December 1999 Military News

INDONESIA UNREST Voice of America 31 December 1999 -- Villagers in Indonesia's once-peaceful Spice Islands buried their dead Friday, as the toll from sectarian clashes there reached 350.
INDIA HIJACK Voice of America 31 December 1999 -- The week-long hostage crisis aboard the Indian Airliner in southern Afghanistan has ended - after India met part of the hijackers demands.
PLANE HIJACKING Voice of America 31 December 1999 -- The Indian Airline hostage crisis has ended peacefully in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The more than 150 remaining hostages were freed Friday.
CONGO REBEL AMBUSH Voice of America 31 December 1999 -- A rebel leader in Congo-Kinshasa says his troops killed 80 government soldiers in a river ambush in the north of the country.
SCUD / CHECHNYA Voice of America 31 December 1999 -- Pentagon officials say Russia launched three short-range scud missiles into Chechnya Friday.
SPLIT IN SUDAN Voice of America 30 December 1999 -- Sudan's President Omar el-Bashir has dissolved parliament and declared a state of emergency in a power struggle with his country's spiritual leader, Hasan al-Turabi.
RWANDA ATTACK Voice of America 30 December 1999 -- Rebels in Rwanda last week launched their first attack in the country in more than a year.
TURKEY / KURDS Voice of America 30 December 1999 -- Hopes are growing for a lasting peace in Turkey's largely Kurdish southeastern provinces. Clashes between Turkish government forces and rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' party, the P-K-K, are receding in the wake of a rebel cease-fire.
TURKEY / OCALAN Voice of America 30 December 1999 -- Turkey's chief prosecutor, Vural Savas, has rejected demands for a retrial of Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.
IVORY COAST / REACT Voice of America 30 December 1999 -- Nine West-African nations are calling for the new military leaders in Ivory Coast to organize national elections by next June.
INDONESIA / VIOLENCE Voice of America 30 December 1999 -- Indonesia's military has reported further sectarian clashes between Muslims and Christians on the island of Halmahera, North of the troubled island, Ambon.
PLANE HIJACKING Voice of America 30 December 1999 -- Indian negotiators have begun a fourth day of talks with the hijackers holding 155 people on board an Indian Airlines plane, in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
HIJACKING - KASHMIR - PROFILE Voice of America 30 December 1999 -- The hijacking of the Indian airliner is not the first time violence has been used to try and free Mr. Azhar. In 1995, five foreigners trekking in the region were kidnapped by a group demanding the release of the Muslim scholar.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 30 December 1999 -- Chechen fighters maintain their grip on central districts of Grozny as federal troops cautiously advance from three directions.
VIOLENCE IN NORTHERN MOLUCCAS Thursday, December 30, 1999 Incident Type: SECURITY Country: AMBON, INDONESIA Incident: The daily Jakarta Kompas today reported the following developments in the ongoing inter-religious violence in the northern Moluccas of eastern Indonesia.
UN investigators exhume more bodies in East Timor. Wednesday, December 29, 1999 -- The UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) is next Tuesday planning to begin excavating a total of 19 grave sites found in Liquica, west of the capital, Dili.
'WORLD WATCHES' AS RUSSIA MOUNTS 'HOLIDAY' OFFENSIVE AGAINST GROZNY USIA Foreign Media Reaction Report December 29, 1999 The Russian army's Christmas day assault on the Chechen capital, Grozny, shifted the attention of Russia-watchers from the country's parliamentary election results back to Moscow's "ruthless" war against its breakaway republic. Despite the fighting, a minority of analysts remained rather optimistic about Russia's future and hopeful that the election outcome signaled a trend toward democracy and economic reform. However, the vast majority of observers--including some reformist papers in Moscow--had a more jaundiced view.
WHY DOES NOT PEACE IN CHECHNYA SUIT USA? Valentin Kunin RIA Novosti 29.12.1999 -- Washington does not even conceal its ultimate purpose of ousting Russian influence from the region and establishing its full control over Caspian oil and gas transportation routes.
EAST TIMOR GRAVES Voice of America 29 December 1999 -- The United Nations says its police in East Timor have uncovered human remains in a mass grave that may contain as many as 54 victims.
SIERRA LEONE-U-N Voice of America 29 December 1999 -- The Security Council met to review U-N Secretary-General Kofi Annan's request for the expansion of the U-N peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone, known as UNAMSIL.
NEPAL / MAOISTS Voice of America 29 December 1999 -- A Maoist underground movement operating during the past three-years says it wants to improve the living conditions of ordinary people by fighting a "people's war."
LANKA SECURITY Voice of America 29 December 1999 -- Sri Lanka's capital is being threatened by suspected Tamil suicide bombers as millennium celebrations approach.
INDONESIA / UNREST Voice of America 29 December 1999 -- Indonesia's military says it is taking over responsibility for security on the eastern island of Ambon in a bid to restore order after days of violence.
