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 Central and Eastern Africa

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HORN OF AFRICA
IRIN-HOA Weekly Round-up 42
16 - 22 June 2001


CONTENTS:

SUDAN: UN denies abandoning population of Wau 
SUDAN: "Deep concern" over Bahr al-Ghazal displacement
SUDAN: Largest internally displaced population in the world
SUDAN: US State Department opposes Sudan Peace Act
SUDAN: Oil companies "legitimate targets" 
SUDAN: Army says oilfields "totally secure" 
ERITREA: President says 19,000 killed in border war
ERITREA: New funds target 50,000 displaced
ERITREA: IDPs in "mine-infested zones"
ERITREA: Sacked minister calls for new leadership
ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: "Serious difficulties" remain 
ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: POWs still being held
ETHIOPIA-KENYA: More asylum seekers cross into Kenya
SOMALIA: Kismayo gets new regional administration
SOMALIA: Marehan Ugas leader killed
SOMALIA: TNG announces Islamic courts "nationalised" 
DJIBOUTI: Drought-displaced "extremely vulnerable" 


SUDAN: UN denies abandoning population of Wau

The UN system in Sudan on Thursday rejected accusations that, by
evacuating humanitarian personnel from Wau, capital of Bahr al-Ghazal, in
the face of an ongoing military offensive on the government-held town, it
had failed to assist the town's war-affected population. "The decision to
relocate humanitarian personnel from Wau was taken based on security
considerations, following an SPLA offensive in Bahr al-Ghazal," OCHA
stated in a press release. Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir was on
Tuesday quoted by the official SUNA news agency as saying that "evacuation
by foreign relief organisations of their employees from the town was an
action intended to support the rebellion movement and its psychological
war."

Most of the UN staff that left Wau did not return to the Sudanese capital,
Khartoum, but were sent to Ed Daein [Al-Duwaym; 14.00 N 32.19 E] to assist
an estimated 30,000 displaced people arriving there, according to the OCHA
statement on Thursday. WFP spokeswoman Brenda Barton told IRIN that,
following a security assessment, 24 national and international UN staff
had left the town in a two-phase evacuation process ending on 14 June.
There were still some UN staff in the town, and that the WFP office was
still functioning, ensuring that feeding centres were still open, she
added. The UN would make every effort to return to Wau as soon as
conditions permitted, in order to continue with essential humanitarian
work, it said. "While remaining highly committed to the provision of
humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable population of the Sudan -
guided by the fundamental humanitarian principles of neutrality,
impartiality, accountability and transparency - the UN reaffirms its
fundamental responsibility for looking after the security of its staff,"
OCHA added.

SUDAN: "Deep concern" over Bahr al-Ghazal displacement

The UN said on Thursday it was stepping up efforts to assist the thousands
of civilians fleeing fighting in Western Bahr al-Ghazal after a recent
offensive by the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). The UN Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it was "deeply
concerned" about massive displacement of the civilian population, and was
mobilising resources to assist displaced people arriving in the South
Darfur region from several directions. The UN had positioned relief
supplies in Ed Daein [Al-Duwaym; 14.00 N 32.19 E], and WFP was
distributing food to the affected population, OCHA reported. Humanitarian
agencies were currently mobilising funds to provide transportation for
thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) moving out of the
war-affected regions, it said.

As the humanitarian situation continued to deteriorate, the UN was
intensifying its efforts to contain the crisis and prevent loss of lives.
the press release stated. An emergency response team in the capital,
Khartoum, was supporting the work of the Local Relief Committee (LRC) in
Ed Daein [Al-Duwaym], and a high-level delegation comprising
representatives from the government and the UN had visited the area to
witness and assess the response to the crisis. The government was already
providing assistance mainly through food distributions and transport
arrangements, OCHA stated.

