peace proposals to rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) via the US embassy in Freetown, according to news organisations. Diplomatic sources were quoted as saying arrangements were being made for the sides to hold talks on board a ship. President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah said he hoped the RUF would "see reason and come to the table for lasting peace".
The UN Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) is to help with peace talks between the government and rebels, according to news reports. A news release issued by the office of UN Special Envoy Francis Okelo said he had returned to Freetown and had been engaged in negotiations with neighbouring countries. UNOMSIL is to report back to the Security Council by 5 March.
WFP opens food centres in eastern Freetown
WFP has opened four emergency distribution centres in eastern Freetown which was wrecked by the recent fighting. A WFP news release said the centres were located in the devastated districts of Ferry Junction, Kissy (two) and Wellington, and operated by Catholic Relief Services and CARE. Distributions of two-week rations to about 32,000 people began several days ago. According to WFP Programme Officer Sarah Laughton, people have started returning to their homes only to find them completely destroyed. Some parts of eastern Freetown are still inaccessible due to insecurity, she said.
Thousands flee rebel attack on Kambia
The missionary news agency MISNA said the situation in the western town of Kambia was critical following a rebel attack last Thursday. It said people were fleeing towards Guinea amid rumours that rebel reinforcements were heading towards Kambia from Makeni. MISNA added that the Catholic mission in Kambia was looted on Friday and a priest was missing.
WFP confirmed the attack on Kambia and said about 18,000 displaced people were moving towards the Guinean border at Gbalamuya. Guinean troops of the West African intervention force, ECOMOG, had reportedly relocated their defences to the Kambia bridge, WFP said in its latest weekly report. There are no WFP stocks in the Kambia warehouse, the UN food agency added.
Residents returning to Kenema
WFP staff in Kenema, which was attacked by rebels last Tuesday, say ECOMOG troops are carrying out mopping-up operations on the airport side of the town and some residents are returning to their homes "reassured by the increased presence of security forces".
SENEGAL: Bonino warns West African instability could spread
European Commissioner Emma Bonino has warned that instability from Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau could spread throughout West Africa if speedy political solutions are not found, news organisations reported.
"If there is no political solution, chances of instability spreading through the sub-region seem real to me," Reuters reported Bonino as telling a news conference in Senegal yesterday.
Bonino has been on a humanitarian mission to Mali, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Casamance in southern Senegal. While in Guinea Bissau, she brokered a meeting between President Joao Bernardo Vieira and rebel leader Ansumane Mane.
According to AFP, she said she had told Vieira and Mane that "on their decisions, depend the lives of tens of thousands of displaced persons". She said that for the moment, a humanitarian disaster has been avoided in Guinea Bissau, adding that there was no famine but there were health and sanitation problems.
She also described as "extremely worrying" the situation at camps in Guinea where a flood of refugees from Sierra Leone had doubled the local population and was putting "an enormous burden" on Guinea. Bonino, who was due to travel to Freetown today, added that the camps were too close to the border and "the risk of incursion" by Sierra Leonean rebels could not be ruled out.
Vieira and Mane to meet in Togo
Meanwhile Vieira and Mane were due to meet today in
the Togolese capital, Lome, news agencies reported.
The two men were expected to hold talks with Togo's
President, Gnassingbe Eyadema, the current chairman
of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Authorities in Lome said they would thank Eyadema for
his efforts to find a solution to the crisis in Guinea
Bissau, where an ECOWAS-brokered peace accord is being
implemented, AFP reported. Fresh elections are planned
under the peace proposal although the timing remains
unclear.
NIGER: Violence and vandalism force re-run of some local polls
Local elections are to be re-run in parts of Niger where violence and vandalism impeded vote counting earlier this month, AFP reported today, citing electoral officials. The Independent National Election Commission (CENI) said partial polls would be repeated in constituencies where less than 70 percent of the results were declared. It did not name the constituencies.
The elections were hailed as a political landmark in Niger's history and marked the final phase in the country's retoration of democracy. But arson, vandalism, theft of ballot papers and intimidation of voters disrupted the 7 February poll. AFP said CENI, in order to reassure foreign donors, has called on the government to punish those responsible for the unrest.
Provisional results put a coalition of 11 opposition parties in the lead with 512 seats, against 356 for President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara's camp, AFP added.
Abidjan, 16 February 1999, 17:40 gmt
[ENDS]
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 17:53:10 +0000 (GMT) From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.ocha.unon.org> Subject: IRIN-West Africa Update 403 for 1999.2.16
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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