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

Tel: +254 2 622147
Fax: +254 2 622129
e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org


HORN OF AFRICA
IRIN-HOA Weekly Round-up 109
05 - 11 October 2002


CONTENTS:

SUDAN: Government claims recapture of Torit
SUDAN: Peace talks to resume
SUDAN: Khartoum, rebels ready for cessation of hostilities
SUDAN: Khartoum says committed to aid access - UN
SUDAN: Khartoum reacts angrily to US bill
SUDAN-ERITREA: Relations "strained", Sudan says
ERITREA: Isayas calls for regional summit on Sudan
ERITREA: International team to assess drought situation
ERITREA: Nigerian president visiting
ETHIOPIA: Premier vows to fight terrorism
ETHIOPIA: Princess Anne ends visit, deplores lack of health care
ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: UN peacekeepers in confrontations with armed Ethiopians
ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: New UNMEE commander appointed
SOMALIA: Invitations to peace talks go out
SOMALIA: Baidoa calm after spate of looting

ALSO SEE:

ETHIOPIA: Feature - the human cost of the drought at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30293

ETHIOPIA: Interview with USAID official Lauren Landis at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30340

SUDAN: Government claims recapture of Torit

The Sudanese government on Tuesday claimed to have seized the key southern
town of Torit, five weeks after its capture by rebels prompted the
government to suspend peace talks. Muhammad Ahmad Dirdeiry, charge
d'affaires at the Sudanese embassy in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, told
IRIN that government troops had taken control of the town on Tuesday
morning. Khartoum had decided to retake Torit, Eastern Equatoria, to quell
rumours that the government was "unable to control the situation on the
south, and had its back against the wall", he said. Government negotiators
pulled out of peace talks in Machakos, Kenya on 2 September, saying the
rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) had spoiled the
atmosphere of talks by attacking and capturing Torit the previous day.
[Full report at: http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30295]

SUDAN: Peace talks to resume

The Sudanese government and southern rebels have agreed to a cessation of
hostilities and the resumption of stalled peace talks, according to the
regional grouping sponsoring the talks. The Inter-Governmental Authority
on Development (IGAD) said in a statement on 4 October that both the
SPLM/A and representatives of Khartoum had agreed to sign a memorandum of
understanding prior to a resumption of negotiations scheduled for Monday
14 October. "In order to create a conducive atmosphere for the talks, both
parties have agreed to cease hostilities in all areas and ensure military
stand-down of all forces," the IGAD statement said. [Full report at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30266]

SUDAN: Khartoum, rebels ready for cessation of hostilities

The Khartoum government has said it will only resume negotiations with
rebels if they agree to a temporary cessation of hostilities. "We will not
sit down with them to negotiate if they haven't signed before or on the
14th," Muhammad Ahmad Dirdeiry, charge d'affaires at the Sudanese embassy
in Nairobi, told IRIN on Thursday. "We are ready to sign and have made
that very clear." Spokesman for the SPLM/A Samson Kwaje told IRIN they
would sign an agreement on the 14th, once they had seen the prepared text.
"As long as it doesn't involve a comprehensive ceasefire, which will be
negotiated when the talks have resumed, we will agree to a cessation of
hostilities during the talks," he said. [Full report at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30341]

SUDAN: Khartoum says committed to aid access - UN

The Sudanese government has said it is committed to the humanitarian needs
of conflict-affected populations, despite the continued denial of
humanitarian access to hundreds of thousands of people in the south of the
country. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Kenzo Oshima told journalists in
Nairobi, on 4 October that in meetings with Sudanese First Vice-President
Ali Uthman Muhammad Taha and Foreign Minister Mustafa Uthman Isma'il, the
government had expressed its continued commitment to the UN-led Operation
Lifeline Sudan. Taha had instructed the competent Sudanese government
authorities to review the issue of humanitarian access, and in particular
the imposition of a 10-day ban on the airspace over Eastern and Western
Equatoria in the far south of the country, Oshima said. Oshima also met
senior representatives of the SPLM/A in Nairobi. [Full report at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30244]

