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IRIN-WA Update 442 of events in West Africa (Wednesday 14 April)
LIBERIA: Troops to Sierra Leone border
The Liberian government said on Wednesday it planned to send troops to "reinforce" the border with Sierra Leone following "threats" by the West African ECOMOG intervention force that it would strike at any route used to deliver weapons to rebels operating in Sierra Leone.
Independent 'Star Radio' said the announcement was made by the defence minister, Daniel Chea, following charges last week by ECOMOG commander Major-General Felix Mujakperuo that the rebels were receiving arms from Burkina Faso via Liberia. Chea said the allegations were "unacceptable and irresponsible" and that Mujakperuo should apologise.
"Minister Chea restated that Liberians fighting in Sierra Leone are on their own," the radio broadcast said. "He said they have no support from the Liberian government," and that Liberians fighting in Sierra Leone should be demobilised and sent home.
SIERRA LEONE: ECOMOG denies reports of rebel attack on Kabala
ECOMOG said on Wednesday its troops were fully in control of Kabala, a major town in Sierra Leone's Northern Province, some 50km north east of the capital Freetown.
The announcement was made in response to a Reuters dispatch which said the town was under siege and that ECOMOG forces had seen off "waves of attacks" since rebels moved into the area late last week.
ECOMOG spokesman, Lt-Col Chris Olukolade, told IRIN: "The reports are not true. Troops were undergoing regular manoeuvres and some people in the area were concerned. They were assured by ECOMOG that there was no need to panic as its soldiers were in full control and there was no attack."
Kabala is known as the cattle capital of Sierra Leone, and is the only major northern town to have resisted the rebel offensive which began late last year. It used to produce about two thirds of the meat consumed in Freetown before rebels overran the north and cut off supply routes, Reuters reported.
NIGER: Former premier urges "pragmatic" approach on coup
Niger's former premier and one of the country's most prominent politicians, Hama Amadou, has urged the public to give the new military leadership a chance to meet its pledge to return the country to democratic rule after a nine-month transition period.
Major Daouda Mallam Wanke, the army leader, made the pledge after he assumed power at the weekend following the assassination last Friday of President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara who was shot by the presidential guard Wanke commanded.
Analysts said Amadou's remarks explained why opposition parties had said they would cooperate with Wanke's new National Reconciliation Council (NRC).
In an interview with Radio France Internationale, Amadou said: "At the moment, the intentions they (the army) are expressing are good. I think it is our duty to give the restoration of democracy a chance."
Amadou, who was briefly detained last year for an alleged coup plot against Mainassara, added: "I think we should take the new authorities at their word and try to support them to move along the lines of the good intentions they have expressed rather than be sceptical and hold up the process through a refusal to assist the country, which could lead these authorities to change course."
NRC insists Mainassara's death was "accidental"
Meanwhile, the 'Voix du Sahel' radio station, the main source of official developments in Niger since the coup, on Tuesday quoted NRC spokesman Captain Djibril Hami Mahamidou, as insisting Mainassara's death was "accidental".
The broadcast, monitored by the BBC, quoted him as telling journalists there would be no investigation into the death of Mainassara who himself had overthrown the country's first democratically elected government in 1996.
"We cannot talk of any investigation because the death of General Mainassara, as we said, was accidental," the spokesman said. "While awaiting the policy statement by the NRC chairman (Wanke), the NRC, through me, solemnly reaffirms its commitment to respect all international agreements and treaties signed by the Republic of Niger. We also reaffirm the withdrawal of the army from the political scene after the transition period."
Humanitarian agency says country calm
In an independent assessment of the situation, Doug Steinberg, the CARE country director for Niger, has described the southern section of the country as calm despite a declared state of emergency.
In a statement on Wednesday, he said public response to the coup in the key towns of Zinder, Konni, Maradi and Diffa ranged from "peaceful to optimistic".
"Our projects to assist the people of Niger are moving ahead as usual, but we are monitoring the situation carefully and taking all precautions to protect CARE staff," Steinberg said. "The situation could have dire implications for the political future of Niger, but relatively little immediate risk for CARE's work with Niger's poorest families."
Supported by the governments of Denmark, France, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, CARE said its projects in rural Niger were focused on natural resource management, agricultural production, public health for children and women's income generation.
NIGERIA: United States, Japan promise to resume aid
The United States and Japan have pledged to renew economic, financial and other cooperation with Nigeria after the 29 May inauguration of President-elect Olusegun Obasanjo, media reports said on Wednesday.
Stuart Eizenstat, the US Under-Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs, said the cooperation would include a joint economic partnership and US backing in Nigeria's quest for better credit terms with international financial institutions.
Speaking at the end of a visit to Nigeria this week, 'The Guardian' quoted him as saying: "With the successful transition from military to elected government on 29 May, the door will be open for US partnership and support."
In Tokyo, where Obasanjo is on a two-day visit, a similar pledge was made during a meeting with the Japanese foreign minister, Masahiko Komura, news agencies said.
Investigation sought over journalist's death
International and Nigerian press watchdogs have demanded a full investigation into the killing of one of the country's most prominent woman journalists.
The journalist, Bolanle Fasai, was an active member of the National Association of Women Journalists and former treasurer of the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). She was shot dead on 7 April by three unknown gunmen in Ibadan, 200km north of Lagos.
Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER) asked the police to ensure that the murder is thoroughly investigated, the independent daily, 'The Guardian' reported on Tuesday.
Adewale Adeoye, chairman of JODER, was quoted as saying: "The killing was callous and dangerous to the fragile transition to democracy and freedom." He linked her death to the "hostile environment" in which Nigerian journalists had been working and urged the incoming civilian government to ensure that press freedom and a "conducive environment for journalists" were made priority agendas.
In Paris, Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) expressed its "deep concern" and recommended that an appeal is sent to the Oyo state military administrator urging him to use his authority to "ensure that an inquiry is conducted to find the killers."
GUINEA BISSAU: Mane cleared of arms trafficking
Brigadier Ansumane Mane, who led last year's army rebellion, has been cleared of "wrongdoing" by the national parliament's commission on arms trafficking, the Portuguese news agency, LUSA, reported.
The report by the commission, released to parliament at its first sitting on Tuesday since the rebellion, stated that during the inquiry "no-one directly or indirectly accused Mane of involvement in arms trafficking," and urged that his suspension as armed forces chief be reviewed, LUSA said.
However, the existence of the arms trade is acknowledged, the report said, and several officials, including the former security chief and the head of military counter-intelligence, have been charged with involvement in arms shipments to separatist rebels in the Casamance region of southern Senegal.
The report said that the president, Joao Bernardo Vieira, knew about the operations but had made no attempt to stop them.
Vieira dismissed Mane as armed forces chief in February
1998 and in June Mane led a military rebellion against
the government. A peace treaty was signed last year
and a national unity government, including Vieira and
military junta appointees, took office on 20 February,
LUSA said.
Prime minister outlines recovery programme
The prime minister, Francisco Fadul, has meanwhile outlined his programme of recovery at the parliamentary session, the BBC reported.
Fadul told deputies his priority was to accelerate the return to their homes of more than 250,000 people displaced by the fighting and reaffirmed his government's commitment to hold elections towards the end of the year.
One of the conditions of the peace agreement signed last year by Vieira and Mane was a promise of fresh elections.
Abidjan, 14 April 1999, 1700 GMT
[ENDS]
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 17:10:38 +0000 (GMT) From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.ocha.unon.org> Subject: WEST AFRICA: IRIN Update 442 for 14 April [19990415]
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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