ICRC News 35 / 10.09.97

ICRC News 35 / 10.09.97


** SHORT MENU....

COMOROS: AID  FOR  VICTIMS  OF  VIOLENCE:
Following last week's clashes on the island of Anjouan in the Comoros 
archipelago, an ICRC delegate travelled there with members of the Comoran 
Red Crescent to deliver urgently needed medical supplies, tents and 
cooking sets, and to make an on-the-spot assessment of the population's 
needs.

SRI LANKA: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:
Last week the ICRC acted as a neutral intermediary in the return of a 
North Korean merchant vessel, the Morang Bong, which had been seized by 
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in early July and 
subsequently ran aground off the north-east coast of Sri Lanka.


** STORIES IN FULL...

COMOROS
AID  FOR  VICTIMS  OF  VIOLENCE

Following last week's clashes on the island of Anjouan in the Comoros 
archipelago, an ICRC delegate travelled there with members of the Comoran 
Red Crescent to deliver urgently needed medical supplies, tents and 
cooking sets, and to make an on-the-spot assessment of the population's 
needs. The ICRC has also contacted the local authorities with a view to 
gaining access to all government soldiers (reportedly over 80) taken 
prisoner during the unrest, and visiting them in accordance with the 
organization's customary working procedures.

Since the fighting on Anjouan broke out a week ago, 50 Red Crescent 
volunteers have been giving first aid to the wounded and attempting to 
locate people reported missing. The local Red Crescent is also using its 
radio communication network to pass family messages between the main 
island, Grande Comore, and the secessionist islands of Anjouan and 
Moheli, thus reassuring family members and helping them to restore 
contact with their relatives.

According to the latest figures, at least 40 people were killed and 25 
injured in the clashes.

Further information:  Jo Fox, ICRC Pretoria, tel.: ++ 2712 437 335
Michael Kleiner, ICRC Geneva, tel.: ++ 4122 730 2281


SRI LANKA
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Last week the ICRC acted as a neutral intermediary in the return of a North
Korean merchant vessel, the Morang Bong, which had been seized by the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in early July and subsequently ran
aground off the north-east coast of Sri Lanka. The ship, under ICRC escort,
was towed by a neutral tugboat to Trincomalee harbour on 2 September. 

Following the seizure of the morang bong and the capture of its crew, the
ICRC was asked to facilitate the dialogue between the ship's owners and the
LTTE. On 10 July the body of a sailor who had died during the LTTE attack was
handed over to the ICRC and taken to Colombo, and two days later the
remaining 37 crew members were released and repatriated under ICRC
supervision. The ICRC also forwarded the crew's appeal to the ltte to return
their ship, as it was their sole means of livelihood. In response, on 14
August the ltte decided to release the vessel under the auspices of the ICRC,
indicating that it was doing so "on humanitarian grounds". 

The ICRC has been working in Sri Lanka's conflict areas since 1989; its
traditional humanitarian activities include protecting detainees, restoring
contact between separated family members, providing assistance to the
civilian population, disseminating rules for behaviour in combat, and acting
as a neutral intermediary whenever required. 

Further information: Joerg Stoecklin, ICRC Geneva, tel.: ++ 41 22 730 29 06
Harasha Gunawardene, ICRC Colombo, tel.: ++ 941 503 346