KANDAHAR-HIJACK Voice of America 29 December 1999 -- Afghanistan's Taleban movement says hijackers of an Indian airliner have dropped their demands for a 200-million-dollars ransom and the body of a Kashmiri leader who was killed in India.
5,000 CIVILIANS LEFT GROZNY, BUT MILITANTS PREVENT THEM FROM LEAVING THE CITY, FIRING AT SECURITY CORRIDORS AND PLANTING MINES ON APPROACHES TO THEM RIA Novosti 29 December 1999 -- Over the past 24 hours, noted Manilov, the units of federal forces have broken the group of bandit formations into separate parts and consistently, without engaging in open clashes with terrorists, are liberating the districts of the Chechen capital from three directions.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 29 December 1999 -- Chechen fighters are retreating from strategic positions in Grozny in order to reorganize their defense.
YEARENDER: BURUNDI REBELS Voice of America 29 December 1999 -- Continued rebel attacks prompted a massive resettlement of civilians, which in turn has resulted in outbreaks of disease in camps for displaced people.
REPORT OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ON CHECHNYA IS BIASSED, SAYS RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN RIA Novosti 28 December 1999 -- The report of the Amnesty International on Chechnya is obviously one-sided and biassed, being in many respects based on untrustworthy information and inventions. It deliberately distorts the policy and actions of the federal authorities.
RUSSIA/CHECHNYA Voice of America 28 December 1999 -- Russia's defense minister says federal forces have achieved a breakthrough in their march on the Chechen capital, Grozny.
TURKEY / KURDS Voice of America 28 December 1999 -- A semblance of peace is returning to Turkey's largely Kurdish southeastern region as rebels of the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party obey a call by its imprisoned leader to end their armed campaign for independence.
IVORY COAST Voice of America 28 December 1999 -- Ivory Coast's new ruler, Robert Guei, has met with foreign diplomats in an effort to build support in the face of widespread foreign criticism of the coup that brought him to power last week and ended nearly four decades of civilian rule.
INDONESIA / UNREST Voice of America 28 December 1999 -- Sporadic violence continued Tuesday in the Malukan provincial capital of Ambon. The rampages are adding to the death and injury toll from the strife between Christians and Muslims that began last week on the nearby island of Buru.
INDIA HIJACK Voice of America 28 December 1999 -- Hijackers holding 160-hostages onboard an Indian Airlines plane in Kandahar, Afghanistan have dramatically increased their demands.
PLANE HIJACKING Voice of America 28 December 1999 -- The plane has been parked on the runway in Kandahar for four days. Members of an Indian delegation have been negotiating almost continuously with the hijackers of the Indian airliner.
INDIA / HOSTAGE FAMILIES Voice of America 28 December 1999 -- Most of the hostages on the Indian Airlines plane are Indian nationals and in recent days their relatives have become increasingly critical of the Indian government for not doing enough to end the crisis.
YEARENDER: CHECHNYA WAR, PART TWO Voice of America 28 December 1999 -- James Ron, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, who interviewed hundreds of victims, says the evidence clearly indicates Russia is using indiscriminate force in Chechnya.
AFGHANISTAN: A CENTENIAL REVIEW Voice of America 28 December 1999 -- Afghanistan is a very hard country to conquer by foreigners, but for the same reason it is very hard country to rule by its own people.
WE DON'T USE VOLUME EXPLOSION BOMBS, MANILOV COMMENTS 28 December 1999 -- The Federal Forces haven't applied volume explosion bombs in the Chechen mountains, although they have such weapons, stated the First Deputy Chief of the Russian General staff, Colonel General Valery Manilov.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 27 December 1999 -- News agencies say warplanes have begun dropping powerful aerosol bombs on Chechen bases, sometimes located in caves and deep trenches. The incendiary devices release a large cloud of flammable gas and cause massive explosions that can clear out bunkers and other fortifications.
YEARENDER: CHECHNYA WAR Voice of America 27 December 1999 -- The war united a nation shamed by a long string of military setbacks from Afghanistan to Kosovo to its complete impotence in the face of NATO's eastward expansion.
RADIO LIBERTY FIGHTS ON THE SIDE OF TERRORISTS RUSSIAN INFORMATION CENTRE STATEMENT 27 December 1999 -- The amateur video footage shot in Grozny in mid-December which one of the Russian TV channels showed yesterday is a fresh fake. The faked film in the production of which the Radio Liberty reporter took a most active part, is known to have turned out a failure.
YEARENDER: EAST TIMOR Voice of America 27 December 1999 -- East Timor is slowly coming back to life after the deadly violence that shook the territory earlier this year.
CHINA / FALUN GONG Voice of America 27 December 1999 -- Security remains tight in Beijing Monday, one day after a court handed down severe jail sentences to four members of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement.
