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
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WEST AFRICA
IRIN-WA Weekly Roundup 168
21 - 28 March 2003


CONTENTS:

LIBERIA: Fighters close in on capital city
MALI: Concern about violence against women
NIGERIA: Two weeks of violence in Niger Delta
COTE D'IVOIRE: Detained fighters escape, ECOMICI deploys
SIERRA LEONE: Foday Sankoh to undergo further psychiatric tests
WESTERN SAHARA: Another two months for MINURSO
BENIN: US $40 million in debt relief
TOGO: Thousands flock to Mercy ship for treatment
WEST AFRICA: Stiff challenges on millennium goals
 

LIBERIA: Fighters close in on capital city

Fighters believed to be from the rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation
and Democracy (LURD) on Tuesday attacked Ricks Camp, a centre for
internally displaced persons (IDPs) 20km west of the Liberian capital,
Monrovia. The government said 2,000 IDPs were abducted in the attack,
which caused panic in other IDP camps around Monrovia.

Information Minister Reginald Goodridge told reporters on Thursday that
the government would screen all able-bodied men in the camps and relocate
them to at least 100 km from Monrovia. Military sources said fighting was
continuing on several fronts. Large numbers of government troops headed
towards Gbarnga, 150 km north of Monrovia.

In Geneva, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), Sergio
Vieira de Mello, expressed concern at the continuing armed conflict in
Liberia, its consequences and toll on the civilian population. He said he
had continued to receive credible reports of serious abuses and violations
of human rights and humanitarian law by both parties, including
extrajudicial killings, torture, rape, deliberate targeting of civilians,
abductions and forcible recruitment of children and displaced persons in
camps.

Meanwhile, the Liberian parliament passed on 13 March a controversial
presidential bill amending the country's elections law to allow IDPs to
vote in camps during the 14 October general elections. The bill was passed
in a closed-doors session.

In another development UNICEF in Liberia launched on Thursday a new
three-year programme which focuses on education, protection, water and
sanitation and targets 350,000 vulnerable and internally displaced
children in the country. Cyrille Niameogo, the UNICEF representative in
Liberia, said the programme would support the government, non-governmental
organisations and communities in establishing systems to improve the
situation of children and women in the country. It aims to reduce child
mortality by five percent and maternal mortality by 10 percent.

For IRIN coverage of Liberia go to:
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Liberia


MALI: Concern about violence against women

Concerned about violence against women in Mali, the World Organization
Against Torture (OMCT) said on Tuesday that 24 percent of Malian women
married before the age of 15 years, 94 percent underwent female genital
mutilation (FGM) while many were subjected to forced marriages and
polygamy.

"Early marriage often means that girls discontinue their schooling and
leads to adolescent pregnancy," OMCT said in a report to the UN Human
Rights Committee. "FGM has been condemned by health experts as damaging to
a woman's health."

OMCT added that it "urge(d) the Malian government not only to repeal all
laws justifying such practices, but also to criminalize such practices and
raise awareness about the harm that accompanies such practices."
 
The report, titled "Violence against Women in Mali", was submitted to 77th
session of Committee in Geneva as it began to examine a report on the
implementation of the International Convention on Civil and Political
Rights in Mali. A governmental delegation presented the report.

Details of Mali's report to the Committee are available at:  
http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/119936F1CF1D4607C1256CF5002CD096?opendocument
Details on OMCT's work are available at: 


NIGERIA: Two weeks of violence in Niger Delta

Nigeria's volatile Niger Delta has been the scene of two weeks of clashes
between militant youths of the Ijaw and Itsekiri communities, leading to
the death of at least 100 people and halting oil production. Troops sent
to quell the violence were drawn into deadly confrontations with Ijaw
fighters, prompting President Olusegun Obasanjo to order on Thursday the
immediate arrest of the ethnic militants.

ChevronTexaco, Royal/Dutch Shell and TotalFinaElf were forced to close
their oil operations in the area, cutting back Nigeria's
two-million-barrel daily oil output by 40 percent (about 800,000 barrels).
The conflict is linked to a violent dispute which broke out in the Delta
town of Warri in February between the Urhobo and the Itsekiri communities
over the delineation of electoral wards ahead of April-May general
elections. The Ijaws sided with the Urhobo, alleging that the allocation
of wards was in favour of the Itsekiri.

For IRIN coverage of Nigeria go to:
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Nigeria


COTE D'IVOIRE: Detained fighters escape, ECOMICI deploys

Cote d'Ivoire's pro-government Young Patriots movement held an anti-French
rally in the western town of Daloa, 406 km west of Abidjan, during which a
group of alleged pro-government fighters, who had been in custody of
French troops escaped. The French military command said "the irresponsible
acts in Daloa led to the escape", adding that those who fled were
Liberians who had been arrested in March. They were reported to be members
of a militia made up of Liberian nationals that had been fighting for the
government against rebel forces in western Cote d'Ivoire. The government
had denied the reports.

On the political front, two ministers were appointed interim heads of the
ministries of defence and security. The defence ministry is to be headed
by Assoa Adou of the ruling Front Populaire Ivoirien, while Fofana Zemogo
of the opposition RDR was assigned the security portfolio.

A buffer force deployed the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), known as ECOMICI, began taking up its positions along a 600- km
line across Cote d'Ivoire this week. ECOMICI reached its prescribed
strength of 1264 on 24 March with the arrival of a final group of 35
peacekeepers from Senegal, according to the force Communication Unit in
Abidjan. It comprises contingents from five countries: Benin, Ghana,
Niger, Senegal and Togo.

