UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
IRIN-West Africa Weekly Roundup 47, 98.5.8

IRIN-West Africa Weekly Roundup 47, 98.5.8


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@africaonline.co.ci

IRIN-WA Weekly Roundup of Main Events 47 in West Africa covering the period (Friday-Thursday) 1-7 May 1998

SIERRA LEONE: British gun-running investigation

British Customs were investigating allegations of British government involvement in illegally supplying weapons used to overthrow the ousted Sierra Leonean military government in February, news organisations reported on Monday. The charges centred on claims that United Nations sanctions may have been broken by a 30 tonnes shipment of small arms to Sierra Leone by a British firm, Sandline International. According to 'The Independent', the weapons supplied by Sandline at a cost of US$ 10 million were flown out of Bulgaria around 21 February to the pro-democracy "militia and the Nigerian army". Peter Penfold, British High Commissioner (ambassador) to Sierra Leone, was summoned to London to assist in the inquiry.

Foreign Secretary Robin Cook ordered the Foreign Office to cooperate fully and openly with the investigation. He denied any ministerial approval or discussions with Sandline. On Wednesday, Cook said he would order an independent inquiry which would not begin until the British Customs and Excise investigation was completed so as not to prejudice any possible criminal proceedings, the BBC reported. The findings would be made public.

Lawyers acting for Sandline and its director, Lieutenant Colonel Tim Spicer, said no offence had been committed, the BBC reported. Reuters added that Sandline's lawyers believed the company had Foreign Office permission to supply the arms despite the UN arms embargo in force since 1997.

Sierra Leonean reaction

Meanwhile, the spokesman of Sierra Leone President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, Septimus Kaikai, on Sunday denied Kabbah's alleged involvement in the illegal weapon purchase, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported. But Information Minister Julius Spencer said the British people should be proud of its government because it did something that changed the "course of history for the better", Reuters said on Thursday.

ECOMOG chiefs recommend continued presence

Chiefs of Staff of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meeting in Accra earlier this week recommended that its peacekeeping force, ECOMOG, continue in Sierra Leone until the country has been pacified, PANA reported on Thursday. The meeting also recommended that member countries pledging additional forces send them immediately.

ECOMOG Force Commander Major General Timothy Shelpidi told IRIN that ECOMOG needed an additional 6,000 troops and logistical support for the demobilisation process in Sierra Leone. He said without international financing the deployment of troops would definitely be hindered since some countries would be unable to send troops. He stressed how important this assistance was to the success of the demobilisation programme. Shelpidi said 90 percent of the 10,000 ECOMOG troops were currently deployed in Sierra Leone and the rest in Liberia. The troops were drawn from Guinea and Ghana, but primarily from Nigeria and the bulk of the operational costs were sustained by Nigeria.

UN military observers in Freetown

Meanwhile, the UN chief military observer, S.C. Joshi of India, and nine other observers arrived in Freetown last weekend, AFP reported. The observers will be deployed in Bo, Kenema, Makeni, Koidu and Lungi to monitor ECOMOG operations. Joshi will be based in Freetown.

Treason trial amid tight security

Twenty people charged with treason for involvement with the ousted military regime appeared in high court in Freetown on Wednesday, AFP reported. The defendants included Brigadier Leslie Lymon, former minister of internal affairs under the military regime.

Poor response to UN appeal

The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva told IRIN that only US$ 1.06 million had been received out of the requested US$ 11.2 million for the three-month consolidated appeal as of 22 April. OCHA said a new consolidated appeal for Sierra Leone was expected to be launched covering the period June to December 1998.

Ban on new mining permits

The Sierra Leone government on Wednesday banned the issuing of new gold and diamond mining permits, Minister of Mineral Resources Mohamed Deen said on Wednesday, news organisations reported. No more licences would be issued until ECOMOG gives clearance, he said.

NIGERIA: Police and protestors clash in southwest

Seven people were killed in clashes on May Day between police and pro-democracy protestors in the southwestern city of Ibadan, news organisations reported. Some 47 vehicles and several buildings were set on fire during the clashes. Some were homes of supporters of Nigerian leader General Sani Abacha. Twenty activists of the United Action for Democracy (UAD), an umbrella group of 26 opposition and human rights groups, were arrested.

