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

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WEST AFRICA
IRIN-WA Weekly Roundup 64
17-23 March 2001

                                
CONTENTS: 

LIBERIA: Government expels ambassadors, closes borders
LIBERIA: Import of rough diamonds banned 
LIBERIA: Troops storm university, beat up students
SIERRA LEONE: Annan recommends extending, expanding UNAMSIL
SIERRA LEONE: Nepal considers troops for UNAMSIL
SIERRA LEONE: Humanitarian law lobby group to be set up
SIERRA LEONE: RUF promises access to Daru, Kailahun
SIERRA LEONE: MSF returns to RUF areas
SIERRA LEONE: Refugee camps empty
GUINEA-BISSAU: Annan urges cooperation
GUINEA: WFP appeals for US $65 million
GUINEA: Obasanjo in day trip to Guinea
WORLD: First rapid response humanitarian base launched
BURKINA FASO: Appeal for 7.5 million doses of meningitis vaccine
BURKINA FASO: World Bank approves US $70m water project
CAMEROON: Lack of potable water
CAMEROON: Bishops demand inquiry into deaths
CAMEROON: Pro-independence activists released
THE GAMBIA: US $2m anti-poverty plan launched 
THE GAMBIA: No sanctuary for rebel attacks
SENEGAL: No trial for Habre
SENEGAL: Government frees 16 MFDC prisoners 
COTE D'IVOIRE: Political foes pledge reconciliation
COTE D'IVOIRE: General released from detention
NIGERIA: Government donates grain to Niger
NIGERIA: US $549 million for electrification of Bayelsa
NIGERIA: Unions protest planned abolition of fuel subsidy

LIBERIA: Government expels ambassadors, closes borders

In a flurry of diplomatic tit-for-tat this week Liberia and Sierra Leone
expelled each others ambassadors, further heightening tension in an
already unstable subregion.

Liberia acted first, expelling Kemoh Salia-Gbao and Guinea's Baba Soare
for "acts incompatible with their status" and closing its border at
midnight on Monday. On Wednesday, Monrovia followed through by telling the
Sierra Leonean and Guinea mission to reduce their staff by half and
relocate their chanceries away from their west Monrovia suburb of
Virginia.

Although Guinea said it would not retaliate, Sierra Leone told Liberian
Ambassador Samuel Peters to leave, also within seven days.

Liberia's action came as Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo visited
Guinea in an effort to bridge the rift between Conakry and Monrovia.
Obasanjo's office announced Nigeria was trying to organize a meeting of
Presidents Lansana Conte of Guinea and Taylor of Liberia. Taylor, who was
invited to visit Abuja on Wednesday, failed to show thereby, creating
greater uncertainty about the political evolution of the subregion.

LIBERIA: Import of rough diamonds banned

Liberia announced on Monday an import ban on uncertified rough diamonds
from Angola, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in line
with a UN prohibition on trading in gems used to fund wars, news
organizations reported.

Earlier in March, Liberia banned diamond exports to avert UN sanctions.
Liberia has won a two-month reprieve to stop trading in "conflict
diamonds", cut its links to Sierra Leonean dissidents, or be punished.

LIBERIA: Troops storm university, beat up students

State security troops stormed the University of Liberia in Monrovia on
Wednesday and arrested several students at a rally to raise legal fees for
four journalists detained on spying charges, AFP reported.

In a statement last week, AFP reported, the students condemned the
continued detention of the journalists from the Monrovia newspaper, 'The
News'. They were arrested after publishing an article critical of military
spending while civil servants went unpaid.

SIERRA LEONE: Annan recommends extending, expanding UNAMSIL

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has proposed the extension and expansion
of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) that was sent there on 22
October 1999 to keep the peace in the war-torn nation.

In his latest report to the Security Council on Wednesday, Annan restated
his previous recommendations that some 20,500 troops were needed for
UNAMSIL to deploy in "sufficient strength" to key areas of the country.
This increase, he said, would help UNAMSIL fulfil its mandate and aid the
government in regaining control of Sierra Leone's natural resources and
key border areas.

UNAMSIL's current troops strength is 11,265 but has been authorised to
raise this to 13,000.

SIERRA LEONE: Nepal considers troops for UNAMSIL

Nepal is considering sending some 900 troops to join the UN peacekeeping
force in Sierra Leone, news reports quoted the Nepalese Defence Ministry
spokesman, Bhola Silwal, as saying on Sunday. The spokeswoman for the UN
Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), Margaret Novicki, told IRIN on Monday
that discussions were continuing on the offer.