SUDAN: Khartoum reacts angrily to US bill

The Khartoum government has reacted angrily to a US bill, passed by the
House of Representatives on 7 October, which condemns the country's human
rights record and calls on US President George Bush to deny Sudan access
to oil revenues if, after six months, it is deemed not to be negotiating
in good faith at resumed peace talks. A statement issued by the Sudanese
embassy in Washington described the "Sudan Peace Act" as a "hostile,
biased and religiously motivated bill" which would prolong the war and the
suffering in Sudan. A section of the Sudan Peace Act calls upon the US
Secretary of State to "collect information about incidents which may
constitute crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and other
violations of international humanitarian law by all parties to the
conflict in Sudan, including slavery, rape and aerial bombardment of
civilian targets". [Full report at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30348]

SUDAN-ERITREA: Relations "strained", Sudan says

Sudan has described relations with Eritrea as strained, after Khartoum
closed the common border following an attack in the east last week by
forces of the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) movement. The
Sudanese government has accused Eritrea of involvement in the attack,
charges which Asmara has vigorously denied. The Eritrea-based NDA - of
which the SPLM/A is the main component - confirmed it had captured the
religiously significant town of Hamashkoreb in Kassala State. Sudan's
charge d'affaires in Kenya, Muhammad Ahmad Dirdeiry, told IRIN on Tuesday
the border had been closed, but that diplomatic relations with Eritrea,
"although strained", would be maintained during the period of the border
closure. [Full report at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30297]

ERITREA: Isayas calls for regional summit on Sudan

Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki has called for an urgent regional
summit to discuss "current problems" in Sudan, according to Eritrean
radio. In a letter to Libyan leader Col Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi - who is
chairman of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States - Isayas warned that the
Sudanese peace process, as well as security and stability in the region,
were threatened. Sudan has accused Eritrea of involvement in attacks in
eastern Sudan last week by the Asmara-based NDA in which Sudanese forces
lost control of the religiously significant town of Hamashkoreb in Kassala
State. Khartoum has since closed the border with Eritrea. The SPLM/A is a
major component of the NDA. [Full report at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30311]

ERITREA: International team to assess drought situation

A senior UN humanitarian official, who arrived in Eritrea this week, was
due to meet President Isayas Afewerki on Thursday to discuss the drought
situation in the country. Kenzo Oshima, the UN Under-Secretary-General for
Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, arrived in the
capital, Asmara, on Tuesday along with representatives of the UN, US and
EC. The international team is due to assess the situation and make
recommendations on the implementation of an emergency food programme. An
estimated 1.4 million Eritreans - more than a third of the country's
population - are facing severe food shortages due to the prevailing
drought. "This is the worst crop devastation I’ve seen on the entire
continent," said Lauren Landis, director of Food for Peace, a subsidiary
of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). "But I think
famine can be avoided, because we’ve had an early warning here - well
before when the last harvesting of crops would have occurred in Dec!
ember." [Full report at:
http://www..irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30339]

ERITREA: Nigerian president visiting

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo arrived in Asmara on Monday for two
days of high-level talks aimed at enhancing economic cooperation and trade
between the two nations. He was due to meet President Isayas Afewerki to
discuss possibilities of increased bilateral cooperation, as well as ways
to foster closer economic ties between the two African nations. A number
of Nigerian and Eritrean ministers will also meet to discuss macroeconomic
policy, transport, communications, and international trade. Eritrea and
Nigeria first established diplomatic ties in 1998. The two countries
raised their relations to ambassadorial level in 2000. Last March, a
delegation of five Nigerian parliamentary members visited Eritrea to hold
exploratory talks with Eritrean government officials on ways of promoting
closer cooperation between the two countries. Obasanjo’s visit, at the
invitation from the Eritrean government, comes as a follow-up to those
talks.

ETHIOPIA: Premier vows to fight terrorism

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has stressed the importance of long-term
sustainable development for Ethiopia and vowed to fight terrorism, in his
first speech to the country's new parliament. Speaking on Tuesday, he said
the severe drought facing the country should not divert Ethiopia's aims of
improving food security. "It is saddening to find our country in a very
difficult situation because of the drought at a time when we are striving
hard to implement our development plan," the prime minister said. He said
that "in spite of meagre resources" the country had distributed 45,000 mt
of grain to drought-afflicted families. Meles also pledged to fight the
rebel Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), which he again branded a terrorist
organisation. He said the OLF had admitted to carrying out terrorist
attacks in the capital, Addis Ababa, and Dire Dawa in the east of the
country. [Full report at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30316]

