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

Tel: +225 22-40-4440
Fax: +225 22-41-9339
e-mail: irin-wa@irin.ci


WEST AFRICA
IRIN-WA Weekly Roundup 148
09 - 15 November 2002


CONTENTS:

COTE D'IVOIRE: Talks still inconclusive
GUINEA-BISSAU: Economic, financial needs assessed
LIBERIA: Opposition to unite for elections
GUINEA: Relocation of Liberian refugees resumed
SIERRA LEONE: Country still needs help - Annan
NIGERIA: Senate wants armed forces prepared for war

COTE D'IVOIRE: Talks still inconclusive

Talks between Cote d'Ivoire's rebels and a delegation appointed by the
government failed to produce an agreement this week. The rebels had
suspended the talks on Saturday following the murder in Abidjan of the
brother of a member of their delegation. The talks resumed this week, but
up to Friday no agreement had been reached.

Meanwhile, the US State Department on Wednesday condemned human rights
abuses in Cote d'Ivoire - including extra-judicial killings, extra-legal
activity, harassment, and extortion - which it said were perpetrated by
both government and rebel forces.

It also called for an immediate end to the recruitment of child soldiers
[by the rebels] and to the disbandment of self-defence groups, which
operate in areas under governmental control.

[For IRIN reports on Cote d'Ivoire go to
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Guinea-Bissau]

GUINEA-BISSAU: International institutions assess economic, financial needs

Missions from the IMF, West African Monetary and Economic Union, and UN
Economic and Social Council conducted separate missions to Guinea-Bissau
this month to assess its economic and financial performance and the
support it required.

Guinea-Bissau emerged in May 1999 from an 11-month conflict that ended in
the overthrow of its then president. Prime Minister Almara Nhasse told
Diario de Noticias this week that the country's people "continue to feel
the effects of the 1998 war" and that Guinea-Bissau had received no
economic support from the international community since the conflict.

"Guinea-Bissau's major problem is financial," Nhasse told the Portuguese
daily. He said internal revenue was not enough to cover 30 percent of the
country's needs. Priority sectors for his government were energy,
fisheries, agriculture and tourism, he said.

[For IRIN reports on Guinea-Bissau go to
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Guinea-Bissau]

LIBERIA: Opposition to unite for elections

Liberian opposition parties are proposing to field a single candidate
against President Charles Taylor at presidential elections in 2003, news
organisations reported on Tuesday. BBC quoted an opposition official, Chea
Cheapo, as saying that the opposition leaders were discussing the proposed
merger "with other Liberians in the diaspora and in refugee camps in
Africa and elsewhere". He also said the talks might include
anti-government rebels.

[For IRIN reports on Liberia go to
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Liberia]

GUINEA: Relocation of Liberian refugees resumed

UNHCR has resumed the relocation of Liberian refugees in Guinea from a
transit centre close to its border with Liberia to locations farther
inland. A first batch of 845 were transferred on 8-9 November. The
relocations had been interrupted on 25 September to allow time for road
repairs and security screening of refugees, UNHCR spokesperson Kris
Janowski said on Tuesday.

Fighting in Liberia between rebels and government forces since 1998 has
prompted nearly 40,000 Liberians to flee to Guinea, 50,000 to Sierra Leone
and 17,000 to Cote d'Ivoire. UNHCR said it was requesting an additional US
$3.8 million this year, on top of US $10.4 million already received, to
help Liberia's neighbours cope with the new arrivals.

[For IRIN reports on Guinea go to http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Guinea]

SIERRA LEONE: Country still needs help - Annan

Sierra Leone needs continued international support to consolidate the
peace and stability that have prevailed since the end of its 10-year
conflict, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Wednesday.

However, he also said that unless the Sierra Leonean government firmly
extended its authority throughout its territory, restored control over
national resources, and began to assume responsibility for security,
stability would remain vulnerable.

Annan made the remarks in an address read on his behalf to a Consultative
Group Meeting for Sierra Leone, held in Paris. The meeting was convened by
the United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank. It was held
on 13-14 November.

[For IRIN reports on Sierra Leone go to http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Sierra_Leone]

NIGERIA: Senate wants armed forces prepared for war

Nigeria's Senate this week adopted a recommendation that the government
prepare the country's armed forces for possible war over a border dispute
with neighbouring Cameroon.

The recommendation by the senate committee on public petitions followed
complaints by legislators representing the disputed Bakassi Peninsula,
awarded to Cameroon on 10 October by the International Court of Justice.
President Olusegun Obasanjo's government rejected the ruling.

"While a diplomatic solution is being sought," the report said, "efforts
should not only be made to strengthen our military presence in Bakassi,
everything must be done to make Nigeria combat ready."

The senate also urged that funds be made available to the foreign ministry
to evacuate Nigerians living in Cameroon, whom it estimated at four
million, "in the unfortunate event of war".

Obasanjo and Cameroon's President Paul Biya were scheduled to meet in
Geneva on Friday at the initiative of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to
discuss the Bakassi issue.

[For IRIN reports on Nigeria go to http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Nigeria]


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