The UAD called May Day demonstrations in several urban centres to protest against military rule and what they called the "sham" national assembly elections on Saturday, 25 April. In Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, opposition activists distributed leaflets, but people appeared to have ignored the protest call. The BBC reported a heavy police presence in the city. AFP reported that peaceful rallies by workers were staged in the southeast, east and centre of Nigeria. According to AFP, police dispersed around 2,000 workers gathered in the stadium in Kano, 700 km north of Lagos.

Government accuses Western countries of subversion

Nigerian Foreign Minister Tom Ikimi on Thursday accused Western countries of backing the May Day protest in Ibadan, news sources reported. Speaking at a diplomatic function in the federal capital, Abuja, Ikimi said the Nigerian government had enough evidence that violent acts in Ibadan were being "funded and financed by Western powers", Nigerian television reported.

In a related development, the Nigerian government last Friday announced it had been alerted of plans to bomb public installations, AFP reported, quoting Nigerian state radio.

Opposition members arrested

Two prominent members of the opposition coalition National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Bola Ige and Ayo Opadokun, were arrested during the week, news sources reported. It is not clear whether Ige's arrest was linked to Friday's clashes in Ibadan. Opadokun was arrested in his Lagos law chambers on Tuesday by security men.

Meanwhile, a human rights activist with the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Olusegun Maiyegun, was arrested on Monday near his Lagos office by four plain-clothes security men.

EU brands democracy transition "failure"

The president of the European Union (EU) on Tuesday said the "so-called transition" to democracy in Nigeria was already a "failure", AFP reported, quoting an EU statement. The EU, currently chaired by Britain, complained about the Nigerian government's failure to publish results from local government and state assembly elections in March and December 1997. It voiced concern over the "arbitrary disqualification" of candidates in the legislative elections and the non-publication of the draft constitution. Low voter turnout confirmed that Nigerians themselves had no confidence in the process, the statement added. According to AFP, western officials estimated voter turnout at five percent.

Muslim leader's trial postponed

The trial of the radical Muslim leader, Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zak Zaki, in the northern Nigerian town of Kaduna was adjourned for several weeks, according to the BBC. The Sheikh presented his defence against charges of inciting anti-government feeling and of producing seditious documents. Zak Zaki's imprisonment for almost a year before coming to trial has stirred up anti-government feeling. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the wife of Zak Zaki was charged in a Kaduna court, together with 28 other defendants, with inciting disaffection against the government and unlawful assembly. The High Court adjourned the case to next Tuesday.

Government confirms release of 142 detainees

The Nigerian government on Wednesday announced the names of 142 prisoners and detainees freed in an amnesty granted by Nigerian leader General Sani Abacha, Nigerian state-run television reported. The prisoners were released in line with Abacha's promise last November to free those that did not pose a security threat. Interior Minister Bashir Dalhatu said the government was determined to continuously "appraise the circumstances" of all those incarcerated.

LIBERIA: Unrest quelled

There was sporadic shooting around the Defence Ministry in Monrovia on Tuesday when a demonstration by 2,000 retired soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) pressing for payment of their retirement benefits turned violent, news sources said. Ministry of Defence offices were looted. Warning shots fired by government security men dispersed the crowd. One man was shot in the leg. A man was found dead with gunshot wounds on Wednesday. ECOMOG sent in tanks and troops to cordon off the area. Star Radio reported that ECOMOG warned it would take appropriate action against any group which attempted to cause trouble.

Representatives of the defence ministry and retired soldiers were expected to meet on Wednesday to find a solution to the retirement benefits dispute, but the meeting was held behind closed doors without the ex-soldiers, according to Star Radio. Meanwhile, PANA quoted Liberian Defence Minister Daniel Chea as saying that US$ 600,000 had been provided for the restructuring of the AFL with half earmarked for retirement and demobilisation benefits.

Taylor denies involvement in Sierra Leone fighting

Liberian President Charles Taylor called for an international investigation into allegations that the Liberian government is involved in fighting in Sierra Leone, Star Radio reported on Thursday. He said the UN, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and ECOWAS should send observers to monitor the situation. This was Taylor's first reaction to ECOMOG's persistent claims that Liberian troops are fighting in Sierra Leone. On Wednesday, the ECOMOG Commander in Sierra Leone, Maxwell Khobe, announced that it had captured more than 100 Liberians fighting alongside the ousted junta in Sierra Leone, according to Monrovia's Star Radio.

In a related development, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Vicki Huddlestone said in Freetown on Monday her government had no evidence to suggest Liberia was involved in fighting in Sierra Leone, according to Star Radio.