PERU / FUJIMORI Voice of America 27 December 1999 -- President Fujimori says his government has suppressed two guerrilla movements and improved the national infrastructure and educational system.
IVORY COAST Voice of America 27 December 1999 -- Life is beginning to return to normal in Ivory Coast. The country's new military leader says he plans to form a new government by next week.
INDONESIA / VIOLENCE Voice of America 27 December 1999 -- Inter-communal violence has again erupted in the Indonesian province of Maluku, leaving a reported 37 civilians and Indonesian soldiers dead and dozens injured.
INDIA HIJACK Voice of America 27 December 1999 -- India sent a team of negotiators and medical personnel to Afghanistan to talk with hijackers who seized an Indian Airways plane Friday.
INDIA/HIJACK CRITICISM Voice of America 27 December 1999 -- Security experts in New Delhi say the government's slow response to the crisis allowed the situation to get out of control.
ERITREA-DEPORTEES Voice of America 27 December 1999 -- Ethiopia reportedly is continuing to deport Eritrean nationals living in Ethiopia. An additional 15-hundred Eritreans are said to have been expelled over the past few days (since Friday).
GENERAL GUEI PROFILE Voice of America 26 December 1999 -- The new military ruler of Ivory Coast has been at odds for years with the president he ousted on Friday, Henri Konan Bedie. In fact, General Robert Guei has twice been fired by the Bedie government - once for allegedly plotting a coup.
IVORY COAST Voice of America 26 December 1999 -- France says it has flown the deposed president of Ivory Coast out of his country, three-days after the start of a military uprising that led to his downfall.
HIJACK / INDIA REACT Voice of America 26 December 1999 -- India's Foreign Minister says New Delhi is examining the demands of the hijackers holding an Indian passenger plane with 161 people on board in Afghanistan.
KANDAHAR HIJACK Voice of America 26 December 1999 -- Talks in Afghanistan between a senior U-N official and hijackers of an Indian airliner ended for the night Sunday without any resolution.
PLANE HIJACKING Voice of America 26 December 1999 -- The five armed hijackers have threatened to kill all the hostages if India does not release a Pakistani religious leader, Maulana Masood Azhar and four Kashmiri fighters being held in an Indian jail.
GROZNY FIGHTING Voice of America 26 December 1999 -- Fighting is also underway in the rugged Caucasus Mountains to the south of Grozny, where Russia is trying to dislodge rebels from several areas.
RUSSIA - CHECHNYA Voice of America 26 December 1999 -- Russian forces are cautiously advancing deep into the Chechen capital, Grozny in what is believed to be the long-awaited final assault on the rebel stronghold. Russian infantry units are inching forward on foot, then quickly retreating when they meet resistance and calling in air and artillery strikes.
ANGOLA/WAR Voice of America 26 December 1999 -- Angolan government troops have captured a longtime UNITA rebel stronghold in the southeast of the war-torn country. UNITA were driven from strongholds in the country's Central Highlands in October in a massive government offensive designed to punish UNITA for failing to live up to the terms of a 1994 peace agreement.
SOVIET INVASION OF AFGHANISTAN REMEMBERED Voice of America 26 December 1999 -- The Afghan resistance received aid from many countries, but US help was crucial. This took the Soviets by surprise.
IVORY COAST COUP Voice of America 25 December 1999 -- The former army chief who ousted the president of Ivory Coast is consolidating his hold on power. The country's top military and police leaders have publicly come out in support of the new ruling military junta led by General Robert Guei.
PLANE HIJACKING Voice of America 25 December 1999 -- The hijackers of an Indian airliner are negotiating with officials of the Taleban movement in Afghanistan, where the plane has been on the ground overnight.
RUSSIA/CHECHNYA Voice of America 25 December 1999 -- Russian news agencies report that the all-out assault on the Chechen capital Grozny has begun. Moscow has warned Grozny residents to remain in their basement hideouts until the assault is over.
THE MEASURES BEING TAKEN BY THE RUSSIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY TO COMBAT ETHNIC CRIMES 24.12.1999 NIKOLAI A. MOROZOV - Deputy Chief of the Russian Interior Ministry's main department for combating organised crime, Colonel of Militia -- Due to the aggravation of the operative situation, a department to combat kidnapping and hostage-taking has been set up in the Interior Ministry of the Republic of Daghestan. To solve this problem, the 14th division has been set up to combat kidnapping. It makes it possible to coordinate activities in the republic of North Ossetia-Alania and in the zone of the Osset-Ingush conflict.