SUDAN: Largest internally displaced population in the world

By the end of 2000, Sudan accounted for more of the world's refugees and
internally displaced people (IDPs) than any other African country,
according to a new report by the US Committee for Refugees (USCR). In its
"World Refugee Survey 2001", USCR said that by the end of 2000, 460,000
Sudanese were living as refugees in neighbouring countries, with a further
four million seeking sanctuary within Sudan as IDPs - the largest
internally displaced population in the world. Sudan accounted for more
than one third of all refugees and IDPs in Africa, the report said. "Sudan
stands at the heart of human misery in Africa. There is no place worse,"
said Jeff Dumatra, Africa policy analyst at USCR.

More than 100,000 Sudanese people were newly displaced during 2000,
including 30,000 who fled to neighbouring countries. According to the
report, the rise in refugee numbers was caused predominantly by conflict
in five regions of the war-torn country: Bahr al-Ghazal, the Sudan-Eritrea
border, Eastern Equatoria State, the Nubah Mountains, and Upper Nile
State. Some of the worst deterioration in humanitarian conditions occurred
near the oilfields in Upper Nile State, where an estimated 50,000 people
had been displaced during the year. Worsening violence among
pro-government factions and between pro-Khartoum and rebel forces had
created large new population upheavals in the state, where Sudanese
government restrictions were preventing regular deliveries of relief
supplies, USCR said. The report added that Sudan was also hosting 385,000
refugees from neighbouring countries, including 350,000 from Eritrea.

SUDAN: US State Department opposes Sudan Peace Act

The US State Department has opposed a provision in the Sudan Peace Act
regarding the activities of companies operating in the war-torn country,
AFP reported on 14 June. The Act, passed with overwhelming support by the
House of Representatives on Wednesday but awaiting presidential approval,
seeks to prohibit companies from trading shares in the US unless they
fully disclose the nature of their business in Sudan. US State Department
Spokesman Philip Reeker said the State Department shared the concerns of
the House of Representatives on the potential association of US-listed
companies and oil-associated human rights abuses in Sudan, but thought the
restriction on trading would interfere with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, which regulates US stock markets. "Some of those disclosure
requirements would undermine the independence and prerogative of the
Securities and Exchange Commission to determine the nature and definition
of information that is material to the investors," AFP quoted Reeker as
saying.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese government condemned the bill as negative and
called it a "deviation" from other peace efforts made by the international
community. The official Sudanese news agency, SUNA, quoted a foreign
ministry spokesman as saying that the US legislation "contains negative
signs and does not help the peaceful efforts pursued by the Sudanese
government for reaching a negotiated peaceful settlement".

SUDAN: Oil companies "legitimate targets"

The leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), John
Garang, has described foreign oil companies operating in southern Sudan as
"legitimate targets" in the war against the Khartoum government, news
agencies report. Speaking to the Arabic newspaper 'Al-Hayat' on 17 June,
Garang claimed that the oil companies drilling in the war-torn south of
the country were threatening the security of the people there, and were
therefore liable to attack.

Garang was quoted by the BBC as saying the companies were threatening the
SPLM/A by continuing to drill for oil in the south. "We consider them
mercenaries working for the Islamist regime," he said. Garang added that
the SPLM/A would hold the Sudanese government responsible for the losses
suffered by workers and companies operating in the oilfields. "We will
pursue our resistance, and we consider them as legitimate targets," Garang
told 'Al-Hayat'.

SUDAN: Army says oilfields "totally secure"

The armed forces of the Khartoum government have dismissed claims by the
SPLA) that it is besieging the key garrison town of Wau. Army spokesman
Muhammad Bashir Sulayman was quoted by Sudanese newspaper 'Al-Ra'y al-Amm'
as saying that claims by the SPLA that it was approaching Wau were nothing
more than part of a "psychological warfare game it habitually practised".
Muhammad was quoted as saying that Wau was "completely safe" and that life
in the town was normal. He added that the oil regions were "totally
secure" and that the armed forces were "ready for any eventuality".

