Guinea-Bissau - OCHA: 22-Oct-98
Guinea-Bissau - OCHA: 22-Oct-98
Humanitarian Situation Report
GUINEA-BISSAU
Period covered: 22 October 1998
POLITICO-MILITARY SITUATION
President Vieira declared, yesterday, on the State radio, a unilateral
cease-fire.
President Diouf of Senegal stated, in Paris, that the Senegalese army will
stay in Bissau to protect President Vieira.
Vieira's unilateral declaration did not stop the fighting until late today.
The shooting that continued overnight and this morning was the heaviest since
the hostilities started on 7 June 1998. The military junta is said to control
70 to 80 percent of the city. They are operating on three fronts: (1) the
north zone near Bra military base, which was the centre of hostilities until
20 October 1998, (2) a north east front near marshland, and, (3) a west front
where the junta cut the only free road available to leave Bissau. Government
and Senegalese armies are around the Presidential Palace to protect the
President.
The Military junta took control of Gabu late afternoon today (22 October).
The Guinea Conakry troops retreated to their country.
ECOWAS Secretary General announced the deployment of an Envoy to Bissau, to
negotiate a cease-fire.
HUMANITARIAN IMPACT
In Bissau, 30 UN local staff and dependants were stranded in the middle of
the shooting in a position that makes their evacuation rather risky.
Communications have been made with the Portuguese embassy in Dakar to
evaluate the possibility of taking them to Bubaque, in case they proceed with
the evacuation of Portuguese citizens.
In Bafata, the situation is calm and the WFP warehouse is under the military
junta's protection. The UN Agencies are closely monitoring the security
situation in Gabu, to evaluate the time and conditions of return of the WFP
team, that is on stand-by in Tambacunda (Senegal), to Bafata. Four UNICEF
local staff (three drivers and one national officer) returned to Bafata from
Gabu this afternoon. Humanitarian assistance in health and water supply will
resume immediately. Three MSF staff also returned to Bafata after they spent
the night in Gabu.
A meeting is planned with the UNDP Resident Representative for Senegal to
prepare a meeting with the Minister of Interior and General Brigadier of the
Senegalese arm forces to review the policy on access to Guinea Bissau in the
light of the latest development.
The Deployment of UN staff is being considered for Cacheu. This option will
be shared with the military junta high command as well as with the Minister
of Health in Bissau and the Senegalese authorities in Dakar (especially
concerning the possibility to use the airstrip in Cacheu).
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
A contract was signed with a shipping company to deliver food to Cacheu,
Bubaque and Bulama (see previous report no. 13 on details of quantity).
Measures are being considered to access the 300 MTs of food recently
purchased by WFP in Bissau in order to get ready for food distribution as
soon as security conditions permit.
The 1999 CAP preparation is affected by the current crisis in
Guinea-Bissau. The timetable will need further review tomorrow.
A 1-day WFP led UN/NGO mission was completed this afternoon in Bubaque
(Bijagos Archipelagos). The primary objectives of the mission were to (1)
consider logistical details on-the-ground for prepositioning of food in
Bubaque (see last two reports), (2) follow-up with Government concerning
previous WFP food distributions undertaken July-Sept 98. The status of
healthcare capacity in Bubaque was also reviewed. Initial findings suggest
that the IDP problem is not severe, and that no malnutrition was reported.
Tomorrow, WFP and Caritas will finalise an in-house technical plan for food
prepositioning. By COB tomorrow, UNOCHA hopes to transmit a brief mission
report summarising overall findings.
This report is available on the internet through RELIEFWEB:
http://www.reliefweb.int
Complex Emergency Response / Consolidated Appeal Process
(CER/CAP) - Geneva
Mr. Ernest Chipman - Chief
Mr. Thierry Delbreuve
Tel.: (41 22) 788.7019
Fax: (41 22) 788.6386
Registry E-Mail: Annette.Choquet@dha.unicc.org
Complex Emergencies Division (CED) - New York
Mr. Yvon Madore
Tel.: (1 212) 963.1627
Fax: (1 212) 963.1388
E-Mail : madore@un.org
Information Service
Ms. Therese Gastaut - Director
Tel.: (41 22) 917.2300
Fax: (41 22) 917.0030
E-Mail: tgastaut@unog.ch
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