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IRIN-WA Update 556 of events in West Africa (Wednesday 22 September 1999)
NIGERIA: Fear of food shortages in northeastern Adamawa State
At least 70 percent of farm crops have been lost to floods in parts of Nigeria's northeastern Adamawa State raising fears of food shortages in three local government areas, the state-run News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has reported.
The agency said on Monday that the floods had dashed earlier hopes of a bumper harvest in Demsa, Numan and Lamurde, which are the affected areas.
NAN quoted experts as blaming the flooding on the unusually long break in the rainfall pattern, the beginning of which resulted in the River Benue breaking its banks. This submerged homes and farmlands in some 50 communities in the three areas.
Appeal for government help
The representative of the three area councils in the state's House of Assembly, Betu Mamuno, described the effects of the floods as serious. He has called for state and federal government help.
He told NAN at the end of his tour of the affected communities that the perennial flooding of the area was linked to water being released from the Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroon.
Flood sweep away rail lines
In the north-western state of Niger, floods washed away rail lines between Wushishi and Pakara in Niger State, disrupting train services. According to an official statement from the Federal Ministry of Transport, the managing director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Ayo Bakare, told Transport Minister Kema Chikwe, at the weekend, that the situation could worsen. Bakare said constant rains had increased water at the Kainji Dam causing it to overflow into nearby rivers.
However, he said temporary girders had been erected that would enable trains to run at a slow speed, until the rains end and permanent repairs could be made. Repairs are expected to cost 43 million naira (US $460,879). NAN quotes Chikwe as assuring the railway corporation of prompt government help to rehabilitate damaged areas.
GUINEA-BISSAU: Tens of Thousands in capital register for elections
Just over 115,000 voters, 95 percent of the eligible
electorate, have registered in Bissau for general elections
in November, the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)has said.
Bissau, the capital, accounts for some 20 percent of
the country's estimated one million people.
In its situation report for 1 to 15 September, OCHA said voter registration in the rest of the country was held from 29 August to 9 September. Approximately 2,000 potential voters have registered in Portugal.
Two independent presidential candidates have registered with the Comissao Nacional de Eleicoes (CNE), although several others have made their intention to run publicly known. The prime minister's adviser, Faustino Mbali, declared his candidacy on 12 September and human rights activist Fernando Gomes announced his bid early in September.
General elections are due on 28 November under an agreement signed late in 1998 by the then president, Joao Bernardo Vieira, and a self-styled Military Junta which overthrew him in May 1999.
UNICEF prepares for polio immunisation days
UNICEF has delivered promotional and educational material to the Ministry of Health in preparation for the national immunisation days against polio to be held in October and December. There will also be immunisation against measles, and Vitamin A supplements will be distributed. UNDP continues to support the `National Health Development Plan', providing medical equipment and doctors to three regional hospitals in Bafata, Gabu and Catio.
Reports of cholera prove unfounded
Meanwhile, reports of five cases of cholera in Bissau have proved unfounded, OCHA reported MSF as saying. Similarly, Ministry of Health employees have denounced reports on national radio of cholera in Tite, Quinara region.
LIBERIA: Government approves relocation of Sierra Leonean refugees
Liberian has approved the relocation of Sierra Leonean refugees from Lofa County in the north to the Sinje refugee camp in Grand Cape Mount County, some 80 km north-west of Monrovia, UNHCR reported on Wednesday.
The executive director of the Liberia Refugee Repatriation Commission (LRRRC), Alexander Kulue, gave UNHCR officials in Monrovia approval for the move on Tuesday.
"As soon as the message was received we despatched a convoy of ten trucks from Monrovia to Tarvey Village (in lower Lofa County) to transport the first batch of refugees to Sinje," James Lynch, Deputy UNHCR Representative for Liberia, said.
Sinje camp hosts some 5,000 Sierra Leonean refugees but is able to hold an additional 15,000 to 20,000, according to UNHCR. The agency said 350 of the most vulnerable refugees were moved from Lofa Country to Sinje last week. The UNHCR said it insisted on the transfer after refugees reported being constantly harassed by Liberian security forces.
Following dissident activity in Lofa county in early August some 10,000 Sierra Leonean refugees walked from the camps near Kolahun in Upper Lofa County to Tarvey village farther to the south, UNHCR said.
Some 35,000 Sierra Leonean refugees were living in camps in Lofa County before the fighting in August. Liberia hosts about 90,000 Sierra Leonean refugees.
SIERRA LEONE: ECOMOG denies readiness to break ceasefire
West Africa's Peace Monitoring Force, ECOMOG, denied on Wednesday news reports that it would violate a ceasefire accord if rebels fail to return arms and ammunition seized from Guinean troops last week.
The French news agency, AFP, on Thursday attributed the threat of retaliation to the leader of the Guinean contingent with ECOMOG, Lieutenant Colonel Haji Konte.
"My troops will violate the ceasefire if your ammunition seized by rebels is not retrieved within a week," he said, according to AFP.
However, ECOMOG spokesman Lieutenant Chris Olukolade told IRIN on Wednesday: "I don't believe he will have said such a thing. He cannot violate the ceasefire unilaterally." Olukolade said only the ECOMOG high command could take such a measure.
Rebels reportedly seized the weapons after temporarily detaining the Guineans who were deployed along the 30-km Mange-Kambia highway, north of the Freetown peninsula. Olukolade said ECOMOG was not thinking of taking strong action to recover the arms.
"The high command believes this issue will be resolved through negotiation," he said.
WEST AFRICA: Ministers in UN call for more support for Africa
Foreign Ministers of three West African countries, speaking earlier this week at the 57th UN General Assembly, called on the world for more support to Africa, particularly in dealing with its crises.
"African member states feel discriminated against when the response of the international community to conflicts on the continent is muted or lukewarm," James Gbeho, Ghana's minister of foreign affairs, said.
"Global peace and security has been aggravated by the multiplicity of conflicts, particularly in Africa," he added.
Ivorian Foreign Minister Amara Essy said that even if priority were given to regional efforts to solve crises, that would be an insufficient pretext for the Security Council's lack of involvement. Therefore, he called for further clarification of the UN Charter on cooperation with regional organisations.
Appealing for more development aid to Africa, Malian Foreign Minister Modibo Sidibe said industrial nations should honour their previous commitments. In addition, he added, rich nations should strengthen the production and marketing capabilities of poor countries and pay a fair price for African goods.
Abidjan, 22 September 1999; 18:20 GMT
[ENDS]
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Item: irin-english-1649
[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, free subscriptions, or to change your keywords, contact e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org or Web: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer.]
Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 1999
Subscriber: afriweb@sas.upenn.edu Keyword: IRIN
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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