SIERRA LEONE: Humanitarian law lobby group to be set up

Members of parliament are to set up a subcommittee dealing with issues
related to international humanitarian law, following a daylong workshop in
Freetown on 16 March.

The workshop, organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC), discussed the importance of key international humanitarian law
treaties such as the Geneva Conventions and the Ottawa treaty banning
anti-personnel mines. Some 65 parliamentarians attended.

SIERRA LEONE: RUF promises access to Daru, Kailahun

Revolutionary United Front (RUF) leader Issa Sesay promised on 16 March to
allow humanitarian agencies unimpeded access between Daru and Kailahun in
the east of the country, the UNAMSIL reported.

Sesay made the commitment at a meeting with UNAMSIL Force Commander Lt-Gen
Daniel Opande and pledged to work for peace in Sierra Leone. Opande,
accompanied by UNAMSIL military and civilian staff, UNHCR and OCHA
representatives, told the people of Kailahun that he would invite NGOs to
provide humanitarian aid to the refugee camp in the area.

SIERRA LEONE: MSF returns to RUF areas

In its first venture into rebel-held territory in northern Sierra Leone
since the RUF seized 500 UN troops in May 2000, Medicins Sans Frontieres
(MSF) has found no sign of famine but says medical needs are "quite
great".

No medical aid has reached these areas for 10 months, an MSF spokesperson
in Freetown told IRIN on Monday. MSF carried out what it described as an
"exploratory mission" to Makeni, Magburaka, Lunsar, Kamabai and Mange -
areas north, northeast and east of Freetown.

SIERRA LEONE: Refugees camp empty

Refugee camps in Guinea's Parrot's Beak are empty as their inmates flee
the fighting between Guinean troops and insurgents, UNHCR reported. The
Beak is a narrow bit of Guinean land that juts into northeastern Sierra
Leone.

The agency said on 17 March that the average number of those arriving in
Sierra Leone daily on foot has risen from the initial 20 to 60. "More are
believed to escape registration as they are joining family or relatives in
Kenema and do not require assistance," the agency reported.

Many of the refugees have come from Kolomba in Guinea or camps north of
Guekedou such as Katkama, Nyaedou, Koonin, Kamayan or Guekedou's Sayanin.
Many have taken up to 14 days to walk the 70 miles (112.6 km) to reach
Kenema through Kolomba camp and Kailahun District.

Arrivals undergo a medical screening at the UNHCR office in Kenema that
reports most to be in generally good condition. However, a few report to
the MSF clinic in Kenema with coughs, abdominal pains, malnutrition, body
rashes or pregnant.

GUINEA-BISSAU: Annan urges cooperation

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appealed to the leaders of
Guinea-Bissau and Senegal to normalise the tense situation along their
common border, caused by the activities of a pro-independence movement in
southern Senegal.

In a report on the activities of the UN Peace-Building Support Office in
Guinea-Bissau, released on 16 March, Annan warned that the country's
growing involvement in the fighting within the Mouvement des forces
democratiques de Casamance (MFDC) was alarming.

Within Guinea-Bissau, Annan urged all parties to hold talks to reduce
tension. He warned that continued instability would reduce donor
confidence and hurt efforts to rebuild the country. A UN Development
Programme aid conference for the country has been delayed by the
instability. However, he said, the country lacked natural resources a
factor which had been a major cause of social tension. Therefore he
appealed for continued foreign engagement in the country "so that the
government could meet its pressing, short-term obligations".

GUINEA: WFP appeals for US $65 million

The UN World Food Programme reported on Thursday it needed US $65 million
to care for hundreds of thousands of homeless and vulnerable people in
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone where fighting has worsened an already
serious humanitarian crisis.

WFP said it would need to feed another 950,000 people in 2002 under its
latest Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation. It reported that 50,000
Guineans had been displaced since insurgents from Sierra Leone began
attacking Guinea in September 2000. At least 300 people have been killed.

"This year we have had to partially scale back our operations, from school
feeding to food-for-work, to assisting vulnerable groups, because we
lacked sufficient funds," Arnold Vercken, WFP's regional manager for West
Africa, said.

