SIERRA LEONE: Cautious Response To Ceasefire [19990520]

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER

SIERRA LEONE: Cautious response to ceasefire

ABIDJAN, 20 May 1999 (IRIN) - Humanitarian sources in Freetown told IRIN on Thursday they hoped a ceasefire announced by government and rebel representatives would allow people affected by the insecurity to receive much needed help.

"The most important impact of this agreement, from a humanitarian point of view, is in terms of improved access allowing safe delivery of supplies," a humanitarian source told IRIN, expressing a view echoed by several other aid organisations in Freetown.

Safe, unhindered access by humanitarian organisations to all people in need was one of the six points of the ceasefire agreement signed on Monday in Lome, Togo, by President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and rebel leader Foday Sankoh.

Residents of the eastern towns of Bo and Kenema face a food crisis since stocks are running low and the insecurity on the main Freetown-Bo highway has continued to constrain food aid deliveries.

"If the highway becomes safe, we will be able to increase our ability to deliver supplies," a CARE International spokesperson told IRIN.

However, there was some scepticism about the ceasefire, scheduled to enter into effect on 24 May.

Reuters reported that some people expressed concern that the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) might not have enough control over its guerillas. Others voiced similar fears about the pro-government Civil Defence Force (CDF), which includes the Kamajors.

In Freetown's hospitals and amputee camps, victims of rebel atrocities expressed hope that the war would soon be over, news organisations reported. One amputee was quoted by AFP as saying, "Our spirit has been lifted and most of us no longer bear any grudge against the rebels."

[ENDS]

[IRIN-WA: Tel: +225 217366 Fax: +225 216335 e-mail: irin-wa@ocha.unon.org ]

Item: irin-english-868

[This item is delivered in the "irin-english" service of the UN's IRIN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations. For further information or free subscriptions, or to change your keywords, contact e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org or fax: +254 2 622129 or Web: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer.]

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id 10kYKE-0003WH-00; Thu, 20 May 1999 22:17:50 +0300 Date: Thu, 20 May 1999 19:21:27 +0000 (GMT) From: UN IRIN - West Africa <irin-wa@wa.ocha.unon.org> To: irin-wa-updates@ocha.unon.org Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.95.990520191438.28013A-100000@wa.ocha.unon.org> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Prev-Sender: owner-irin-english@ocha.unon.org Precedence: bulk Subject: BURKINA FASO: Opposition parliamentarian freed [19990520] X-Keyword: "IRIN" for afriweb@sas.upenn.edu X-Filter: mailagent [version 3.0 PL65] for english@ocha.unon.org Sender: afriweb@sas.upenn.edu Status: O

BURKINA FASO: Opposition parliamentarian freed

ABIDJAN, 20 May 1999 (IRIN) - Opposition parliamentarian Herman Yameogo, arrested on Monday following violent protests in the south-western town of Koudougou, was freed on Thursday afternoon, a media source told IRIN from the Burkinabe capital.

Yameogo's liberation came after the speaker of the Burkinabe assembly, Melegue Maurice Traore, asked the government to free him since he had parliamentary immunity.

Yameogo, one of nine opposition members of Burkina Faso's 111-seat parliament, was held after protesters burnt homes in Koudougou. The demonstrators were demanding the arrest of six presidential guards suspected of killing independent journalist Norbert Zongo in December.

Defending Yameogo's arrest, Security Minister Djibril Bassole said the state had evidence that he had incited the protesters.

However, according to the source, Traore told journalists on Thursday: "Even if there is evidence against him (Yameogo), the government can have him put on trial, but only after requesting the National Assembly to lift his parliamentary immunity."

Meanwhile, a strike called for Thursday by a collective of human rights groups, opposition leaders and journalists to press for Yameogo's release was "only moderately followed", the media source told IRIN.

Most services in the Burkinabe capital and major towns functioned as usual.

A police source in Koudougou told IRIN the town was calm and a curfew remained from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. However, clashes were reported in the eastern town of Tenkodogo between supporters and opponents of the ruling party.

[ENDS]

[IRIN-WA: Tel: +225 217366 Fax: +225 216335 e-mail: irin-wa@ocha.unon.org ]

Item: irin-english-867

Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar

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