INVESTIGATION OF CRIMES COMMITTED IN THE NORTH CAUCASUS 24.12.1999 - Participants: YURI S. BIRYUKOV - Head of the Main Department of the General Prosecutor's Office for the North Caucasus, 2nd category state councillor (justice) YURI P. YAKOVLEV - Deputy Military General Prosecutor of Russia ALEXANDER G. ZVYAGINTSEV - Head of the Public Relations Centre of the General Prosecutor's Office
INDONESIA / EAST TIMOR Voice of America 24 December 1999 -- Indonesia's former military commander has denied his troops were involved in the anti- independence rampage earlier this year in East Timor.
SUDAN EMERGENCY / RECONCILIATION Voice of America 24 December 1999 -- The split in the leadership of the government of Sudan is being seen primarily as a power struggle between President Omar al-Bashir and the powerful speaker of parliament, Hassan al-Turabi.
SUDAN EMERGENCY / PEACE Voice of America 24 December 1999 -- All parties are ready to discuss ways to end the 16-year civil war that has caused one-and-one-half million deaths and displaced two-million people. A new constitution approved last year provides an important, new concession to the rebels. It guarantees the right of southern Sudanese to choose whether they will remain part of Sudan or become independent.
RWANDA ATTACK Voice of America 24 December 1999 -- In Rwanda, militiamen have killed at least 29 people and injured dozens in a small village in the northwest of the country. The attackers were Interahamwe militiamen and Hutu soldiers from the former government who played a leading role in the country's 1994 genocide.
LANKA / WAR Voice of America 24 December 1999 -- In Sri Lanka, about 100 Tamil Tiger rebels and more than ten government soldiers are reported killed in fighting that began late Thursday in the northern part of the country.
IVORY COAST / UPRISING Voice of America 24 December 1999 -- Government officials in Ivory Coast say there is no need to panic, despite the fact that renegade soldiers are continuing to roam freely through the streets of the country's largest city, Abidjan.
IVORY COAST / UPRISING Voice of America 24 December 1999 -- A former army chief in Ivory Coast has announced the overthrow of the country's president, one day after army troops began rampaging through the streets of Ivory Coast's largest city, Abidjan.
PAK / PLANE HIJACKING Voice of America 24 December 1999 -- A hijacked Indian airliner with at least 178 people aboard has landed in the Pakistani city of Lahore after leaving India.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 24 December 1999 -- Russian officials are predicting victory in Chechnya in just a few weeks, but ground forces in and around the rebel capital, Grozny, are struggling to defeat thousands of Chechen fighters remaining in the city.
ALGERIA ATTACK Voice of America 24 December 1999 -- Security officials in Algeria say Islamic militants have massacred about 30 people (Friday) in a highway ambush. It was the deadliest attack since Algerians approved a plan in September to stop the violence in the country.
IVORY COAST UNREST Voice of America 23 December 1999 -- Soldiers have taken to the streets in Ivory Coast, demanding back pay. There have been no reported civilian casualties, but it is not clear how widespread the uprising is.
SUDAN POWER STRUGGLE, PT. 1 OF 3 Voice of America 23 December 1999 -- In Sudan, leaders of the ruling National Congress Party are trying to mediate a dispute between President Omar al-Bashir and the powerful speaker of parliament, Hassan al-Turabi.
SUDAN / EGYPT Voice of America 23 December 1999 -- Egypt says it is restoring full diplomatic relations with neighboring Sudan, after nearly a decade of strained ties.
SRI LANKA VOTE ANALYSIS Voice of America 23 December 1999 -- Following her election victory President Kumaratunga called for peace in Sri Lanka, but Sri Lanka's president has few immediate options other than to press ahead with her military campaign against the Tamil Tigers.
INDONESIA - VIOLENCE Voice of America 23 December 1999 -- Indonesia has been hit by fresh violence between Muslims and Christians, with the death toll from the latest clashes as high as 43 in Maluku province, a hotbed of religious clashes over the past year.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 23 December 1999 -- Fierce battles between Russian troops and Chechen fighters are raging in the Chechen capital, Grozny. Russia's military says it will take full control of Chechnya's mountainous region within weeks, but accuses neighboring Georgia of aiding and harboring rebels.
U-N-EAST TIMOR PROGRESS Voice of America 22 December 1999 -- The United Nations Security Council heard a generally positive report today (Wednesday) on conditions in East Timor. However, there is still concern about tens of thousands of refugees who have yet to return from West Timor.
MEXICO - ZAPATISTAS Voice of America 22 December 1999 -- The Mexican government's chief negotiator in the unresolved conflict with the Zapatista guerrillas is blaming their leader, Deputy-Commander Marcos, for not trying to reach a peace settlement.
LANKA ELECTED Voice of America 22 December 1999 -- Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga says her wounds have given her a new lease on life and made her more determined to end the country's ethnic war.
SRI LANKA VOTE RESULT Voice of America 22 December 1999 -- Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has won reelection to a second term. Independent local election observers say there were widespread irregularities in the election, which came just three days after an assassination attempt on Chandrika Kumaratunga.
