UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
IRIN-WA Update 571 [19991014]

IRIN-WA Update 571 [19991014]


U N I T E D N A T I O N S Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Integrated Regional Information Network for West Africa

Tel: +225 21 73 54 Fax: +225 21 63 35 e-mail: irin-wa@ocha.unon.org

WEST AFRICA: IRIN-WA Update 571 for West Africa (Wednesday 13 October 1999)

CONTENTS:

SIERRA LEONE: Security problems in north hinder aid effort SIERRA LEONE: Forty cholera-related deaths in Port Loko SIERRA LEONE: Bloody diarrhoea increasing SIERRA LEONE: Food shortages in the north LIBERIA: Refugee relocation from Lofa continues LIBERIA: Commission to reintegrate ex-fighters into society established LIBERIA: Libya to help rebuilt investments LIBERIA: Rights of the child workshop held GUINEA: Conakry calm as students return to classes GUINEA-BISSAU: Government asks Portugal to extradite Vieira

SIERRA LEONE: Security problems in north hinder aid effort

The fragile security situation in parts of the Northern Province has hampered the implementation of humanitarian programmes, the United Nations Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Unit (HACU) reports in its weekly update covering 3-9 October.

On the road between Magburaka and Matatoka ( east of Makeni) the Irish NGO, Concern Worldwide, has been prevented from re-starting relief activities by RUF/AFRC commanders who are demanding that food be distributed in areas under their control, according to HACU. Villagers are forced to give food to the paramount chief who then passes it on to the armed combatants.

In Kambia District, near the border with Guinea, HACU has received persistent reports of armed groups seizing properties, demanding money and beating civilians. Such harassment has reportedly caused civilians to flee to refugee camps in Guinea or settle in villages close to the border.

In Port Loko District HACU cites an aid agency working in the area as saying that groups of the AFRC were harassing civilians along the road from Port Loko town to Lungi, site of Sierra Leone's international airport.

Meanwhile, the security situation in the southern region remains calm, according to HACU, although elements of the Civil Defence Force (CDF) are reportedly harassing civilians in the Bumpeh chiefdom, south of the town of Bo.

SIERRA LEONE: Forty cholera-related death in Port Loko

Forty cholera-related deaths occurred in Port Loko District in September, the UN Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Unit (HACU) quotes the district medical officer as saying. An additional 400 cases are currently being treated.

WHO confirmed that "a cholera epidemic was indeed underway" in Kafu Bullom, Lokomassama and Maforki chiefdoms in Port Loko after assessments were made in these chiefdoms last month in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

WHO concluded that the high case fatality rate early in the outbreak was attributable to late referral due to poor awareness among the many displaced people who had entered Port Loko from rebel-held areas in the north. By the second week public awareness had increased and the case fatality rate fell from 15.2 percent to 1.5 percent.

The humanitarian response to the outbreak in these areas was "sound", WHO reported, and collaboration between the government, UN agencies and NGOs was "proven to be highly effective".

Meanwhile, reported cholera cases on the Freetown peninsula have increased to 927 cases with nine cholera-related deaths as at 9 October, HACU said.

SIERRA LEONE: Bloody diarrhoea increasing

Bloody diarrhoea (dysentery) is increasing in many areas of Sierra Leone, WHO in Freetown reports.

Bacteriological studies are currently underway to identify the causative agent, presumed by WHO to be shigella dysenteriae Type I, and the antibiotic sensitivity pattern.

SIERRA LEONE: Food shortages in north

Food shortages continue to be reported in many areas of the north, such as Fadugu and Kabala, 70 and 100 km north of Makeni, HACU said.

In Makeni town the food situation is reportedly deteriorating, despite a recent distribution, and some agencies are recommending a second distribution, HACU reported.

CARE, WFP and CRS provided 3,946 mt of food aid to 276,190 displaced and war-affected populations in September, according to HACU. The other main food supply agency, World Vision, did not have its distribution figures available at the time of the HACU report.

LIBERIA: Refugee relocation from Lofa continues

The transfer of Sierra Leonean refugees, driven out of camps in northern Liberia by insecurity, continued on Monday with another 552 people transferred from the village of Tarvey (in lower Lofa county) to Sinje camp in neighbouring Grand Cape Mount county.

"In the past three weeks, UNHCR has moved more than three thousand Sierra Leoneans to Sinje," Kris Janowski, UNHCR's spokesman in Geneva said on Tuesday.

The relocation of refugees was suspended on 5 October due to difficult road conditions and dangerous bridges, UNHCR said.