UNICEF expressed distress at the situation of children in northeastern
Cote d'Ivoire, following a recent mission which showed that the area's
children had paid a heavy toll in health and education as a result of the
Ivorian conflict. UNICEF said a recent assessment mission to the
northeastern town of Bouna found "near catastrophic conditions prevailing
there." The health care system had broken down and most of the medical
personnel has fled. There are no drugs in the health facilities.

In a related development, UNHCR appealed to the international community
for US $29 million to cover the needs of some 163,000 people who could be
affected by the six-month-old Ivorian crisis in 2003. The amount would be
used primarily for transport, logistics and infrastructure, protection,
monitoring of borders and domestic items. The target population represents
both refugees and returnees. The agency also plans to establish new camps
in Liberia and to continue the repatriation of Liberians who say their
security is not guaranteed in Cote d'Ivoire. UNHCR is already assisting
some 120,000 people displaced by the fighting.

For UNHCR's full statement please go to
http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&id=3e7b26644&page=news

For IRIN coverage of the Cote d'Ivoire conflict go to:
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Cote_d_Ivoire


SIERRA LEONE: Psychiatric examination for Foday Sankoh

The Special Court for Sierra Leone on Friday ordered a further psychiatric
examination of Foday Sankoh, leader of the former rebel Revolutionary
United Front (RUF).

Sankoh is one of seven people indicted so far for crimes against humanity
perpetrated during Sierra Leone's 10-year war.

Judge Benjamin Itoe, sitting at a court in Bonthe, southeast of the
capital Freetown, ordered that a report written by psychiatrist Peter
Verkaeed be made available to prosecution and defence lawyers.

Public hearings have also been held for three other indictees - former RUF
commanders Alex Brima, Issa Sesay and Morris Kallon who, like Sankoh, each
face 17 charges. A fifth, former interior minister Samuel Hinga Norman,
has had closed hearings at an undisclosed location while two others,
Johnny Paul Koroma and Sam Bockarie, remain at large.

For the full story go to:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33030&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=SIERRA_LEONE


WESTERN SAHARA: Another two months for MINURSO

The UN Security Council on Tuesday decided that the UN mission in Western
Sahara (MINURSO) would remain in the northwestern African territory for
another two months following a unanimous decision to extend its mandate to
31 May. The Council's decision was in line with a request made by
Secretary-General Kofi Annan for an extension of MINURSO so to give more
time to the parties to the conflict - Morocco and the Polisario Front - to
consider a proposed "Peace Plan for self-determination for the people of
Western Sahara".

The conflict in Western Sahara started in 1975 following the withdrawal of
Spain from its colony, when Morocco - with assistance from Mauritania -
invaded the territory, prompting the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Saguia el-Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario) to take up arms to fight for
its independence. In 1991, the UN secured a ceasefire and deployed
MINURSO. It was scheduled to organise a referendum on the territory's
future, but this has been stalled by disagreement between the two parties,
including on the issue of who is eligible to vote.

For stories on Western Sahara go to:
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Western_Sahara


BENIN: US $460 million in debt relief
 
The IMF and the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA)
reported on Tuesday that Benin had taken steps necessary to reach its
completion point under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
initiative, making the country eligible for debt relief totaling US $460
million

"Benin's completion point reflects the Government's strong track record of
reform," Antoinette Sayeh, World Bank country director for Benin said.
"Resources made available under HIPC have been used to commendable effect
in education, health, the fight against HIV/AIDS and rural water and
sanitation." Benin becomes the eighth country to reach this point. Others
are Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mali, Mozambique, Tanzania and
Uganda.

For the full story go to:
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=33077&SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=BENIN


TOGO: Thousands flock for treatment to Mercy ship
 
Between 5,000 and 6,000 people flocked to a stadium in the Togolese
capital, Lome, on 6-7 March hoping to be selected for free treatment by
doctors of the Anastasis, a hospital ship that docked in Lome on 28
February. About 650 were selected.

The ship's 400 volunteers include doctors, nurses who specialise in rural
projects and other health professionals. Their main priorities are eye
disorders such as cataracts, facial conditions like harelips, cleft
palates and tumours, and burns requiring plastic surgery.

Orthopaedic surgeons and gynaecologists are also among the specialists on
board the 159-metre long ship which has three operating theatres and 40
beds for patients. A mobile dispensary enables members of the Anastasis
team to visit patients, including in rural areas, where the volunteers
also carry out community development activities such as the construction
of health centres and assist in the creation of micro-enterprises.

The activities of the Anastasis are sponsored by a Christian organisation
called "Mercy Ships"

[http://www.mercyships.org/home.shtml]. It has offices on land and 700
people at sea.  For the full story go to:
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Togo


WEST AFRICA: Stiff challenges on millennium goals

About half the countries of West Africa are on track towards the target
set in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of halving severe poverty
and hunger by 2015.

UNDP reported on Tuesday that a study had shown that 100 million people
(some 44 per cent of the 230 million people in West Africa) survived on
less than US $1 a day.

By 2015 the region's population will reach 300 million, magnifying the
challenge of cutting poverty, UNDP said. It said representatives from 16
West African countries who met at a recent regional forum in Dakar,
Senegal, called for greater commitment to achieving progress towards the
goals. They included representatives of governments, civil society, UN
agencies and other development partners. "The MDGs are very important
objectives for promoting human development and poverty reduction,"
Abdoulie Janneh, UNDP Assistant Administrator and director of the Regional
Bureau for Africa said. "The targets will be difficult to reach,
particularly for Africa, but they can be achieved."

Details including MDG reports for Guinea and Senegal in French are
available at: http://www.undp.org/dpa/index.html


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

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