Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 13:33:28 +0000 (GMT)
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Subject: WEST AFRICA: IRIN News Briefs [2000703]
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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 22-41-9339
e-mail: irin-wa@irin.ci

WEST AFRICA: IRIN News Briefs, Monday 3 July 2000

BENIN: Unions to protest against fuel price hike
BENIN: ADB loan for rural electrification project
GHANA: Foreign exchange dealers want fewer restrictions
GAMBIA: Parliament decides against corruption inquiry
GAMBIA: Court rejects request to jail opposition leader

BENIN: Unions protest against fuel price hike

Five of Benin's six trade union federations have called on their members
to demonstrate on Tuesday against increases ranging from 34 to 77 percent
in the prices of petroleum products, AFP reported. The federations are
calling on the government to raise salaries so as to cushion the effect of
the increase. The sixth federation staged a strike on 20 June against the
price hike, imposed on 3 June.

BENIN: ADB loan for rural electrification project

The African Development Bank (ADB) announced on Thursday that it would
lend Benin US $6.33 million for a project to provide electricity in rural
centres, the bank announced on Thursday. The project aims to provide 7,000
households in 17 rural areas with energy by 2005 and to promote economic
activities in the countryside. So far the bank has lent Benin US $398.75
million since 1972.

GHANA: Foreign exchange dealers want fewer restrictions

Foreign exchange dealers have urged Ghana's central bank to scrap a
measure requiring their clients to give their names and addresses when
buying or selling foreign currency, 'Ghana Review International' reported
on Friday.

The periodical said members of the Ghana Association of Forex Bureaux
appealed on Thursday to the Bank of Ghana to withdraw the measure because
they were losing customers to parallel market operators.

The Bank introduced the requirement in May, along with others aimed at
curbing the depreciation of the cedi, such as limiting foreign currency
sales or purchases to US $2000 a day, a measure which the bureaux also
want it to scrap.

The cedi fell from 2540 to the US dollar in May 1999 to 4930:1 a year
later. The dollar now exchanges at 1 to 5550 cedis.

GAMBIA: Parliament decides against corruption inquiry

Gambian parliamentarians voted on Thursday by 27 votes to seven against
holding a parliamentary inquiry into whether President Yahya Jammeh was
implicated in allegedly illegal sales of Nigerian oil two years ago, AFP
reported on Friday.

Opposition leader Ousainou Darboe had accused Jammeh of illegally selling
20,000 mt of oil, worth some US $3.8 million, in 1997-1998 to finance his
election campaign.

The accusation was based on complaints filed in November 1999 by
Chantrils, a British company that marketed oil Nigeria had supplied to
Gambia, AFP said. Chantrils accused Jammeh's government of breach of
contract and not paying commissions. It won the case, AFP said.

GAMBIA: Court rejects request to jail opposition leader

Gambia's high court has rejected a request from the justice minister to
jail opposition leader Ousainou Darboe and 24 of his supporters, AFP
reported judicial sources as saying on Friday.

The United Democratic Party (UDP) leader and activists were charged with
the murder of a member of the ruling Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation
and Construction (APRC) during clashes between UDP and APRC supporters on
17 June. They were released on bail over a week ago.

Abidjan, 3 July 2000; 15:30 GMT

[ENDS]

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