The refugees began moving to Tarvey late in August after armed attacks on villages around Kolahun, in northern Lofa County, forced aid workers to pull out of the area. Most made the 100 km journey on foot.

"There are still nine thousand Sierra Leoneans in Tarvey, although arrivals from Kolahun have stopped," Janowski said.

Meanwhile, UNHCR is waiting for permission from Liberian authorities to take out by road around 200 ill and elderly refugees who are stranded in Kolahun. The military continue to ban humanitarian agencies from using roads in the area and relief aid is brought to this remaining group by MSF and UNHCR by helicopter.

"UNHCR is urgently working to get approval for the move," Janowski said. "The situation in northern Liberia is still unstable. The army has commandeered more UNHCR vehicles last week from our office in Vahun."

LIBERIA: Commission to reintegrate ex-fighters into society established

President Charles Taylor has appointed a special 13-member Presidential Commission for the reintegration of thousands of ex-combatants into civil society, independent Star radio reported on Wednesday.

Quoting a statement issued on Tuesday by the Executive Mansion, the office of the president, the radio said the commission would be headed by first lady Jewel Taylor and former interim president Amos Sawyer. The commission is to design and implement programmes to reintegrate ex-combatants into productive community life. The body is to work with the ministries of defense, justice, commerce, foreign affairs and health.

In September, government gave U.S. $25,000 to establish an office for ex-combatants at the Health Ministry. Ex-combatants demonstrated two months ago in front of the UN Peace Building office, demanding reintegration benefits. Some 20,000 former fighter are still to be returned to normal civilian life.

LIBERIA: Libya to help rebuilt investments

A Libyan technical team is expected in Liberia shortly for discussion with the government on Tripoli's investments in the country, Radio Liberia International reported on Monday.

It quoted Libyan Ambassador Muhammad Umar al-Tabi as telling government officials that Tripoli was fully supportive of efforts to improve the lives of Liberians.

The investments include the rehabilitation of the seven-story Libyan-built Pan-African Plaza office tower, the glass factory, the African Investment Company, and renovation of Monrovia's once prestigious Ducor Hotel. A Libyan rubber processing industry is also to be established.

LIBERIA: Rights of the child workshop held

A one-day workshop on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in Liberia was held on Friday in Monrovia, UNICEF's information officer in Liberia, MacArthur Hill, told IRIN.

The workshop was chaired by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs and sponsored by UNICEF.

"The workshop gave members of thematic working groups the opportunity to provide technical feedback to the Liberian research team conducting a baseline survey on behalf of the government of Liberia," he said.

The study, he said, focused on child protection, education and development, health and nutrition, water and sanitation.

"The government and UNICEF want the final report to be a consultative process," he said.

The survey will be presented at a national conference in November and will determine the framework for a national programme of action for children.

In January 2000 the report will be submitted to the CRC global committee in Geneva as Liberia's first report on the state of implementation of the CRC in the country.

GUINEA: Conakry calm as students return to classes

Guinea's capital, Conakry, remained calm on Wednesday as students return to classes two days after demonstrations against a 50 percent hike in public transport fares, a news source told IRIN.

The source corroborated the government's claim that the protestors were mainly "elements from outside the education system", although "initially, the demonstrators were mostly school children."

The protestors wrecked vehicles and smashed windows of government buildings, Reuters reported.

The source said that the Ministry of Education announced over state television on Tuesday that the government would look into student concerns, and urged them to return to school. Transporters hiked fares following a rise in fuel prices last week.

GUINEA-BISSAU: Government asks Portugal to extradite Vieira

Guinea-Bissau has asked Portugal to consider its request for the extradition of ousted president Joao Nino Vieira, Portuguese Renascenca radio reported on Wednesday.

Guinea-Bissau Attorney General Amine Saad, who arrived in Lisbon on Tuesday, handed documents to his Portuguese counterpart, Cunha Rodrigues, concerning a court case against Vieira in Bissau.

Vieira, who was allowed out of the country to seek medical treatment in France, is wanted for what is broadly described by the new authorities in Bissau as crimes against the state.He is charged with torturing and executing opposition members following an alleged coup attempt in 1985, and for treason relating to the military uprising in 1998.

Saad told Renascenca that Guinea-Bissau had given the Portuguese Public Prosecutor's office enough evidence for it to consider the extradition. Saad said the bid to try Vieira was not an attempt at revenge but was one of justice required in a democratic society.

Saad said he would discuss the extradition request again with Rodrigues in Lunada, where both men are to attend a conference of attorneys general of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries.

Abidjan, 13 October 1999; 18:56 GMT

[ENDS]

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

Item: irin-english-1773

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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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