U-N-CONGO Voice of America 22 December 1999 -- The United Nations Security Council in a statement by its President today (Wednesday) expressed concern over cease-fire violations in Congo-Kinshasa.
Transcript: Holbrooke Press Briefing at the U.S. Mission to the UN USIA 22 December 1999 -- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Richard C. Holbrooke is telling reporters at the UN that when he serves as President of the UN Security Council during the month of January 2000, he will put highest priority on Africa.
U-N-H-C-R / CHECHNYA Voice of America 22 December 1999 -- Chechen refugees are allegedly being intimidated to return to Chechnya. U-N-H-C-R spokesman Paul Stromberg says many of these people may have been persuaded to go back because of the difficult conditions existing in the camps in Ingushetia.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA FIGHTING Voice of America 22 December 1999 -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says Moscow's military campaign in Chechnya is nearing completion. Federal forces have unleashed one of their heaviest artillery barrages yet over the Chechen capital, Grozny.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 22 December 1999 -- Human Rights Watch says there is growing evidence that Russian troops killed as many as 50 civilians this month in Alkhan-Yurt, a village 15-kilometers southeast of the Chechen capital, Grozny.
SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON EAST TIMOR BY ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR PEACEKEEPING Press Release SC/6776 - 22 December 1999 -- A donor conference held in Tokyo last week had resulted in pledges amounting to $522 million for East Timor, the Security Council was told this morning, as it heard a Secretariat briefing on the situation in that territory.
A loud campaign of attacks on Russia has been started in Georgia STATEMENT BY RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 21 December 1999 -- By turning down proposals to jointly guard the Chechen section of the Georgian-Russian border Tbilisi actually opened a "window" through which the militants are supplied with weapons, munitions and money.
SRI LANKA WAR IMPACT Voice of America 21 December 1999 -- Sri Lankans are voting this week in a presidential election marred by bitter accusations and violence. Bomb blasts Saturday, on the last night of campaigning, killed more than 30 people including a top opposition figure.
SRI LANKA VOTE Voice of America 21 December 1999 -- Three out of four voters in Sri Lanka have cast their ballots in the country's fourth presidential election, amid tight security.
ERITREA - YEMEN Voice of America 21 December 1999 -- Eritrea has welcomed the ruling handed down Monday by an arbitration tribunal in London on a dispute that led to a brief war between Eritrea and Yemen three years ago.
CONGO REBELS Voice of America 21 December 1999 -- Three rival rebel factions in Congo-Kinshasa are wrapping talks in southern Uganda, trying to form a common front in their struggle against the government.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 21 December 1999 -- Russian troops are battling Chechen fighters along the foothills of the republic's southern mountains and on the edges of the capital, Grozny.
YEARENDER: CENTRAL ASIA SECURITY Voice of America 21 December 1999 -- The former Soviet Central Asian states are adopting new security strategies to deal with rising threats to stability in the region.
Honduras, Nicaragua to Discuss Dispute About Caribbean Sea Territories By Eric Green USIA 20 December 1999 -- The foreign ministers of Honduras and Nicaragua will hold talks December 29 in Miami on ways to peacefully settle a maritime dispute that has brought the nations to the brink of war, the Organization of American States (OAS) has announced.
YEARENDER - U-N-EAST TIMOR Voice of America 20 December 1999 -- East Timor finally headed toward independence in 1999, but at a heavy cost.
U-N-H-C-R / EAST TIMOR Voice of America 20 December 1999 -- The U-N Refugee Agency is speeding up its efforts to provide badly-needed shelter material for tens-of-thousands of people in East Timor.
ISRAEL/LEBANON Voice of America 20 December 1999 -- South Lebanon Army -- the S-L-A -- Lebanese militiamen who have backed Israeli troops have formally applied for refuge in the Jewish State.
U-N-H-C-R / CONGO Voice of America 20 December 1999 -- A U-N team is trying to track down the whereabouts of thousands of refugees from Congo- Kinshasa who crossed into neighboring Congo-Brazzaville to escape fighting between government and rebel forces.
NAMIBIA / ANGOLA, INTERVIEW Voice of America 20 December 1999 -- In November, Angolan government forces launched an offensive towards the southern strongholds of the rebel UNITA movement. Namibia, an ally of the Angolan government, is allowing Angolan forces to operate from the so-called Caprivi Strip.
U-N / HOLBROOKE ON AFRICA Voice of America 20 December 1999 -- Richard Holbrooke, the U-S ambassador to the United Nations, says Africa is now the most volatile region in the world, largely due to its devastating AIDS problem.
U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing By JAMES B. FOLEY 20 December 1999 -- Did you hear anything new on the Algerian who was arrested in Washington State, specifically with reference to the Islamic armed group of which he is alleged to be a member? And do you know anything about that group?
