U N I T E D   N A T I O N S
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WEST AFRICA
IRIN-WA Weekly Roundup 108
12 - 18 January 2002


CONTENTS:

SIERRA LEONE: War officially over
SIERRA LEONE: UN clarifies role in forthcoming elections
NIGERIA: Unions end strike
NIGERIA: At least 36 die in southwest militia clashes
NIGERIA: UNDP sets up fund to fight poverty
NIGERIA-SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: Joint oil authority established
COTE D'IVOIRE: "Big four" to meet next week
COTE D'IVOIRE: Human rights training for armed forces
SENEGAL: Cold weather kills 17
BURKINA FASO: Meningitis kills 24
CAMEROON: Rights activist unable to leave country
WESTERN SAHARA: UN-US call for release of all prisoners

SIERRA LEONE: War officially over

A symbolic weapons burning ceremony took place at Lungi, north of
Freetown, on Friday marking the end of a decade of civil conflict in
Sierra Leone. During the event some 3,000 weapons and hundreds of rounds
of ammunition were destroyed, Francis Kai-Kai, Executive Secretary of the
National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration, told
IRIN on Friday.

"We're in a good and a sombre mood, it's unbelievable the war is over,"
Kai-Kai said. Speaking at the ceremony, Sierra Leonean President Ahmad
Tejan Kabbah declared that the war was over and the curfew had been
lifted. Revolutionary United Front (RUF) interim leader Issa Sesay said
that the RUF was ready for peace, according to Kai-Kai, who attended the
ceremony.

Others attending the event included Ghanaian President John Kufuor,
representatives of regional heads of state, UN officials and civil
society.

Over 45,000 former combatants have handed over weapons to the authorities
under the government's disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration
programme since May 2001. A communique issued on Thursday after the final
meeting of the tripartite committee, which is comprised of representatives
from the government of Sierra Leone, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF)
and the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), formally declared that
disarmament had been completed throughout the country.

War crimes tribunal set up

During Sierra Leone's 10-year civil war, thousands of people had their
limbs chopped off, mainly by RUF rebels. Women and children were raped and
many other serious human rights abuses were committed as armed men took
hold of the countryside. Perpetrators of such atrocities now face the
prospect of appearing before the Special Court, formally established this
week in Freetown.

The tribunal has the power "to prosecute persons who bear the greatest
responsibility" for serious violations of international humanitarian and
Sierra Leonean law which have taken place since 30 November 1996, the date
of a failed peace agreement between the government and the Revolutionary
United Front (RUF).

It will have the power to prosecute those who committed crimes against
civilians including murder, torture and rape as well as those who
"committed or ordered the commission of serious violations against the
Geneva Convention." It will not have jurisdiction over anyone who was
under the age of 15 years at the time of the alleged crime. To ensure its
independence, the UN said, the prosecutor and majority of the trial and
appeal judges will be appointed by the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.

Wednesday's agreement was signed on behalf of the Sierra Leonean
government by Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Solomon Berewa,
and by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Hans Corell.  At
the signing ceremony Corell described the agreement as "the first step on
the path to combating impunity and addressing accountability for the
serious crimes committed in Sierra Leone that have shocked the conscience
of mankind."

SIERRA LEONE: UN clarifies role in forthcoming elections

Now that the war in Sierra Leone has been formally declared over,
international attention is turning towards elections, scheduled to take
place in less than four months. The UN Security Council on Wednesday
clarified UNAMSIL`s role in those elections. While emphasising the
responsibility of the government of Sierra Leone and the National
Electoral Commission (NEC) for the holding of the polls, the Council
unanimously adopted a resolution that UNAMSIL would help with logistical
support, transport and security, as recommended by UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan in a report last month. It also recommended an increase in the
number of UN civilian police in order to advise and support the Sierra
Leone Police in carrying out election-related responsibilities and to help
the police devise and implement an electoral training programme for their
personnel.

The Council last week described the elections as "an important milestone"
in the peace process.