SPLM/A spokesman Samson Kwaje had told AFP on Friday that rebel forces had
surrounded Wau and agreed to requests by aid workers to evacuate the town.  
He said that the SPLA had agreed to allow staff of the United Nations,
NGOs and the International Committee of the Red Cross to pull out.  
"Nothing is coming in. We have closed the town," he was quoted as saying.

ERITREA: President says 19,000 killed in border war

President Isayas Afewerki has announced that 19,000 Eritrean soldiers were
killed during the 1998-2000 border conflict with Ethiopia, before it ended
last May. The announcement was made at a ceremony to mark Eritrean
Martyrs' Day, which commemorates soldiers lost during the war of
independence and the recent border war. A BBC correspondent in Asmara said
the impact on Eritrean society of the recent war had been enormous "not
least because every Eritrean family has someone in the armed forces".  
Although the number of wounded was not announced, it is thought to be very
high, the BBC said on Wednesday. The Eritrean population is estimated at
about 3 million, compared to more than 60 million in neighbouring
Ethiopia.

In reaction to the announcement, Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesman
Yemane Kidane told the BBC he believed the Eritrean figure to be
ridiculously low - but declined to give any official figures for Ethiopian
casualties, saying few governments would give out such details.

ERITREA: New funds target 50,000 displaced

The European Commission (EC) has allocated 7 million euros (nearly US $6
million) to provide humanitarian aid for Eritrean victims of the border
war between Eritrea and Ethiopia, a press release said on Tuesday. The EU
said that even though the conflict had ended in May 2000, "the
consequences can still be felt in different parts of the country". In
March 2001, humanitarian agencies estimated the total number of displaced
Eritreans at 300,000. Although many had since returned to their places of
origin, some 50,000 of the displaced remained in camps. The EC
Humanitarian Office (ECHO) said the funds would mainly support programmes
in non-food sectors, including health, water and nutrition. Support would
also be given to protection activities, food supply in the Temporary
Security Zone (TSZ), coordination mechanisms, and in assistance to
returnees from Sudan, the press release said. "ECHO will contribute funds
to the mine-awareness campaign and for the identification of minefields."  
It said funds would also be allocated to assist the drought- and
war-affected populations in Anseba, Debub and Gash Barka by establishing
nutritional monitoring systems and to "provide a quick response in case
the situation should deteriorate".

ERITREA: IDPs in "mine-infested zones"

There have been reports of some Eritrean IDPs making their way back into
mine-infested zones on the Eritrean-Ethiopian border, despite the efforts
of international humanitarian organisations to keep returnees away for
contaminated areas, the WFP said. In its June emergency report, WFP said
there had been a number of spontaneous returns of IDPs despite the fact
"UNHCR and ERREC [Eritrean Relief and Refugee Commission] are not allowing
organised movements of refugees to any areas suspected of mine/UXO
[unexploded ordnance] contamination, and for the time being no refugees
are being returned to any part of the TSZ". The report said the general
security situation within the TSZ remained calm and demining activities
continue. "WFP is very concerned about spontaneous returns to unsafe areas
and fully supports the efforts of UNHCR and ERREC in this regard."

ERITREA: Sacked minister calls for new leadership

The former minister of fisheries, Petros Solomon, who was sacked last week
for criticising President Isayas Afewerki, has called for a new generation
to lead Eritrea, AFP said on 17 June. Eritrea needed a "more flexible
leadership that will be more tolerant of opinions from different political
organisations, which will be more responsive to the demands of the
people," AFP quoted Solomon as saying. Solomon was among 15 senior members
of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) who signed a letter
critical of the president, accusing him of working in an "unconstitutional
manner", said AFP.

Solomon, who is a senior member of the PFDJ, described it as "a front, not
a political party. It is a fighting, secretive, and rigid organisation."  
He added that he would serve out his term as a member of the central
committee, but would not run for office when it ends in December. Solomon
said the current leaders had been in their positions for "many, many years
now", adding that "the country needs new input. It is time for a new
generation to take over," AFP said.

ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: "Serious difficulties" remain

The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has said that although
some progress had been made in relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea,
serious difficulties remained, according to a 20 June UN report. "The
establishment of the Temporary Security Zone is an encouraging
development, which, despite the disagreements between the parties, marks a
milestone in the implementation of the Agreement on the Cessation of
Hostilities," the report said. The secretary-general called on the two
parties "to resolve the outstanding issues, in particular those pertaining
to the TSZ, so as to ensure that it is clearly defined and effectively
demilitarised".

In a letter to Eritrea's president, Isayas Afewerki, on 1 June, Annan drew
attention to the deployment by Eritrea of "an excessive number of militia
and police" in the TSZ. Annan also noted that the status-of-forces
agreement for UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea had not been signed, the
report said. In a separate letter on the same day to Ethiopian Prime
Minister Meles Zenawi, the secretary-general expressed concern over "the
continued presence of Ethiopian troops in parts of the eastern sector" of
the TSZ. Annan said it was regrettable that, despite his appeals, there
had been no progress regarding the establishment of a direct high-altitude
flight route between Asmara and Addis Ababa for UN planes.

ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: POWs still being held

Some 400 prisoners-of-war (POWs) remain in Eritrea and some 1,300 in
Ethiopia, despite requirements of international humanitarian law and the
commitments made by both governments to release and repatriate all POWs
without delay. A progress report by the UN Secretary-General on Ethiopia
and Eritrea dated 19 June said that since the last report of 7 March,
Ethiopia had released and repatriated, with the assistance of the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), 242 Eritrean POWs, and
that Eritrea had released and repatriated one Ethiopian POW - on health
grounds. During that period, ICRC had also assisted in the voluntary
repatriation of 9,822 Ethiopians from Eritrea. The UN report said this
included a small number of less than 60 civilian internees, and many
others who had recently been detained by the Eritrean authorities for
holding expired residence permits. Since December 2000, a total of 14,179
civilians had returned to Ethiopia. On 1 June, a group of 285 Eritreans,
who had been living in the Tigray area of Ethiopia, were repatriated to
Eritrea with ICRC assistance, the report said.

ETHIOPIA-KENYA: More asylum seekers cross into Kenya

Twelve more Ethiopians have crossed into Kenya seeking political asylum,
the Kenyan 'Daily Nation' reported on Thursday. A colonel and two majors
crossed the border on Wednesday morning, while nine soldiers crossed over
on Wednesday night, the paper said. All the new arrivals are being held at
the Moyale police station in northern Kenya. There is tension in the town
due to fear that the Ethiopian forces may invade the town in search of the
deserters, the 'Daily Nation' said. The paper quotes a military source who
said that efforts were being made to transfer the asylum seekers to a
safer location. Some 103 university students also accompanied the soldiers
in the latest crossing, the paper said.

Defections by asylum seekers began after student protests and riots in
Addis Ababa in April, and the assassination last month of the Ethiopian
head of national security, Kinfe Gebremedhin.

SOMALIA: Kismayo gets new regional administration

The formation of a regional administration has been announced in the port
city of Kismayo, 500 km south of Mogadishu. The new administration, which
was announced on Monday, consists of an 11-member council, each member
from one of the region's 11 "major sub-clans", a source in Kismayo told
IRIN.

The talks which led to the establishment of the Kismayo administration
were organised by the Juba Valley Alliance (JVA), which forcibly expelled
the forces of General Muhammad Sa'id Hirsi Morgan from Kismayo in 1999.  
The JVA is a grouping of Marehan, Ogadeni and Habar Gedir clans. The talks
brought together 84 delegates from all the clans of the area, and had been
in progress for "the last month and half", Abdinadif Hashi, a Kismayo
businessman, said. "We had decided that we could not go on the way we were
going," Hashi, who was involved in the talks, told IRIN. Muhammad Dahir
Ilmi, a Marehan, was appointed the new Kismayo district commissioner, and
Colonel Ali Ilmi Moge, an Ogadeni, the new police chief, Hashi said. "The
new administration is part and parcel of the TNG," he said, adding that
the TNG had known about the talks and welcomed the outcome. A TNG
delegation was present in Kismayo when the new administration was
announced on Monday, Hashi said.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for General Morgan warned 'Yool', a local paper
based in Bosaso, the commercial capital of the self-declared autonomous
region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia, that the formation of the new
administration would lead to further bloodshed in Kismayo, Bile Mahmud
Qabowsade, the editor of 'Yool', told IRIN. Bile quoted Morgan's
spokesman, Abbas Farah Mahmud Kilwa, as saying that the TNG would bear the
responsibility for any consequences of the new administration. General
Morgan's Majerten clan is the main clan in Puntland, and - like the
Marehan and Ogadeni - comes from the Darod grouping.

