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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-WA Update 813 (Wednesday 27 September)

CONTENTS:

GUINEA: UNHCR begins security assessment in the southeast
GUINEA: Government says it still welcomes refugees 
GUINEA: Ban lifted on foreign media correspondents
COTE D'IVOIRE: Top generals blamed for attempt on Guei's life
COTE D'IVOIRE: Mediation bid spawns barrage of protests
LIBERIA: Liberians in US may have to return home
LIBERIA: Grassroots organisations benefit from embassy grants
MAURITANIA: US, local military forces end medical exercise

GUINEA: UNHCR begins security assessment in the southeast

UNHCR and Guinea government officials began a security assessment mission on
Tuesday in the southeastern Guinean towns of Guekedou, Macenta and
Nzerekore, hit by recent raids by armed men from Liberia, a UNHCR official
told IRIN.

Abou Moussa, the West and Central African Regional Director of the UNHCR,
said on Wednesday that a decision to return his workers to the sites would
be made after the completion of the security evaluation. 

Unidentified armed men from Liberia's Lofa County attacked Macenta on 17
September and shot dead UNHCR official Benjamin Kpognon. Another UNHCR
employee, Sapeu Djeya, was kidnapped by the group. Her whereabouts are still
unknown. 

Angry Guinean vigilantes, mobilised by the government to help the army
repulse the attackers, had also stoned UNHCR vehicles and threatened staff
members with more harm. As a result, the agency has withdrawn all its staff
to Conakry, the capital, and some have expressed fear of returning. 

"Now the situation is better but our colleagues are traumatized," Moussa
said. 

GUINEA: Government says it still welcomes refugees 

Guinea will continue to welcome and protect all refugees on its soil,
especially Liberian and Sierra Leoneans, Minister of Territorial
Administration Moussa Solano said on Tuesday. 

"The government of Guinea makes the solemn appeal to the peaceful people to
continue to demonstrate their solidarity and their traditionally African
hospitality to our Liberian and Sierra Leonean brothers and sisters," he
said.

His pledge, in a state-wide radio broadcast, appeared aimed at allaying the
fears of the refugees. They began fleeing their host country after Guinean
youths, angered by a spate of cross-border raids on their country that began
on 1 September, set on the refugees and demanded their explusion. Solano
condemned unnamed media houses for trying to cast Guineans as xenophobes
because of the initial reaction of the vigilante groups.

"Such an attitude can tarnish the good image of our country which, for more
than ten years, has generously granted refuge to hundreds of thousands of
refugees," . 

Guinea hosts 130,000 Liberian and 360,000 Sierra Leonean refugees registered
with the UNHCR. Until a 17 September attack on the border town of Macenta,
they were being cared for by the agency and its partners. Solano said Guinea
"highly appreciated" the efforts of its partners, particularly the UNHCR. 

GUINEA: Ban lifted on foreign media correspondents

Guinea's National Communication Council lifted on Monday the ban on three
local correspondents of international media organisations, Guinean radio
reported.

The ban was imposed on 1 August on Ben Daouda Sylla of Africa No 1, 
Amadou Diallo of the BBC and Moctar Bah of RFI and AFP for publishing
information detrimental to the image and stability of the country. 

COTE D'IVOIRE: Top generals blamed for attempt on Guei's life

Cote d'Ivoire's ruling Conseil National de Salut Publique (CNSP) has accused
two of its most senior members of being behind an attack on the home of CNSP
chairman General Robert Guei in what it said was a plot to kill him and
overthrow the government.

The two men, generals Lassana Palenfo and Abdoulaye Coulibaly, were
dismissed as ministers of security and transport respectively in the
aftermath of the 18 September attack on Guei's home, and went into hiding.
On Tuesday, Coulibaly denied that they were involved in any attempt to kill
Guei.

State television also showed weapons purportedly found during a search on
Tuesday at Coulibaly's home. In an interview with the BBC from an
undisclosed hiding place, he said: "It's a set-up, a crude set-up."

COTE D'IVOIRE: Mediation bid spawns barrage of protests
 
An attempt by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to help end the
political crisis in Cote d'Ivoire has spawned a series of public protests by
groups that have described the OAU mediation as interference in the
country's internal affairs.

On Tuesday, a group of youths - numbering about 1,500, sources told IRIN -
marched to the Presidential Palace to show their disapproval of the
commission's proposals. A similar demonstration was held on Wednesday and a
an alliance of civil society groups called 'The Collective of NGOs, Trade
Unions and Associations of Cote d'Ivoire for the Safeguard of the
Constitution' has scheduled a protest for Thursday. 

LIBERIA: Liberians in US may have to return home

About 10,000 Liberians living in the United States are nervously waiting to
see whether they will be told they have to return to Liberia after their
residency status expires on Friday. 

They had fled Liberia during the country's civil war in the 1990s. They were
given a one-year reprieve last year after fighting broke out again in
Liberia and were given "deferred enforced departure" status. US lawmakers
are considering two bills to grant the Liberians permanent residency in the
United States. 

The US Justice Department says Liberia is safe enough for the refugees to
return. At this point, only the US president can defer their departure.
Liberia was settled by freed American slaves early in the 19th century.

LIBERIA: Grassroots organisations benefit from US embassy grants

At least 15 grassroots groups in Liberia are benefiting from US $75,000 in
grants provided by the US Embassy in Monrovia through the US Ambassador's
Self-Help Project.

The grants are intended to help empower communities through locally based
projects, 'The News' newspaper of Monrovia reported on Tuesday.

Among the organisations that have received grants are the women's wing of
the National Repentant Muslims of Liberia, the Liberia Women's Initiative,
the Zuoplay Women's Association and the Kpaytuo Women's Association of Nimba
County. Others are the Filorken Development Association of Grand Kru County,
the Greenville Men Agriculture Project of Sinoe County and the Mother and
Old Age Welfare Foundation of Liberia.

The projects being undertaken include the renovation of educational and
health facilities, literacy and skills training programmes, animal
husbandry, bee-keeping and agriculture.

MAURITANIA: US, local military forces end medical exercise

Mauritanian and US military personnel ended on Tuesday a 12-day exercise to
familiarise local troops with methods of responding to natural disasters,
AFP reported. 

It quoted the US commander of the manoeuvres, Colonel Charles Kesley,
as saying the exercise - organised by the 30th US Army Brigade of
Heidelberg, Germany - taught the troops medical procedures for victims of
epidemics resulting from natural disasters. 

Operation MEDFLAF 00-2 took place in the town of Aleg, 256 km southeast of
Nouakchott, the capital. Medics from Britain, Germany and The Netherlands
also took part.

The 60 multinational troops performed 81 cataract operations, distributed
250 pair of spectacles and provided dental care to residents of the
community, Kesley said. In addition, 194 sick Mauritanian army camels were
treated by veterinary doctors. 

[ENDS]

Abidjan, 27 September 2000; 18:29 GMT

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Desk): +225-22-41-9339; e-mail: irin-wa@irin.ci] 


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