GUINEA: Obasanjo in day trip to Guinea

President Olusegun Obasanjo arrived in Conakry on Monday on a brief visit
to discuss the conflict along the borders of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra
Leone, AFP reported.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Sule Lamido told reporters in Abuja on 17 March
that Obasanjo would invite the presidents of Guinea and Liberia to talks
"very soon" on ending their country's feud. However, Taylor, who was
invited to visit Abuja on Wednesday, failed to show. Guinea and Liberia
have been accusing each other of supporting anti-government dissidents.

WORLD: First rapid response humanitarian base launched

The world's first facility designed for rapid response to humanitarian
crises anywhere was officially opened on 16 March in Brindisi, Italy, by
that government and the United Nations.

"It will serve as a global emergency headquarters; a launching pad that
will enable us to respond to emergencies even more quickly," Catherine
Bertini, Executive Director of the World Food Programme, said.

She and the undersecretary at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Rino Serri, inaugurated the US $3.5-million Italian-funded base known as
the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot.

BURKINA FASO: Appeal for 7.5 million doses of meningitis vaccine

An appeal on Saturday for 7.5 million doses of vaccine to halt the rapid
spread of meningitis in Burkina Faso has drawn an immediate pledge of help
from the World Health Organization.

So far, 587 people have died and at least 3,256 cases recorded. The
secretary-general of the Health Ministry, Mathias Some, warned on Saturday
that the disease would spread throughout the country if urgent measures
were not taken immediately.

BURKINA FASO: World Bank approves US $70m water project

The World Bank approved a US $70-million project on Wednesday to expand
water supplies to Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou.

The project will help lessen the "acute water shortages" in the city,
which has doubled its population over the last 15 years to 980,000. The
bank said the country's present average annual growth rate of 4.6 percent
is not expected to decrease for the next 10 years.

CAMEROON: Lack of potable water

Over 50 percent of rural dwellers do not have potable water, leaving users
little choice but to draw supplies from potentially disease prone sources,
Water Resource Minister Yves Mbelle Ndoe said.

In cities that figure is 40 percent, the government-owned 'Cameroon
Tribune' quoted Ndoe as saying on Friday. He made his comments at the
launch of the national week-long "water and health" campaign that
culminated on Thursday with the ninth International Water Day.

CAMEROON: Bishops demand inquiry into deaths

Cameroon's Roman Catholic bishops have joined activists and rights
organizations in demanding that the government explain the disappearance
of nine youths who are now feared dead.

The nine have not been seen since 28 January, five days after soldiers of
the Commandement Operationel arrested them for stealing a gas canister, a
Cameroonian political analyst told IRIN on Wednesday. A Cameroonian
organization known as L'Action des chretiens contre la torture (ACAT)
claimed on 2 March that the youths were killed with acid, along with 41
others.

The army unit - often accused of torture and extrajudiciary killings of
suspects - was created in February 2000 to fight the rising level of crime
in Douala, the country's economic hub. On Tuesday, President Paul Biya
ordered an enquiry into the disappearances.

CAMEROON: Pro-independence activists released

Six members of a pro-independence movement were released after 14 months
in detention, the BBC reported on Tuesday. The men, all members of the
Southern Cameroon National Council (SCNC), were charged with high treason
for declaring the English-speaking southwest of the country independent
and hoisting a flag.

Cameroon became a "United Republic" in May 1972 after a referendum voted
down the 11-year federation, divided into French-speaking and
English-speaking provinces. In 1982, "an Anglophone problem" arose when
current President Paul Biya removed the word "United" from Cameroon's
official name. The SCNC objected to this because it said the new name
failed to reflect the entity of the country, a Cameroonian political
analyst told IRIN on Tuesday.

THE GAMBIA: US $2m anti-poverty plan launched

The Gambian government launched a US $2-million programme on Tuesday to
help uplift the poorest in the nation, its latest in an effort that began
last year, the 'Daily Observer' of Banjul reported.

The Fight Against Social and Economic Exclusion - as the plan is called -
will attempt to slash the number of poor by targeting women, young adults
and supporting small businesses in at least 60 communities in the country.

THE GAMBIA: No sanctuary for rebel attacks

Capping a three-day visit to Senegal on Wednesday, Gambian President Yahya
Jammeh said his government would never allow MFDC forces to attack Senegal
from The Gambia, a Dakar daily, 'Le Soleil', reported quoting an official
communique.

The movement has been accused of launching cross-border raids from The
Gambia into southern Senegal's Casamance area. A similar charge was made
with respect to northern Guinea-Bissau from where that country's troops
have launched an offensive to force out the guerrillas.