ETHIOPIA: Princess Anne ends visit, deplores lack of health care

Princess Anne on Thursday urged the international community to do more to
help millions of Africans who cannot afford health care. The Princess
Royal was speaking at the end of a five-day trip to Ethiopia, where some
30 million people are too poor to buy vital medicines. Ethiopia is one of
the poorest countries in the world. There are around 48,000 people per
doctor, and per-capita health expenditure is less than US $1.35. "It
sounds amazing to anybody else from a relatively developed country that
you could cope with that kind of coverage," said Princess Anne, who is
president of the UK charity Save the Children. Launching a report by the
charity entitled "Too poor to be sick", she said a "huge challenge" facing
health care within the country was simply the vast population – some 65
million. "What we hope is that through bringing out reports like this
there will be some overseas donors who will see it," added 52-year-old
Anne, the only daughter of the British Queen. [Full report at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30362]

ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: UN peacekeepers in confrontations with armed Ethiopians

The UN has made an official protest after a group of Ethiopian militiamen
illegally entered the temporary security zone (TSZ) and threatened its
peacekeepers. The militiamen, who were armed with AK-47 assault rifles,
fired several bursts over the heads of the UN Blue Helmets in an angry
confrontation inside the demilitarised TSZ. This was the first-ever clash
between armed Ethiopian militia and peacekeepers of the UN Mission in
Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE). "Armed threats to the peacekeepers – this is
the first of its kind," said Col Rajesh Arya of UNMEE, speaking from the
Eritrean capital, Asmara. He added that what happened was a major
violation of the peace agreement signed by Eritrea and Ethiopia at the end
of the war in December 2000. [Full report at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30366]

ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: New UNMEE commander appointed

British Maj-Gen Robert Gordon has been appointed the new force commander
of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE). The announcement was
made by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday. Gordon replaces
Maj-Gen Patrick Cammaert of the Netherlands, whose two-year tour of duty
ends on 31 October. Gordon will head the 4,200-strong peacekeeping force
at one of the most crucial stages of the peace process. His new role
follows increased tension between UNMEE and the Ethiopian government,
which accused Cammaert of "bias" towards Eritrea. UNMEE spokeswoman Gail
Bindley Taylor Sainte said she hoped the arrival of the new force
commander would lead to improved relations. "I am sure we are all looking
forward to that," she said. [Full report at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30338]

SOMALIA: Invitations to peace talks go out

Invitations to attend the much-postponed Somali reconciliation conference,
due to start next week, have been sent out, sources close to the talks
told IRIN on Wednesday. "Everything is on track and the invitations to all
the political entities were sent by yesterday, 8 October," the sources
said. Invitations to civil society groups - which go to individuals -
"should go out by today or tomorrow". The conference, brokered by IGAD, is
due to open next Tuesday in the Kenyan town of Eldoret. Delegates are
expected to start arriving the day before. Some 300 delegates from the
various groups are expected to participate, an IGAD source told IRIN on
Wednesday. However, the number of delegates allocated to each group has
not been made public, "and will be seen as delegates start registering,
since some fine tuning will go on up to the last minute". [Full report at:
http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=30315]

SOMALIA: Baidoa calm after spate of looting

Life in the southwestern Somali town of Baidoa - headquarters of the
Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA)- is returning to normal, four days after
falling to rivals of the RRA chairman, Col Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud,
a local source told IRIN on Monday. The source said there had been a spate
of looting over the weekend "mostly at night and targeting businesses of
those seen as Shatigadud supporters". Forces loyal to Shatigadud's two
deputies and rivals for power - Shaykh Adan Madobe, the RRA first
vice-chairman and the second vice-chairman, Muhammad Ibrahim Habsade -
seized control of the town on 3 October from Shatigadud loyalists, who had
been in control of the town since 31 July.


IRIN-CEA
Tel: +254 2 622147
Fax: +254 2 622129
Email: IRIN@ocha.unon.org

[This Item is Delivered to the "Africa-English" Service of the UN's IRIN
humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or to
change your keywords, contact e-mail: IRIN@ocha.unon.org or Web:
http://www.irinnews.org . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this
item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Reposting by commercial
sites requires written IRIN permission.]

Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2002


distributed by
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International Disaster Information
Volunteers in Technical Assistance
                                          web: www.cidi.org
                                     listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Horn of Africa                   www.cidi.org/humanitarian/irin/hafrica