Electoral sensitisation in north

Meanwhile UNAMSIL and NEC have conducted electoral sensitisation campaigns
for the local population in northern Sierra Leone, UNAMSIL reported on
Monday.

Two teams of performing artists travelled to the towns of Port Loko and
Makeni to dramatise the forthcoming voter registration process. UNAMSIL
public information officers answered questions from local people on the
registration process which is scheduled to begin on 24 January. They said
that the NEC would be sending representatives to their areas for further
sensitisation activities.

Army deploys to east

To help ensure stability and security during elections, Sierra Leonean
army troops backed by armed British advisers have begun deploying near
Sierra Leone's sensitive borders with Liberia and Guinea in former
rebel-held areas, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

Quoting unnamed British and Sierra Leonean officers, the BBC reported that
despite the disarmament of the rebels, there was still a threat from
remnants of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), an armed group that has
tried to overthrow successsive governments in Sierra Leone. According to
the BBC, one senior Sierra Leonean army commander in the east said "he was
concerned by the breakaway RUF group he named as the Independent RUF,"
allegedly under the command of Sam Bockarie, a former rebel leader.

NIGERIA: Unions end strike

Daily life started to return to normal in Nigeria on Friday after labour
unions called off a two-day-old general strike which had shut down most of
the country's major cities.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which groups the country's 29 main
trade unions, said in a statement late on Thursday it was suspending the
strike against government-imposed hike in fuel prices in compliance with a
court ruling that declared the action as illegal. However, NLC president,
Adams Oshiomhole, arrested for the second time in two days on Thursday,
remained in detention on Friday morning. Government officials in the
capital, Abuja, said he was likely to be charged with contempt of court.

President Olusegun Obasanjo said the second increase in fuel prices since
the inception of his administration in 1999, was a necessary step towards
liberalising fuel distribution and ending the country's history of
shortages despite being the world's sixth biggest exporter of crude oil.
Opponents of the move accuse him of uncritically adopting policy reforms
prescribed by the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and Western
creditor governments. The consequences, they argue, include worsening
inflation and deepening poverty.

NIGERIA: At least 36 die in southwest militia clashes

At least 36 Nigerians died in clashes between an ethnic militia group, the
Oodua Peoples' Congress (OPC), and security forces in the southwest on
Saturday, police told IRIN on Monday. Over 12 cars were also destroyed.
According to police, OPC militants in a convoy of cars, arrived in Owo
town, Ondo State, and attacked the palace of a local traditional ruler,
police said. The BBC reported that the fight was over rights to the royal
throne - the militants oppose the present chief and want to instal a rival
aspirant.

The OPC said in a statement that their members were only passing through
Owo, en route to Arrigidi-Akoko, the hometown of their leader Ganiyu
Adams, to hold a rally. State police commissioner, Paul Ochonu, dismissed
the claims of the OPC, local media reported.

The OPC was set up to promote greater autonomy for the Yoruba people of
south-western Nigeria. Two years ago, the group was officially banned by
the government following its involvement in riots in Lagos in which
hundreds of people died.

NIGERIA: UNDP sets up fund to fight poverty

A fund to promote poverty eradication and community development in Nigeria
was launched by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) this week.

The Human Development Fund, the UN agency said on Wednesday, will target
the most deprived areas of the country. Working with other development
partners, it seeks to support social projects that help to provide clean
water, sanitation, and basic health care. It also hopes to assist projects
in job creation for youth and people in rural communities, functional
literacy, and micro credit.

The initiative is to be funded from national, state and local governments,
the private sector, wealthy individuals and the international community.

NIGERIA-SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: Joint oil authority established

Nigeria and Sao Tome have jointly established an authority to manage
offshore oil exploration in the disputed Gulf of Guinea, although there is
still disagreement over the exact sea border between the two countries.
Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, and Fradique de Menezes of Sao
Tome and Principe, launched the Joint High Authority in Nigeria on
Wednesday, the Portuguese news agency Lusa reported.

The Gulf of Guinea, which lies between the two countries, is an oil- rich
180,000 sq km area that has been contested by the two for years. Under the
accord, Nigeria will receive 60 percent of revenues and Sao Tome 40
percent.