Jammeh also pledged to support the peace accord signed between Dakar and
the MFDC. Some Senegalese political analysts have described the deal as
flawed because it failed to include all the major actors in the war and
was reached at a time of increased violence in the Casamance.

SENEGAL: No trial for Habre

Senegal's highest court, La Cour de Cassation, ruled on Tuesday that
former Chadian President Hissene Habre could not stand trial for torture
because his alleged crimes were committed outside Senegal, media
organizations reported.

Chadian victims of torture filed suit in Dakar charging that Habre had
condoned these acts, disappearances and killings during his eight-year
rule.

A lengthy legal battle began over whether or not Habre could be put on
trial in Senegal where he is exiled. In February a regional district court
ruled that Habre could stand trial in Senegal.

SENEGAL: Government frees 16 MFDC prisoners

As part of a peace pact signed on 16 March, the government in Dakar has
released 16 members of the Mouvement des forces democratiques de Casamance
(MFDC) that has been fighting for the independence of southern Senegal
since 1982.

The government-owned daily, 'Le Soleil', reported on Tuesday that the
prisoners were released from a prison in Kolda, 150 km east of Casamance's
largest city, Ziguinchor, where the accord was reached on Friday. More
prisoners are expected to be released, the daily reported. Other elements
under the deal include a ceasefire and the construction of roads in the
Casamance, a much neglected part of the country.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Political foes pledge reconciliation

Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and his foremost political rival,
Alassane Ouattara, pledged on Monday to resolve the crisis that bars
Ouattara from running for the highest public office, AFP reported.

Both men met in Lome, Togo, at the request of Togolese President
Gnassingbe Eyadema, Africa's longest serving leader. Ouattara said that in
the spirit of national reconciliation, he would support a peace pact
proposed by Gbagbo, AFP reported citing a joint communique.

COTE D'IVOIRE: General released from detention

General Abdoulaye Coulibaly, a former member of a defunct military junta,
was released from military detention on Wednesday, ending a four-month
ordeal during which he was charged with threatening state security and
stealing public funds.

A military tribunal acquitted Coulibaly on 13 March of charges of
threatening state security. However, he stayed in detention until
Wednesday on the charge of stealing 2.25 billion francs CFA (US $3.1
million) from the Port Authority and the national lottery company. Yet, he
had taken refuge in the Nigerian Embassy at the time he was accused of
having organized the theft. He regained his freedom after the state
prosecutor withdrew its case.


Another member of the deposed junta, General Lansana Palenfo, is serving a
one-year prison term for endangering state security.

NIGERIA: Government donates grain to Niger

Nigeria has donated 15 mt of grain to its northern neighbour Niger
following reports of a food scarcity in some parts of that country, 'The
Guardian' newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Hundreds of people from Niger have crossed the border into Nigeria's
Katsina State in the last few months because of a prolonged drought that
has caused a food shortage.

NIGERIA: US $549 million for electrification of Bayelsa

Nigeria's federal government announced on Tuesday 67 billion naira (US
$549 million) for electricity projects in the poor and volatile southern
state of Bayelsa, 'The Guardian' newspaper reported.

Information Minister Jerry Gana told reporters in Abuja that the central
government would build 123 power lines and connect the state to the
national electricity grid.

The announcement follows President Olusegun Obasanjo's visit last week to
Bayelsa. The state, in the Niger Delta which produces much of Nigeria's
oil wealth, has been pressing the government for the development of its
long neglected communities.

Gana said that since Obasanjo came to power Bayelsa had received the local
equivalent of US $221 million, the highest federal allocation to any
state.

NIGERIA: Unions protest planned abolition of fuel subsidy

Nigeria's all powerful trades unions, under the umbrella Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC), launched a week of rallies beginning on Tuesday against
the government's plan to deregulate fuel prices, AFP reported. The
congress launched its protest in the northern city of Kano with some
15,000 banner-carrying marchers.

The government has, for years, been subsidising fuel. A litre of fuel
costs 22 naira (about 18 US cents), AFP reported. However, the
international price of crude has risen sharply and the dollar has gained
strength against a weak naira, AFP reported. The result of cheap petrol
has been smuggling across the borders where the commodity fetches higher
prices.

Obasanjo said the planned hikes would not double the current prices.

Abidjan, 23 March 2001; 17:00 GMT


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