PRESS BRIEFING BY JOE LOCKHART December 20, 1999 -- 200 people, or over 200 people were arrested in Pakistan in connection with this terrorism activities. My understanding of the situation is it has to do with a domestic criminal investigation which, while very serious in its nature, is not necessarily connected to the kind of international terrorism that we've spent a good bit of time engaging both with Pakistan and a number of other countries on.
RUSSIA CHECHNYA Voice of America 19 December 1999 -- Grozny came under a fresh barrage of air and artillery attack -- warplanes and helicopters flew more than 60-sorties, pouring bombs on suspected rebel hideouts in the largely destroyed capital.
SRI LANKA PRESIDENT Voice of America 19 December 1999 -- At least 31 people have died and 180 have been wounded in blasts at two election rallies ahead of presidential elections Tuesday, in Sri Lanka.
SRI LANKA BLASTS Voice of America 18 December 1999 -- Two bomb blasts have disrupted political rallies in Sri Lanka. President Chandrika Kumaratunga was slightly wounded in one of the attacks.
SRI LANKA VOTE Voice of America 18 December 1999 -- Campaigning for Sri Lanka's presidential elections ends at midnight Saturday.
RUSSIA - CHECHNYA Voice of America 18 December 1999 -- Russia is increasing the intensity of air and ground attacks in Chechnya, advancing into the capital, Grozny from three directions. There are indications federal troops may have begun their long-awaited campaign to capture the rebel capital.
JAPAN / EAST TIMOR AID Voice of America 17 December 1999 -- In Tokyo on Friday, an international donors meeting agreed to give more than 520 million dollars for the reconstruction of East Timor.
U-N / TIMOR REFUGEES Voice of America 17 December 1999 -- The United Nations refugee agency, U-N-H-C-R, says the flow of East Timorese refugees returning home from camps in West Timor is increasing.
SUDAN POL Voice of America 17 December 1999 -- In Sudan, supporters of the leader of the dissolved national assembly are urging followers to be patient and avoid violence following the declaration of emergency measures by President Omar al-Bashir.
U-N / SUDAN AID Voice of America 17 December 1999 -- The Sudanese government and rebels from the Sudan People's Liberation Army, S-P-L-A, have agreed to protect and respect the rights of humanitarian aid workers and aid beneficiaries.
SIERRA LEONE-BOCKARIE Voice of America 17 December 1999 -- In Sierra Leone, a top rebel military commander has disappeared, possibly fleeing the country. Mr. Bockarie said he believed Foday Sankoh, the leader of the Revolutionary United Front, the R-U-F, had planted assassins among his staff.
LANKA / BASE Voice of America 17 December 1999 -- Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels have captured a key military camp in northern Sri Lanka and have also shot down an air force helicopter gunship killing four airmen.
YEARENDER: ETHIOPIA / ERITREA Voice of America 17 December 1999 -- Ethiopia and Eritrea fought sporadically throughout this past year, continuing the war that broke out in May 1998 in a dispute about the exact location of their border.
CONGO REBELS Voice of America 17 December 1999 -- Three rival rebel groups fighting in Congo-Kinshasa opened talks in Uganda on Friday to overcome deep divisions between them and unify their ranks.
G-8 / BERLIN SUMMIT Voice of America 17 December 1999 -- The world's leading industrialized nations stepped up their pressure on Russia Friday to end the war in Chechnya.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 17 December 1999 -- Russia's military says air force bombers have nearly doubled the recent number of sorties over Chechnya, targeting rebel positions on the outskirts of Grozny and in Chechnya's southeastern mountains.
RUSSIA VOTES AS CHECHNYA BURNS Voice of America 17 December 1999 -- The Chechen war and the pending Russian elections, which are inextricably linked, according to many U-S analysts, continue to draw substantial comment in this country's editorial columns.
UNHCR / CHECHNYA Voice of America 17 December 1999 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R, says the number of Chechens fleeing into the neighboring country of Georgia is increasing.
YEARENDER: AFGHANISTAN Voice of America 17 December 1999 -- 1999 was another year of dashed hopes that peace will return anytime soon to Afghanistan.
Text: U.S.-EU Statement on Chechnya USIA 17 December 1999 -- The United States and the European Union are deeply concerned about the situation in Chechnya. A military solution to the conflict is not possible. We call for an immediate and lasting cease-fire throughout Chechnya and a political dialogue that can lead to a durable solution to the crisis.
Text: U.S.-EU Statement of Principles on Small Arms and Light Weapons USIA 17 December 1999 -- The United States and the European Union agree that the problem of the destabilizing accumulation and spread of small arms and light weapons demands the urgent attention of the international community.
ON THE DECEMBER 15, 1999 STATEMENT BY THE NATO COUNCIL MINISTERIAL MEETING December 16, 1999 -- There is no need to restate the known position of the Russian leadership on questions of the need of resolute struggle against bandits and terrorists in the Northern Caucasus, the more so that internal matters of the Russian Federation are not, cannot be and will not be a subject of our international dialogue, and the more so with NATO.
SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO BY UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR PEACEKEEPING Press Release SC/6774 - 16 December 1999 -- Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Bernard Miyet, said that the military situation in the country had seriously deteriorated in the past three months. The United Nations Observer Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) had deployed military liaison officers, but until MONUC was guaranteed full security and freedom of movement, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations would not be able to fully assess security conditions or develop a detailed concept of operations to submit to the Council.
JAPAN - E. TIMOR AID Voice of America 16 December 1999 -- Japan on Thursday pledged 100 million dollars in aid to help rebuild the ravaged territory of East Timor.
SUDAN POLITICS Voice of America 16 December 1999 -- Senior members of the ruling party in Sudan are holding a second night of meetings, in an effort to mend a rift that has caused the president to declare a state of emergency and dissolve parliament.
SIERRA LEONE / RELEASE Voice of America 16 December 1999 -- The French aid group Doctors Without Borders says its two volunteers were set free on Thursday after being held by a faction of the Revolutionary United Front for 10 days.
WHAT NEXT FOR INDONESIA? Voice of America 16 December 1999 -- There are separatist movements in several provinces. Religious antagonisms have turned violent in Ambon. And human rights abuses in East Timor have sparked calls for the prosecution of some top military leaders.
CONGO / REBELS Voice of America 16 December 1999 -- The leaders of three rebel factions in Congo-Kinshasa are scheduled to meet on Friday in southern Uganda, trying to overcome deep divisions among them to form a united front in their fight against Congolese President Laurent Kabila.
U-N-CONGO DEBATE Voice of America 16 December 1999 -- U-N Security Council members have agreed on the need for a United Nations-sponsored peacekeeping mission in Congo-Kinshasa.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA CLASH Voice of America 16 December 1999 -- Russian officials are hotly denying Western news reports of a clash in the Chechen capital, Grozny, that left more than 100 federal troops dead.
US - RUSSIA Voice of America 16 December 1999 -- The United States is signaling its concern about the intensifying Russian military campaign in Chechnya, and reports of a rebel ambush that is believed to have left scores of Russian soldiers dead.
Inquiry Faults U.N. for Failing to Stop Rwandan Genocide By Judy Aita USIA 16 December 1999 -- In failing to prevent or stop the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, the United Nations failed the people of Rwanda and should acknowledge this and apologize for not having done more, an independent inquiry has concluded.
U-N-RWANDA REPORT Voice of America 16 December 1999 -- An investigative panel appointed by U-N Secretary-General Kofi Annan says the 1994 genocide in Rwanda was caused in large part by a lack of political will at the United Nations.
STATEMENT ON RECEIVING THE REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO THE ACTIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS DURING THE 1994 GENOCIDE IN RWANDA THE SECRETARY-GENERAL - 16 December 1999 -- The United Nations was founded at the end of a war during which genocide had been committed on a horrific scale. Its prime objective was to prevent such a conflict from ever happening again. In 1994 the whole international community -- the United Nations and its Members States -- failed to honour that obligation.
REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO THE ACTIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS DURING THE 1994 GENOCIDE IN RWANDA 15 DECEMBER 1999 -- Approximately 800,000 people were killed during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The systematic slaughter of men, women and children which took place over the course of about 100 days between April and July of 1994 will forever be remembered as one of the most abhorrent events of the twentieth century. The international community did not prevent the genocide, nor did it stop the killing once the genocide had begun. There was a persistent lack of political will by Member States to act, or to act with enough assertiveness.
EAST TIMOR TALKS Voice of America 15 December 1999 -- Former rival East Timorese groups met in Tokyo on Wednesday to discuss the reconstruction of the former Indonesian territory.
EAST TIMOR RIGHTS Voice of America 15 December 1999 -- A U-N Commission of Inquiry on East Timor says it has found clear evidence of military involvement in the violence that erupted after the August 30th pro-independence referendum.
JAPAN EAST TIMOR MEETING Voice of America 15 December 1999 -- International aid donors to East Timor opened a two-day conference in Tokyo Thursday.
SUDAN OPPOSITION Voice of America 15 December 1999 -- Opposition leaders in Sudan are reacting with caution to recent emergency measures decreed by President Omar al-Bashir.
YEARENDER: SIERRA LEONE Voice of America 15 December 1999 -- The year ends with some of that optimism fading as delays and divisions within the rebel camp stall implementation of the July peace deal.
U-N / LIBERIA REFUGEES Voice of America 15 December 1999 -- The United Nations refugee agency, U-N-H-C-R, is ending a U-N program that helped Liberian refugees return home from Sierra Leone.
CONGO PEACEKEEPERS Voice of America 15 December 1999 -- Nearly a year and a half after rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo took up arms to oust President Laurent Kabila, a small United Nations peacekeeping mission has started deploying across the country.
