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 172
19 - 25 April 2003


CONTENTS:

NIGERIA: Obasanjo wins but opposition queries results 
COTE D'IVOIRE: Situation in the west continues to arouse concern
BURKINA FASO: Cheaper drugs from India for people with HIV
LIBERIA: Group calls for international force
GHANA: Clashes in the north
NIGER: Sahelian country celebrates eight years of peace
SIERRA LEONE: Country still under threat, group warns


NIGERIA: Obasanjo wins but opposition queries results

Incumbent president Olusegun Obasanjo was declared winner of the 19 April
presidential election on Tuesday after he secured 62 percent of the vote.
About 32.9 percent of valid votes went to his nearest rival, Muhamadu
Buhari of the main opposition All Nigeria People's Party.

Local and international observers said the ballot was flawed by
malpractices in several states, but most did not say the entire result was
compromised. However, opposition groups said the vote was massively rigged
and called for its cancellation as well as the resignation of Obasanjo.

Some parties threatened that if that did not happen, there could be
unrest. Obasanjo has dismissed allegations of electoral fraud, insisting
the vote was free, and transparent. His ruling People's Democratic Party
threatened to crack down on any uprising.

Saturday's polls also included elections for the post of state governor.
Most were won by the ruling party, which made inroads into former
opposition strongholds, particularly in the southwest.

[For more on Nigeria, please go to
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Nigeria]
 
COTE D'IVOIRE: Situation in the west continues to arouse concern

Western Cote d'Ivoire, where civilians were again displaced following
hostilities, continued to cause much concern among government,
humanitarian and other officials. The situation in the west was described
as a conflict within a conflict by a senior official of a French military
force during a briefing with UN Envoy Carolyn McAskie.  France has been
monitoring a ceasefire concluded by Cote d'Ivoire's rebel forces since
October.
 
McAskie arrived on Tuesday for a one-week mission which included a visit
to locations in western Cote d'Ivoire on Friday. Her programme also
includes discussions with UN, government and other officials, an address
at a UN-supported roundtable on media and conflict resolution, a meeting
of regional humanitarian partners and the launch of a joint appeal by UN
and other agencies for funds for humanitarian projects.

[For more on Cote d'Ivoire, please go to
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Cote_d_Ivoire]

BURKINA FASO: Cheaper drugs from India for people with HIV

Burkina Faso is to import cheaper generic drugs from India for people
living with HIV under an agreement with the Chemical Industrial
Pharmaceutical Laboratories (CIPLA) of India, Minister of Health Alain
Yoda said on Tuesday in Ouagadougou. The drugs from India stands to lower
the monthly treatment of HIV/AIDS from between US $100 and US $150 to
between US $37 and US $70 per month, officials said. Some 6.5 percent of
Burkina Faso's people are believed to be HIV positive, according to latest
UNAIDS figures. Until recently, the rate had been put at 7.17 percent.

[For more on Burkina Faso, please go to 
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Burkina

LIBERIA: Group calls for international force

A group calling itself the Coalition of Internally Displaced Camps around
Monrovia has called for the deployment of an international stabilization
force to disarm all illegal armed groups in Liberia, where fighting
between pro- and anti-government forces has escalated in recent weeks.
 
The group, which purports to represent more than 50,000 internally
displaced persons (IDPs), said in a statement on 18 April that the
deployment of the force and an immediate unconditional ceasefire among the
warring parties would pave the way for the restoration of peace in Liberia

A group called Women in Peace Building Network (WIPNET) continued a series
of anti-war protests in Monrovia.

Meanwhile, the situation of IDPs continued to arouse concern among
humanitarian agencies. OCHA reported this week that there was a shortage
of ambulances for IDP and refugee camps.
 
Medecins sans Frontieres said the insecurity in parts of the country
prevented them from replenishing their dwindling medical supplies in the
affected areas, OCHA reported.

IDP camps have been among locations targeted by rebels. This prompted the
World Food Programme (WFP) to urge the Liberian government to provide
security guarantees before it distributes relief food to vulnerable
groups.

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

GHANA: Clashes in the north

A dusk-to-dawn curfew was imposed this week in the northern Ghanaian town
of Tamale following clashes between supporters of the ruling and main
opposition party. Homes and other property were destroyed. Security forces
arrested over 100 people. Business places were closed in the earlier part
of the week but reopened later.

[For more on Ghana please go to: 
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Ghana ]

NIGER: Sahelian country celebrates eight years of peace

The Republic of Niger this week celebrated eight years of peace which
began on 24 April 1995 with the signing of the first of a series of
agreements that ended a rebellion by Tuareg nomads in the north of the
Sahelian country. The accord was signed in Niamey following mediation by
Algeria, Burkina Faso and France between the state and the rebels. It was
followed by an additional protocol signed in Algiers on 28 November 1997
and the N'Djamena Accord, initialled on 21 August 1998. They paved the way
for the restoration of definitive peace and stability in the country.

[For more on Niger, please go to:  
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Niger ]

SIERRA LEONE: Country still under 'serious' threat, group warns

Peace in Sierra Leone is still under threat because a disarmament,
demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) process in the West African country
did not meet all its objectives, Africa Analysis International (AAI)
warned in a briefing paper issued on 20 April.

"There are still arms hidden in the country and various stakeholders in
the war or conflict situation are to some extent still maintaining cells
of their movements," according to AAI, a US-based research, communications
and information resource group with a focus on Africa. "In addition, many
adherents and actors, key ones too, in the war have left the country and
are actively engaged in combat activities in the West African sub region;
in Liberia and the Ivory Coast to be specific," it said.

The war in Liberia is a threat to Sierra Leone, according to the briefing
paper, titled 'Sierra Leone: The pre and post war overview; a combination
of tragedy, threat and insecurity'. Peace and security in Sierra Leone, it
added, were largely contingent on developments in Liberia and other
neighbouring states.
 
[The report can be viewed at:
http://www.africaanalysis.org/westafrica/prepostsalone.htm ]

[For more on Sierra Leone, please go to:
http://www.irinnews.org/frontpage.asp?SelectRegion=West_Africa&SelectCountry=Sierra 


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