U N I T E D   N A T I O N S
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WEST AFRICA
IRIN-WA Weekly Roundup 143
28 September - 04 October 2002


CONTENTS:

COTE D'IVOIRE: Signing of ceasefire delayed
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: First woman prime minister named
CAMEROON-NIGERIA:  ICJ verdict set for 10 October
SENEGAL: Burials begin of ferry victims
LIBERIA: IDPs face grave health risk
GHANA: President Kufuor names new committees
MAURITANIA: Another appeal for aid

COTE D'IVOIRE: Signing of ceasefire delayed

The signing of a ceasefire between mutinous soldiers and the government of
Cote d'Ivoire was delayed on Friday with both sides expressing discontent
with the wording of the document.

Sources in the capital Yamoussoukro told IRIN that the signing was likely
to be delayed to a later date. The agreement was supposed to signed at
1600 GMT but by 1800 pm, none of the delegations had turned up yet to
sign, sources said.

The government, humanitarian sources told IRIN, was reluctant to commit to
some provisions of the proposed agreement such as the suggestion of a
peacekeeping force in the country. The mutineers on the other hand felt
the proposed agreement did not grant them the status they deserved.

The BBC reported that the draft text stipulated that the mutineers should
lay down their weapons, and that the authority of the government should be
restored to all areas but did not specify whether that meant civil or
military rule.

The mutineers were also uncomfortable that loyalist forces were sending
troops from Yamoussoukro to Bouake, to reinforce their positions there or
even to attack the city, which the rebels had held since their uprising on
19 September.

The "ceasefire" came a day after ministers from the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS) met with six rebel representatives in the
central rebel-held city of Bouake and persuaded them to agree to a truce.

ECOWAS mandated Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Togo to
form a mediation group, along with South Africa as current chairman of the
African Union.

On Wednesday, the French Foreign Ministry reiterated that its presence in
Cote d'Ivoire was to safeguard the safety of its citizens, maintain the
country's unity and sovereignty and to preserve regional stability and to
support the African mediation efforts.

"In this context I recall that the mission of French forces remains the
safety of our nationals, and other foreigners. France supports the
mediation ECOWAS has begun and all efforts for dialogue," the spokesperson
said.

"If the mediation team concludes that an ECOMOG peace-keeping mission is
needed, France will contribute with logistic support."

Meanwhile, the governor of Abidjan District on Friday announced a major
rally of "all patriots", including women, men, youths, village chiefs, and
dignitaries of Abidjan District, which will be held in the city centre.

As humanitarian organisations are trying to get access to the declared war
zones in order to evaluate the needs of those displaced, there were
reports from the Solidarity, Health and Social Security ministry, of an
eight-day suspension of burning of shantytowns.

For IRIN coverage on the Cote d'Ivoire situation please visit
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCount
ry=Cote_d_Ivoire

SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: First woman Prime Minister named

Sao Tome and Principe President Fradique de Menezes on Thursday appointed
Maria das Neves as the archipelago's first woman Prime Minister, news
agencies reported.

Menezes who fired Gabriel Costa from the prime minister's job last week,
said in a television address to the nation that he had asked Neves, a
44-year old economist to form a new government. She was proposed for the
post by the Sao Tome and Principe Liberation Movement (MLSTP) party.

Neves was Minister for Trade, Industry and Tourism in the former
administration. Before that she worked for the World Bank and UNICEF.

She was expected to begin consultations to form a government of national
unity on Friday with both her MLSTP party and other parties with seats in
the 55-member parliament, Lusa reported on Friday.

Menezes dissolved the government following complaints from the army over
the promotion of two officers to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on 5
September. The Minister of Defense Victor Tavares Monteiro was one of the
officers promoted from reserve captain. He resigned last week. The other
was Major Luiz Maria, who held the defense portfolio.

De Menezes had appointed Costa to head a coalition government after
elections on 3 March left the country's 55-seat parliament without a
majority party.

Sao Tome and Principe is an island chain just off the West African country
of Gabon, and has a population of some 150,000 people.

Other items on Sao Tome and Principle this week include:
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: Unity government dissolved
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=30188&SelectRegion=West_Africa
&SelectCountry=SAO_TOME_AND_PRINCIPE

CAMEROON-NIGERIA:  ICJ verdict set for 10 October

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced on Thursday that it
would deliver its judgment on the Bakassi peninsula, which has been the
object of a dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon, on 10 October in The
Hague.

