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IRIN-WA Daily Media Update 45-97 of Events in West Africa, 11 September 1997
[As a supplement to its weekly roundups of main events in West Africa, IRIN-WA will produce a daily synopsis of international media reports on the region. IRIN issues these reports for the benefit of the humanitarian community but accepts no responsibility as to the accuracy of the original source.]
SIERRA LEONE: Freetown harbour still open
A Sierra Leone-based official of a commercial shipping line has denied a claim by the West African peacekeeping force (ECOMOG) that a crippled ship had "partially" blocked the harbour in the capital, Freetown. The official said the harbour was open and three ships were berthed at the dock. ECOMOG commander, General Victor Malu, told IRIN on Tuesday that a Nigerian warplane had disabled one of the vessels before it had docked, partially sealing the harbour entrance. The shipping source however reported that ECOMOG artillery fire and a bomb dropped by a Nigerian airforce plane damaged the Greek-flagged 'Proteus' and the Ukrainian-registered 'Sea Way', but both vessels were afloat and berthed. ECOMOG is enforcing an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) embargo on Sierra Leone. The shipping company official told IRIN the three ships are loaded with rice, denying an ECOMOG claim they were carrying weapons. The 'Proteus' is reportedly shipping 15,000 tonnes of rice and is believed to have been chartered by the Lebanese company, the Saad Group. Extra labour has been hired to offload the vessels, but the operation is expected to take several weeks, particularly with the onset of the rainy season.
A spokesman of the London-based seafarers trade union, the International Transport Workers Federation, has condemned the ECOWAS blockade on Sierra Leone. "We obviously oppose this kind of action totally," he told IRIN. "Most of the shipping using West African ports would be foreign-owned and foreign-crewed and they most probably would not know of the blockade." Source: IRIN.
Troops loyal to Sierra Leone's Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), meanwhile,fired anti-aircraft guns at high-flying Nigerian warplanes today. Nigerian Alpha ground-attack jets flew two sorties over the capital in the enforcement of the embargo. The gunfire caused panic in the city centre, AFP reported. Source: AFP & IRIN.
SIERRA LEONE: Three officers 'defect'
A former Sierra Leonean army chief of staff, who has defected to Nigeria, has called for the reinstallation of President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah ousted in the AFRC's May coup. Colonel Komba Modeh, speaking on the clandestine radio station, urged AFRC chairman Major Johnny Paul Koroma to "hand over without delay to President Kabbah or prepare to face the consequences." Modeh, along with two other officers, was due to have returned from training courses in Nigeria this week. They have been dismissed from the army. Source: AFP.
LIBERIA: Government helps ECOMOG
The Liberian government will reportedly provide food and medical assistance to the Sierra Leonean ECOMOG contingent. Star Radio reported that supplies for the unit from Freetown had been "hampered" by the AFRC coup. Nigeria took over payment of the soldiers' salaries in August. Source: Star Radio (Foundation Hirondelle).
SENEGAL: 'Liberian mercenaries' claim
According to unconfirmed reports, "anglophone mercenaries", believed to be Liberians, are active in southern Senegal's Casamance region. According to RFI, "people talk" of the presence of the Liberians and suggest they are behind an upsurge in violence that has occurred in regions of the province not normally associated with separatist unrest.
On Sunday, gunmen attacked two villages in the north and east of the province, killing five people and stealing money and food. On Monday night, nine people died after an attack on a youth hostel, also in Kolda region, with a further three dying of their wounds on Wednesday, according to hospital sources. The raids have been blamed on the secessionist Mouvement des Forces Democratique de Casamance (MFDC). However, according to one local source, the attacks "increasingly seems like banditry." The MFDC has not been militarily active in the north since a ceasefire was signed with the government in 1991. Source: RFI, AFP & IRIN.
NIGERIA: Abacha makes rare appearance
Armed Nigerian security agents on Wednesday searched the home of the editor of the weekly news magazine 'Tell' after it reported that Head of State General Sani Abacha is "very ill" with cirrhosis of the liver. The paper said in a statement that editor Nosa Igiebor was not at home. The security agents detained his wife for questioning for several hours. Deputy editor Dele Otmunde said the weekly stood by its report published on Monday. On Wednesday Abacha made a rare public appearance in the capital, Abuja. The independent 'Thisday' newspaper described him as "looking healthy, although he appeared slimmer than usual". Source: Reuters & AFP.
NIGERIA: Reporter freed
Nigerian security forces freed a reporter from the newspaper 'Punch' arrested last week over an article in which he alleged threats had been made against members of the minority rights group, Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP). James Akpandem had been detained for five days in Port Harcourt, capital of the southern Rivers State. MOSOP leader Ken Saro-Wiwa was executed in Port Harcourt by the military government in 1995. Source: AFP.
Abidjan, 11 September 1997
[ENDS]
[Via the UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs Integrated Regional Information Network for West Africa (IRIN-WA) Reports mailing list. The material contained in this communication may not necessarily reflect the views of the UN or its agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts from this report should be attributed to the original sources where appropriate. For further information: e-mail irin-wa@africaonline.co.ci, Tel: +225 217367 Fax: +225 216335.]
Message-Id: <199709120733.KAA13768@dha.unon.org> Date: Fri, 12 Sep 1997 10:29:12 +0300 From: UN DHA IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@africaonline.co.ci> Subject: IRIN-WA Daily Media Update 45-97, 11 September 1997 97.9.11
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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