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

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


WEST AFRICA
IRIN-WA Weekly Roundup 187
01 - 08 August 2003


CONTENTS:

LIBERIA: Nigerian troops arrive, Taylor to leave on Monday
COTE D'IVOIRE: Amnesty law approved
MAURITANIA: Former president to vie for presidency
NIGERIA-SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE: Obasanjo to expedite for military agreement


LIBERIA: Nigerian troops arrived, Taylor to leave on Monday

The Liberian crisis took a positive turn this week as Nigerians soldiers,
who constitute the vanguard of a West African peacekeeping force, landed
in the capital, Monrovia, and a promise by President Charles Taylor that
he would leave the presidency on Monday.

On Thursday, some 300 soldiers moved into Monrovia and toured several
neighbourhoods where they were received by hundreds of peace-hungry
civilians. They arrived on Monday from neighbouring Sierra Leone.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has planned to
deploy 3,250 soldiers in the coming weeks to stabilise the country. Ghana,
Mali, Senegal Togo, Benin and The Gambia have pledged to contribute troops
to the military mission.

On Thursday, in a letter read out to Parliament, President Taylor said he
would quit the presidency on Monday 11 August and hand-over power to his
vice-president, Moses Blah. A motion to approve Taylor's resignation and
his replacement was approved by 46 votes to one.

Taylor is expected to take up asylum in Nigeria on the same day or on
Tuesday at the latest, South African President Thabo Mbeki said, adding
that he would travel to Monrovia to witness the handing over of power.

Amid all these hopeful events, Nigerian troops intercepted and detained a
plane carrying over 10 tons of ammunition destined to the government
forces and other pro-Taylor fighters. The plane landed before dawn at the
Roberts Field International Airport, military and diplomatic sources said.
The cargo consisted of ammunitions for AK 47 riffles and rocket-propelled
grenades.

While Monrovia, where food and potable water are the greatest needs,
experienced some respite in fighting this week, the port city of Buchanan
witnessed some fighting as government troops attempted to retake it, from
the control of the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), one of the
rebel movements fighting to oust Taylor. By the end of the week, it
appeared MODEL was still controlling the town, 100 km east of Monrovia.

On Wednesday, the United Nations appealed for US $69.1 million to help
re-launch relief operations in the country to cover basic needs for the
three million inhabitants for the rest of the year. The appeal was
launched in New York by the newly appointed UN Special Representative for
Liberia, Jacques Klein. This sum is higher than a first appeal launched in
November 2002 for the sum of $42.7 million.

In the capital, the non-governmental organisation Action Against Hunger
concluded a survey of more than 6,000 children under five-year which
showed that 30 percent suffer from acute malnutrition. The survey, which
was conducted between 10 June and 31 July, also showed a rate of severe
malnutrition of 5 percent.

Insufficient food, medicine and potable water rank among the most pressing
needs, as civilians- about one million in Monrovia- have difficulties
feeding themselves, and medical relief agencies face difficulties treating
the war wounded and the caseload of sick.

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

COTE D'IVOIRE: Amnesty law approved

The parliament of Cote d'Ivoire approved overwhelmingly a bill that grants
amnesty to rebels who attempted to overthrow President Laurent Gbagbo in
September 2002.

The law was approved with no votes against and only two abstentions.

The amnesty law is retroactive to September 2000 and protects all those
who participated in acts considered threats to the State perpetrated since
then.  The amnesty, which was first proposed by Gbagbo during peace talks
in Togo in late 2002, excludes economic crimes and "serious violations" of
human rights and international humanitarian law, and is only applicable to
Ivorian nationals. Thus mercenaries and other hired fighters who fought
for either side could face prosecution.

The amnesty law had been set as a prerequisite for members of the three
Ivorian rebel movements who fought President Gbagbo before engaging in the
demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration programme.

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

MAURITANIA: Former president to vie for presidency

Former Mauritanian president Mohamed Khouna Ould Haiddalah, who ran the
affairs of the desert nation from 1980 to 1984, announced last Saturday
that he will run in the 7 November presidential election in which
Mauritanians would decide who will replace the incumbent President Maaouya
Ould Sid Ahmed Taya, who has been in power since 1984.

Ould Haiddalah is credited with the support of the Mauritanian diaspora in
Europe and the private sector and is considered the strongest opponent to
Taya, the man who replaced him in December 1984.

In addition to Taya and Ould Haiddalah, five other candidates have
announced their candidature, including the first ever-female candidate,
Aicha Mint Jedana, a defector of the ruling party.

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

NIGERIA-SAO TOME AND PRINCIPLE: Obasanjo to expedite for military
agreement

Nigeria's president Olusegun Obasanjo said on Wednesday that he would
quickly work a pending military agreement that would enable Sao Tome and
Principle to benefit from military assistance from Nigeria.

Obasanjo justified his willingness to expedite the agreement by saying
that the social, political and economic circumstances used to justify last
month coup were still present.

Nigeria played a key role in restoring Sao Tome's president, Fradique de
Menezes, into power after a week-long coup d'etat, led by disgruntled
soldiers.

According to Obasanjo, the two countries need to work together to secure
the "mutual security and core national interests of the two countries."

Oil is their "core national interests."  The two countries have entered
into an agreement to share the proceeds of any oil found in an offshore
zone where their territorial waters overlap, with 60 percent going to
Nigeria and 40 percent to Sao Tome.


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

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