The court's ruling is binding and not subject to appeal, the court said in
a statement.

The case stems from a 1994 complaint filed by Cameroon, seeking a ruling
over sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula and a determination of a
maritime boundary between the two countries.

The territorial dispute has been a thorn in bilateral relations, as the
countries at times have traded accusations. Each believes it is the
rightful proprietor of the peninsula located in an oil-rich area. On 6
September, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and Paul Biya of
Cameroon promised to abide by the ruling and to implement measures to
respect it. Among others, they agreed to the demilitarization of the
peninsula with the possibility of international observers to monitor the
withdrawal of troops.

SENEGAL: Burials begin for ferry victims

Burials of victims of last week's boat accident begun in the capital
Dakar and in Ziguinchor, southern Senegal, sources told IRIN on Thursday.

In Ziguinchor, where more than 1,000 people boarded the ferry "Le Joola",
41 bodies were buried this week. Red Cross sources said burials have also
begun in Dakar, the boat's final destination, but did not disclose an
exact number.

BBC reported Interior Minister Mamadou Niang as saying that about 500
bodies had been recovered, although many cannot be identified by relatives
because of decomposition. About 60 people have survived the accident.
Those bodies that cannot be identified would be buried in one of four
designated mass cemeteries: two in Ziguinchor, one in Dakar and one in The
Gambia.

President Abdoulaye Wade has ordered an investigation into the accident.
The minister for transport and equipment and the armed forces ministers
resigned in the wake of public anger over the accident.

Licensed to sail with 550 passengers, "Le Joola" left Ziguinchor with
over 1,000 passengers.

LIBERIA: IDPs face grave health risk

An international NGO, the International Rescue Committee, issued a health
assessment on Tuesday warning that the health of internally displaced
Liberians had sharply deteriorated in the last few months. To avoid
further deterioration, humanitarian and health agencies needed to increase
health facilities in the country.

IRC's assessment, conducted in July and August in IDP camps in Bong and
Montserrado countries, showed among other things that mortality rates have
risen above the emergency threshold; water and sanitation capacities were
deficient and malaria and diarrhoea ranked as the leading causes of
medical consultation.

To meet the IDPs' needs, the number of latrines needed to be increased to
one latrine per 50 people, although this is still short of the minimum
humanitarian standards of one latrine per 20 people. Trench latrines also
needed to be built; water supply increased, and an aggressive hygiene
promotion campaign conducted. An additional health post should also be
built in one of the camps, the NGO recommended.

According to IRC, Liberia currently has 14 IDP camps sheltering at least
100,000 people.

IRC's full assessment is available at www.theirc.org

GHANA: President Kufuor names new committees

Ghanaian President John Kufuor has appointed 11-member committees to run
the daily affairs of six districts in Dagbon District, northern Ghana,
where a state of emergency prevented the holding of regularly scheduled
district elections.

The state of emergency was imposed in March as a result of deadly ethnic
clashes that broke in the northern district. While election for new
district assemblies were held in August, they did not take place in Dagbon
District. The incumbent assemblies were dissolved, creating an
administrative vacuum that President Kufuor has filled by appointing the
committees.

The appointees have the same powers as elected officials and will be in
office until elections can be held.

The March clash opposed the Abudu and Andani clans, two neighbouring
communities, whose covert rivalry, erupted as they were unable to agree on
the holding on an annual festival.

In other news, Ghana's government has earmarked US $7 million to finance
poverty reduction initiatives in the East, Upper West, Northern, Eastern
and Central regions, the five poorest regions of the country.

MAURITANIA: Another appeal for aid

The World Food Programme has once again reminded the international
community to come to the aid of Mauritania where food shortage, induced by
lack of rain, is threatening thousands of people

According to WFP regional director for West Africa Manuel da Silva,
750,000 Mauritanians are affected by lack of food. Consequently there is a
growing rate of malnutrition.

WFP conducted in September a wheat distribution in the six most affected
regions, however it still expects to receive funding to feed all those in
need. The UN agency had so far received 30 percent of the US $7.5 million
it had appealed for.


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