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IRIN-WA Daily Media Update 57-97 of Events in West Africa, 2 October 1997
[As a supplement to its weekly round-ups 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: Seven die in ECOMOG bomb attack
Seven people are reported to have been killed when ECOMOG warplanes bombed Port Loko district, 60 km from Freetown, on Monday. According to sources close to the Sierra Leonean military, two cluster-bombs were also dropped on Lokosama, near Port Loko, AFP reported. Explosions were heard at the international airport at Lungi. ECOMOG Task Force Commander in Sierra Leone Max Khobe could not be reached to confirm these reports. ECOMOG Force Commander General Victor Malu, however, denied the reports. He told IRIN that ECOMOG troops only reacted in self-defence and since nothing happened in Port Loko, such action was unlikely. He added that the Guinean ECOMOG contingent was based in the Port Loko district. Source: AFP, Radio France Internationale and IRIN.
New government secretary appointed
The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) swore in a new government secretary today. Hamid Abdul Kamara, a 1996 economics graduate from Moscow State University in Russia, was also appointed head of the civil service, AFP reported. Kamara's two predecessors had been retained when the military overthrew the civilian government of president Alhaji Ahmed Tejan Kabbah in May. The previous government secretary, Shefu Bayoh, failed to return to Sierra Leone from an official trip to Ghana earlier this year. Source: AFP.
LIBERIA: Security tightened along Sierra Leone border
The Liberian government has beefed up security patrols along the Liberia-Sierra Leone border. According to a local Liberian radio station monitored by 'The National', the patrols will monitor and control people entering Liberia. The superintendent of Grand Cape Mount County, Justine Kannah, told the Liberian Senate on Monday that the patrols would ensure that only genuine Sierra Leonean refugees were allowed to enter Liberia. Source: 'The National'.
Donors hold off on aid, paper claims
Western donors are allegedly holding off from disbursing aid to the Liberian government. The Monrovian 'Daily Times' said that according to a diplomatic source, the Danish government had shelved plans to provide spare parts for the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) generating unit. This follows the US government's warning to Liberian President Charles Taylor against reviving his ties with Libya. Taylor was in Libya on an official visit earlier in the week. The paper claimed that all western donors have taken a "wait-and-see" attitude before deciding to allocate funds. UN DHA staff in Monrovia said that as far as it was aware, neither the US nor any other donor country had announced any changes to their funding policy towards Liberia. Source:'Daily Times' and IRIN.
NIGERIA: Nigerian troops attack Ijaw village
At least one person died and 58 were arrested on Wednesday during an attack by security forces in Delta state, southeastern Nigeria. Witnesses said 14 houses were burned down and over 20 boats destroyed in an attack on the fishing village of Ekeremor-Zion, 20 km from Warri, Reuters reported. Four soldiers, who disappeared on patrol in mysterious circumstances in September, were reported to have been kidnapped by the local population. One of the soldiers was found dead. The 58 people were arrested in connection with this. The security forces were sent in by the federal government to enforce order during clashes between the Ijaws and Itsekiris over the relocation of the local government headquarters. Local sources claimed that the soldiers had been extorting money and manhandling villagers. Source: Reuters and IRIN.
US still waiting for answer on envoy party
The United States government yesterday complained that the Nigerian authorities had failed to provide an explanation for police action at a farewell party for the US envoy last month. The US State Department fell short of threatening retaliatory action against the Nigerian government if it continued to ignore the request for an explanation, AFP reported. US State Department spokesman James Foley said that his government was waiting to see what the Nigerian authorities were planning to do in terms of shedding light on the incident. Foley warned against any further incidents involving outgoing envoy Walter Carrington. He said relations between the two countries were "not good" and there is not much room for a worsening of that. Source: AFP.
CAMEROON: Opposition leader demands electoral commission
Cameroonian opposition leader John Fru Ndi called for the postponement of this month'spresidential elections. In an interview with the Ivorian daily 'Le Jour', leader of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) Ndi said this would allow time to establish a national electoral independent commission which was crucial to ensure free and fair elections. Opposition leaders have claimed that the last four elections, presidential and municipal, were rigged by the ruling party. Ndi said he was seeking to put pressure on Cameroonian president Paul Biya to enforce laws which would allow for good governance. Both the Commonwealth Observer Team and the US-based International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) recommended the creation of such a commission in 1993. Source: 'La Voie', 'Le Jour' and All Africa news press service.
Teachers go on an indefinite strike
More than 200,000 Cameroonian teachers launched an indefinite strike yesterday (Wednesday). The striking teachers are demanding a pay raise ranging from 150 to 200 percent. They have rejected an increase of approximately 30 percent announced by the government at the beginning of August. Radio France Internationale said that parents were worried about this strike as it comes just a few weeks before final-year examinations. Source: Radio France Internationale.
GUINEA: Opposition parties to field one candidate
Two Guinean opposition leaders have decided to field one candidate at the next presidential elections. The leader of the Union pour la Nouvelle Republique (UNR), Mamadou Ba, and of the Parti du Renouveau et du Progres (PRP), Siradiou Diallo, said that the two parties would unite and present a sole presidential candidate in December 1998. Diallo and Ba respectively won 11.5 and 13.1 percent of the vote in the 1993 elections. The Coordination de l'Opposition Democratique (CODEM), which regroups 12 political parties, has called for the establishment of an independent national electoral commission. Source: AFP and IRIN.
Abidjan, 2 October 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.]
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 1997 14:49:20 -0300 (GMT+3) From: UN DHA IRIN - Great Lakes <irininfo@dha.unon.org> Subject: IRIN-WA Daily Media Update 57-97 for 2 October 1997 97.10.2 Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.95.971003144849.19917C-100000@amahoro.dha.unon.org>
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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