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Subject: WEST AFRICA: IRIN-WA Update 674 [2000313]
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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 22-40-4435
e-mail: irin-wa@irin.ci

WEST AFRICA: IRIN-WA Update 674, Monday 13 March

CONTENTS:

SIERRA LEONE: New torture allegations
LIBERIA: Acute drug shortage in Lofa
LIBERIA: Peace advocacy group holds elections
COTE D'IVOIRE: Election budget set
WEST AFRICA: Connection of railroads begins June 2003
WEST AFRICA:: Two West Africans among Iraq monitors

SIERRA LEONE: New torture allegations

Civilians who fled the town of Koidu in eastern Sierra Leone have arrived=
 in=20
the capital Freetown with reports of rebels torturing people there, the B=
BC=20
reported on Sunday.

They say punishments include stripping people naked and beating them,=20
throwing them into diamond-mining pits and subjecting them to hard labour=
.=20

The abuses follow an anti-rebel demonstration held in Freetown last weeke=
nd=20
organised by people displaced from Kono, the BBC said.

LIBERIA: Acute drug shortage in Lofa

A senior health official in the north Liberian county of Lofa says there =
is=20
a severe shortage of drugs at many health centres in the region, 'Star'=20
radio reported on Saturday.

Lofa County Health Officer Karson Jallah said the shortages resulted from=
=20
the withdrawal from Lofa by non-governmental organisations following a re=
bel=20
incursion in August 1999, and from the fact that lack of transport had=20
prevented government and the National Drug Service from delivering drugs=20
there. He said vehicles assigned to the county health team had been loote=
d=20
during last year's fighting in Lofa between government troops and rebels.

LIBERIA: Peace advocacy group holds elections

The peace advocacy group Media Against Conflict (MAC) held its=20
office-bearers' elections in the capital Monrovia on Friday, Star Radio=20
reported.

Those elected include PANA correspondent Pete Kahler as chairman,=20
editor-in-chief of the 'News' newspaper Joseph Bartua as co-chairman,=20
analyst/editor Ignitius George as secretary-general, and the chief editor=
 of=20
Star radio, Joseph Teh, as assistant secretary-general.

MAC was founded nearly two years ago to promote balanced, accurate and fa=
ir=20
reporting of conflicts, Star said.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Election budget set

Cote d'Ivoire's Council of Ministers set a transitional budget on Friday,=
=20
allocating some FCFA 16 billion (US $24.5 million) to finance elections t=
o=20
be held later this year, the state daily 'Fraternite Matin' reported on=20
Monday.

The military authorities recently announced that presidential, legislativ=
e=20
and municipal elections will take place by 31 October, marking a return t=
o=20
democratic rule. Cote d'Ivoire is currently headed by Brigadier General=20
Robert Guei of the Conseil National du Salut Public (CNSP) following a co=
up=20
on 24 December 1999 which overthrew the former regime of Henri Konan Bedi=
e. =20
The ex-president is now living in France.

WEST AFRICA: Connection of railroads begins June 2003

A project to connect West Africa's railroads is to begin in June 2003 in=20
line with a master plan adopted six years ago, PANA reported on Sunday. T=
he=20
decision was taken at a four-day meeting organised by ECOWAS, the UN=20
Economic Commission for Africa and the Union of African Railways (UAR).

Donors will be approached this month to fund the feasibility studies for =
the=20
rail network while preliminary cost estimates and detailed  engineering=20
studies are due for completion by February 2001.

The meeting urged West African governments to introduce laws that will ma=
ke=20
sure the railroads operate on a competitive and commercial basis. Economi=
c=20
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Executive Secretary Lansana=20
Kouyate said railroads in the subregion suffer from "deplorable condition=
s=20
of lines, inadequacy of fixed installations and signalling equipment,=20
obsolete locomotives as well as difficulties in obtaining spare parts".

The meeting was attended by ECOWAS representatives from Benin, Burkina Fa=
so,=20
Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.  Also present were=20
representatives of the ECOWAS Fund for Cooperation, the ADB, the ECA and =
the=20
UAR.

WEST AFRICA:: Two West Africans among Iraq monitors

Two West Africans are among 16 commissioners appointed by the UN=20
Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, to the UN Monitoring, Verification and=20
Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) for Iraq. They are Abigun Ade Abiodun of=20
Nigeria and Senegal's Cheikh Sylla.

The Commissioners will meet regularly to review the implementation of=20
Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq, and provide professional adv=
ice=20
and guidance to the UNMOVIC's Executive Chairman, Hans Blix, including on=
=20
significant policy decisions and on written reports to be submitted to th=
e=20
Council through the Secretary-General, according to a UN press release.

The other commissioners are Reinhard B=F6hm (Germany) Ronald Cleminson=20
(Canada), Cong Guang (China), Therese Delpech (France), Robert Einhorn=20
(United States), Yuriy Fedotov (Russian Federation), Kostyantyn Gryshchen=
ko=20
(Ukraine), Gunterio G. Heineken (Argentina), Hannelore Hoppe (UN Departme=
nt=20
of Disarmament Affairs), Takanori Kazuhara (Japan), Roque Monteleone-Neto=
=20
(Brazil), Annaswamy Narayana Prasad (India), Marjatta Rautio (Finland) an=
d=20
Paul Schulte (UK).

Abidjan, 13 March 2000; 17:05 GMT

[ENDS]

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