COTE D'IVOIRE: "Big four" to meet next week

Cote d'Ivoire's top four political leaders have agreed to meet on 22
January in the capital Yamoussoukro, to discuss strategies to strengthen
peace and reconciliation efforts which began last year.

President Laurent Gbagbo, on Monday, met in Abidjan with former president
Henri Konan Bedie and opposition politician Alassane Ouattara to discuss
the upcoming talks, an initiative Gbagbo announced at the end of the
country's national reconciliation forum in December. Former military ruler
General Robert Guei, who ousted Bedie from power in a coup just over two
years ago is also expected at the talks, local media reported.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Human rights training planned for the armed forces

Cote d'Ivoire is to train its armed forces in human rights and democracy,
as part of efforts to rebuild public trust and promote political
stability, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) which is supporting the
initiative, said on 11 January. The training is expected to take place in
the first quarter of 2002. Training modules were prepared in December by
military leaders, regional administrators, lawyers, and university
scholars. Plans are also underway for the armed forces to support
development and poverty reduction projects, the UN added.

SENEGAL: Cold weather kills 17

A cold spell accompanied by heavy rain last week in northern Senegal
killed 17 people and an unknown number of livestock. The region of Podor
in northern Senegal was worst affected by the bad weather, Capitaine Moro
Sow, operations officer in the civil defence ministry told IRIN, adding
that some farmland in the area had been submerged by water. A meeting on
Monday, organised by the prefect in Podor, drew up a list of emergency
needs for the local population which included blankets, mattresses, food
for livestock and petrol.

BURKINA FASO: Meningitis kills 24

Meningitis infection in Burkina Faso has killed 24 people out of 101
reported cases in 34 health districts, since the beginning of January,
health officials said on Tuesday.

A health ministry official told a news conference that the government had
launched preventive vaccination campaigns in 25 out of 53 health districts
described as "highly risky", targeting people aged two years to 30 years.
More than three million people are expected to be vaccinated during the
operation, the official said.

The West African country lies in what the World Health Organization
describes as the meninitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa. It usually hits the
Sahelian countries each year between January and April when the dry Sahara
Desert winds blow south.

CAMEROON: Rights activist unable to leave country

Cameroonian human rights activist Abdoulaye Math, who was arrested on
Wednesday as he was about to travel to an international human rights
conference, has still not been allowed to leave Cameroon, Amnesty
International told IRIN on Friday. In addition, documents which were
confiscated have not been returned to him.

Math, president of the Movement for the Defence of Freedom and Human
Rights (MDDLH- French acronym) was arrested on Wednesday in Yaounde by
members of the National Centre for External Research, detained for five
hours, and released early on Thursday morning without any of his
documents.

AI, who on Thursday said this arrest "underlines a consistent pattern of
intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders in Cameroon", called
on the government of Cameroon to stop restricting the right to movement
and free speech, and respect international standard for the protection of
rights defenders.

WESTERN SAHARA: UN-US call for release of all prisoners

The UN and the US called this week for the release of the remaining
prisoners in the 27-year conflict between Morocco and the Popular Front
for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario Front).

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his latest report on Western Sahara,
reiterated the UN's position that the remaining prisoners be released in a
"speedy" manner, describing the continued detention of nearly 1,400
Moroccan and Sahraoui detainees as a "serious humanitarian issue", the UN
reported on Monday. In a State Department statement on Thursday, the US
called on all parties to respect international human rights law and
release or account for all those missing or captured.

The prisoners were captured during the long dispute over the northwestern
territory of Western Sahara between the Polisario- which wants self-rule
for Western Sahara- and Morocco, which took over the former Spanish colony
when Spain pulled out in 1975.

The appeals by the US and the UN follow the release earlier this month of
115 Moroccan prisoners by the Polisario, a move that had been hailed by
both bodies. The Moroccans were repatriated on Thursday by the
International Committee of the Red Cross.


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Fax: +225 22-41-9339
Email: IRIN-WA@irin.ci

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