WFP protests looting of food

WFP, in a statement on Tuesday, protested against the seizure and subsequent looting in Liberia of three commercial trucks carrying 32 mt of WFP food aid. Looters on Saturday made off with some 13 mt of food near the village of Loyea in Nimba county. The relief supplies were to feed more than 2,000 vulnerable people in the town of Zwedru in northwestern Liberia. WFP said armed men attacked the drivers and looted the food. This was the second such incident in 10 days. Paul Ares, WFP regional manager for coastal West Africa, said he had lodged an official complaint.

UN to assist resettlement of 50,000 displaced Liberians

The UN is assisting the return of about 50,000 displaced Liberians to their home of origin or to resettle in new communities before the onset of the raining season, a UN report said on Wednesday. A UNDP project would give families tools and materials to construct shelters or repair their homes damaged by the war.

CHAD: Mini-summit cancelled

A mini-summit of the Community of Sahel-Saharan states (COMESSA), consisting of Libya, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad, scheduled for last Saturday was cancelled, news organisation reported. The meeting was to coincide with an official three-day visit to Chad by Libyan President Mu'ammar Gadaffi.

Nigerian and Chadian soldiers clash

Heavy fighting broke out last week between Nigerian and Chadian soldiers on their Lake Chad border, news sources reported. In an interview with Radio France Internationale on Sunday, Chadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahamet Saleh Annadif described the clashes on the island of Tetewa as a minor incident and not a border dispute. The matter had been discussed with the Nigerian leader and the incident was closed, Annadif said.

NIGER: Two journalists arrested, radio station closed down

The authorities in Niger on Monday closed down an independent radio station, Afani, shortly after it broadcast a statement protesting against censorship, news organisations reported. Two journalists had been detained earlier: the editor of 'Alternative', who had read out the statement, Moussa Tchangari, and a BBC reporter based in the town of Zinder, Keita Suleiman.

The United States government, in a statement on Wednesday, expressed deep concern on the crackdown on the press and called on the government to release the two journalists and a third, El Hadj Oubandawaki. State Department deputy spokesman James Foley said that these acts "undermined" efforts to bring about national reconciliation. He also called on President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara to resolve Niger's political stalemate.

Meanwhile, opposition protests against Mainassara continued with a protest rally in the city of Zinder last Saturday. A second demonstration planned for Sunday in the capital, Niamey, was banned, AFP said.

Food crisis warning

The president of the friendship group 'France-Niger', French deputy Claude Desbons, warned of an "impending famine" in Niger in a statement co-signed by four French NGOs. The statement said Niger was hit by a serious drought compounded by a chronic food deficit which could lead to famine for three million men, women and children. The four French NGOs which signed the statement are the Croix Rouge francaise, Action contre la Faim (ACF), l'Association Raoul Follereau and Secours Catholique.

However, humanitarian and agricultural sources in Niger told IRIN there was no famine in Niger, though there were pockets of malnutrition and steep price increases for basic staples. They said Niger had had three consecutive years of poor rainfall, which had affected some areas more than others. One source added there had been no in-country donor meeting by the NGOs to discuss the famine claim.

Meanwhile, the government of Japan allocated US$ 7.5 million to buy rice, tools, seeds and other input. Sudan donated 5,000 mt of cereals to Niger.

SENEGAL: Election campaign begins

The campaign for the 24 May legislative elections officially opened on Sunday with 18 parties vying for 140 seats in the national assembly, news agencies reported.

Ten hurt as students and police clash

Ten people, including a policeman, were injured on Tuesday when security forces and students clashed in Saint Louis, Senegal's second largest city, according to news sources. The students were protesting against power cuts at the campus for three days. Meanwhile, a Senegalese government statement formally denied reports that security forces had fired live ammunition to break up the demonstrations, PANA reported on Tuesday.

TOGO: Call for one opposition candidate

Former Togolese prime minister Edem Kodjo on Monday announced he would not be running in presidential elections slated in June, news agencies reported. Reuters quoted Kodjo, leader of the Union togolaise pour la democratie (UTD), as saying the Togolese wanted to choose between one opposition candidate and the incumbent, President Gnassingbe Eyadema of the ruling Rassemblement du peuple togolais (RPT).

Abidjan, Friday 8 May, 15:15 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-weekly]

Subject: IRIN-West Africa Weekly Roundup 47, 98.5.8 Message-Id: <Pine.LNX.3.95.980508151850.7620A-p://www.reliefweb.int/emergenc

Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar

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