SOMALIA: Marehan Ugas leader killed

The Ugas (the highest traditional leader) of the Marehan, Ugas Siraj Ugas
Farah Ugas Abdille, was killed on Monday evening by a lone gunman, sources
in Abudwaq town, Galgadud Region, central Somalia, told IRIN. "The Ugas
and a man who was with him were shot dead as they walked out of the
maghrib prayers," Abdidahir Warsame said. The killer, who was identified
only as Agey, also belonged to the Marehan clan, and his motives were
unknown, Warsame said. The culprit and his brother were now in custody and
awaiting a decision from elders, he added.

Clan elders have been constantly meeting since Monday night to try and
calm the situation. The incident could create an all-out Marehan war, and,
if not rapidly contained, "will have repercussions in Kismayo and Gedo
regions", where there was a large Marehan presence, he said. Somali
political sources told IRIN that it was "highly unusual" for an Ugas to be
killed by members of his own clan, and revenge killings within the clan
were likely to follow, targeting the most important clan and sub-clan
figures.

SOMALIA: TNG announces Islamic courts "nationalised"

The TNG says it has "nationalised" the Mogadishu Islamic courts. The TNG
director of information, Abdirahman Dinari, told IRIN that the
announcement had been made by interim President Abdiqassim Salad Hassan on
Tuesday while presiding over the incorporation of some judges from the
Islamic courts into the regular judiciary. The TNG said it had set up its
justice ministry in an attempt to restart the judicial system and tackle
issues of law and order.

Shaykh Hasan Muhammad, the former chairman of the Mogadishu Islamic
courts, told IRIN that the dual function of the Islamic courts had been
reallocated, with their policing role placed under the Ministry of
Interior, and the hearing of cases and issuing of decrees under the
Ministry of Justice. [For more details, see IRIN separate: "SOMALIA:
Dealing with the Islamic Courts"]

DJIBOUTI: Drought-displaced "extremely vulnerable"

The effects of prolonged regional drought have hit pastoralist communities
in Djibouti hard, and have resulted in drought-displaced populations
congregating in areas with little infrastructure, health, water and
shelter. Humanitarian sources told IRIN that, following last year's
three-year regional drought crisis, there was still concern that some
pastoral and displaced populations were extremely vulnerable to
malnutrition and disease because of poor livestock conditions and water
supplies. Pastoral populations in Yoboki, Dorra, Obock and Ailala Dadda
would continue to require assistance until sufficient rains fell to secure
livestock production, the source said. Pastoralists needed to maintain
present herd sizes and should be protected from selling their animals to
purchase food, humanitarian agencies have recommended.

Urban areas had generally coped better with the drought because of greater
diversification of livelihoods and access to more developed
infrastructure. However, agencies noted that Djibouti nomads, especially
women and children, had migrated to Djibouti Ville and other urban areas
in search of alternative work or assistance from family or aid agencies,
failing which they were resorting to begging. Impoverished and displaced
families in Djibouti Ville risked high rates of malnutrition and
associated diseases. Increased risk was attributed to increased numbers in
slums already characterised by poor hygiene and sanitation, and also the
reduced ability of family and community members to share increasingly
scarce resources, humanitarian sources said.
 
Nairobi, 22 June 2001


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