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IRIN-WA Update 81-97 of Events in West Africa, 12 November 1997
[As a supplement to its weekly round-ups of main events in West Africa, IRIN-WA will produce a daily synopsis of 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: ECOMOG, AFRC agree on some issues
Sierra Leone's military authorities and the west African peacekeeping force ECOMOG reached agreement on several issues late Tuesday, following a day of talks near Freetown. According to AFP, the head of the delegation representing the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), Colonel James Mani, told reporters agreements had been reached in principle "but these are subject to further discussion". ECOMOG commander General Victor Malu said the two sides were in accord on all but three issues which would be dealt with by special committees. The discussions centred around the recently-signed Conakry peace deal between the AFRC and west African states which provides for the restoration of democratic rule.
The three sticking points, according to Malu, were the release of Foday Sankoh, leader of the ex-rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) allied to the AFRC, disarmament and Nigeria's role within ECOMOG. But agreement was reportedly reached on such issues as demining, suspension of "unnecessary checkpoints", reopening the ferry service between the capital and the airport, and protection for UN and aid agency premises. Mani, the AFRC delegation head, said his side "objected to ECOMOG's suggestion that it will disarm the national army". Earlier on Tuesday, according to AFP, General Malu urged the UN to speed up the formation of a military observer mission to work with ECOMOG and appealed to the international community for logistical support.
Local media sources in Freetown told IRIN on Wednesday there was a feeling of "cautious optimism" among the people following the meeting. It was felt the AFRC stance had mellowed and that the Sierra Leone authorities, for the time being, had no choice but to abide by the Conakry peace deal.
Aid agencies concerned over lack of fuel
Relief agencies have expressed concern over the lack of fuel in Sierra Leone for distributing humanitarian aid. Humanitarian sources told IRIN Freetown has mostly been without power over the last month. The effects of a good harvest will be negated if the harvested crops cannot be moved around the country, the sources pointed out.
LIBERIA: Taylor calls for ECOMOG pullout in February
President Charles Taylor has stressed that ECOMOG peacekeepers will no longer be required by February, Reuters reported. Speaking at the end of his visit to Taiwan on Tuesday, he said his government would run its own multinational security force. "We would expect for ECOMOG's programme to have been wrapped up by 2 February and whatever men will remain in Liberia will be based on bilateral arrangements with the Republic of Liberia," he told Reuters. He described as "unacceptable" a warning by ECOMOG commander General Malu that the rearming of Liberian soldiers risked triggering mayhem again.
Local humanitarian sources told IRIN it was "common knowledge" Taylor had rearmed 1,000 of his ex-fighters "who are not soldiers at all". In Monrovia, people generally were said to be apprehensive about the security situation. PANA news agency also quoted informed sources in Monrovia as saying most of Taylor's recruits were from his disbanded National Patriotic Front of Liberia militia. Meanwhile, a US embassy statement in Monrovia said Washington still wanted to help restructure the national police "but regrettably the US and Liberia have different views on police restructuring". According to PANA, the US would therefore no longer assist in police training.
Recognition of Taiwan not "bought"
In further comments to Reuters, Taylor denied his country's recognition of Taiwan was "bought". "We believe that as a sovereign nation...our destiny cannot be guided by flinging a few dollars at Liberia," he said. He hoped Taiwan's private sector would help rebuild Liberia's shattered economy, adding talks were underway on joint projects to extract gold, iron ore and diamonds and to restore the timber and rubber industries.
Liberia seeking to write off most of foreign debt
Liberian Finance Minister Elie Saleeby said his country was seeking to write off 75 percent of its foreign debt and reschedule the rest. Reuters said he told reporters after meeting a joint team from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank, that multilateral donors were "very pleased" with Liberia's progress. "They have responded rapidly and positively to our problems," he added.
EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Amnesty concerned over fate of opposition leaders
The human rights organisation Amnesty International has expressed concern over the "disappearance" of two opposition leaders who were forcibly repatriated from Gabon last week after initially being granted political asylum, BBC radio said. Amnesty said it had reason to believe Felipe Ondo Obiang and Guillermo Nguema Ela were in danger of being tortured by the Equatorial Guinea authorities. The country's president, Teodoro Obiang, has cracked down on political adversaries since uncovering a coup plot last May, Amnesty added.
MALI: More opposition activists pardoned
Malian President Alpha Oumar Konare has pardoned a further 11 opposition activists jailed for their involvement in post-electoral violence earlier this year, AFP reported. It quoted local observers as saying the pardons were seen as a further attempt to defuse political tension in the country. Of 51 opposition activists detained or jailed after the violence surrounding legislative polls in May and July, most have now been released or pardoned.
NIGERIA: No invitation to Francophone summit, organisers say
Vietnamese organisers of the Francophone summit in Hanoi, which opens on Friday, denied Nigeria has been invited to the meeting, AFP reported. The news agency had quoted diplomatic sources as saying Nigeria was on the guest list. But the organisers said on Wednesday there had been no official invitation.
Abidjan, 12 November 1997, 17:30 gmt
[ENDS]
[The material contained in this communication comes to you via IRIN West Africa, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. UN IRIN-WA Tel: +225 21 73 66 Fax: +225 21 63 35 e-mail: irin-wa@africaonline.co.ci for more information or subscription. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this report, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. IRIN reports are archived on the Web at: http://www.reliefweb.int/emergenc or can be retrieved automatically by sending e-mail to archive@dha.unon.org . Mailing list: irin-wa-list]
Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 17:45:25 +0000 (GMT) Subject: IRIN-WA Update 81-97 of Events in West Africa for 12 Nov 1997 Message-Id: <Pine.LNX.3.95.971112174411.30606A-100000@wa.dha.unon.org>
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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