YEARENDER: COLOMBIA-U-S Voice of America 15 December 1999 -- This was a year in which the United States became much more actively involved in supporting Colombia's efforts to combat drugs and the its guerrilla insurgency.
PANAMA - COLOMBIA Voice of America 15 December 1999 -- Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso says the fighting in Colombia is of concern to Panama, especially when the action occurs close to the border.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA / O-S-C-E Voice of America 15 December 1999 -- A senior Russian general says federal troops could take control of the Chechen capital Grozny within days.
U.S. Legislators Attack War in Sierra Leone with Anti-Diamond Bill By Jim Fisher-Thompson USIA 15 December 1999 -- Calling the illicit sale of diamonds in Africa the "fuel" that keeps the bloody civil war in Sierra Leone alive, two U.S. legislators have submitted a bill that calls for an international embargo on gems they say help fund rebel groups that have killed thousands of innocent civilians.
U.S. Supports Peacekeeping in DROC, Holbrooke Says By Judy Aita USIA 15 December 1999 -- The United States will support international peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DROC), but not until the warring parties adhere to the peace agreement and the mandate of the mission is clear, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke said December 15.
FIFTY SPEAKERS, INCLUDING SECRETARY-GENERAL, ADDRESS SECURITY COUNCIL DURING DAY-LONG OPEN MEETING ON SITUATION IN AFRICA Press Release SC/6771 -- 15 December 1999 -- Many speakers focused on what they perceived as the Council's hesitancy to act in resolving crises in Africa, as opposed to its actions in other parts of the world. Prompt action was critical, they said. The Security Council should avoid the appearance of sporadic or rhetorical reactions to crises in Africa without follow-up, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said this morning, during an open Council debate on the situation in that continent. Although peacekeeping had acquired a strong regional dimension, it was not fair to ask Africans to carry out peacekeeping tasks without help. Further, the Council should consider as a matter of urgency how regional operations could be more efficiently financed.
Angola: A Call for Peace Thomas R. Pickering, Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Catholic University, Luanda, Angola -- December 14, 1999 -- A year ago, the situation was vastly different. UNITA reneged on the terms of the Lusaka Protocols and Angola was plunged back into war. Tonight, Angolans hope for peace. But peace will not be achieved solely on the battlefield.
Amb. Holbrooke Speaks Out on AIDS, Wars in Africa By Charles W. Corey USIA 14 December 1999 -- HIV/AIDS is an epidemic of "enormous, historic proportion" throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with more people dying from this dread disease than from the wars now ravaging the region, warns the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke.
TAJIKISTAN - PROSPECTS FOR PEACE Voice of America 14 December 1999 -- Prospects for peace in Tajikistan improved this month as the country set dates for the long-awaited parliamentary elections.
CHECHNYA OPERATIONS Voice of America 14 December 1999 -- Russian ground forces are said to be meeting stiff resistance from rebel fighters as they advance into the Chechen capital, Grozny.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 14 December 1999 -- Russia's defense ministry is denying Chechen reports that the full-scale storming of the capital has begun.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA RIGHTS Voice of America 14 December 1999 -- Russia's Human Rights Commissioner, Oleg Miranov, has discussed the Chechen situation with the United Nations' top human-rights official, Mary Robinson.
U-N-H-C-R / CHECHNYA Voice of America 14 December 1999 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R, says few civilians trapped in the Chechen capital, Grozny, appear to be taking up the Russian offer of safe passage out of the city.
US Department of State Daily Press Briefing 13 December 1999 -- Readout of Recent Albright-Ivanov Conversation / Extension of Deadline to Chechen Civilians / Recent Positive Developments in Region / Prime Minister Putin Comments on Talks with Chechen Representatives
EAST TIMOR / INDONESIA Voice of America 13 December 1999 -- The head of the United Nations in East Timor says the newly-independent territory wants to forge strong ties with Indonesia.
SUDAN EMERGENCY Voice of America 13 December 1999 -- The Sudanese capital, Khartoum, is reported calm today (Monday), after President Omar al-Bashir dissolved parliament and declared a state of emergency.
NIGERIA ATTACK Voice of America 13 December 1999 -- The governor of Nigeria's largest city, Lagos, narrowly escaped death Sunday, after his car was ambushed by armed men. The city's police commissioner, Mike Okiro, blamed the Oodua People's Congress, a radical ethnic-Yoruba separatist group.
WORLD COURT/NAMIBIA/BOTSWANA Voice of America 13 December 1999 -- Judges at the World Court at the Hague have settled a long-running dispute between Botswana and Namibia about ownership of an island in the Chobe River.
SRI LANKA FIGHTING Voice of America 13 December 1999 -- Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels are claiming to have captured three strategic government military camps in the northern part of the country.
CONGO FIGHTING Voice of America 13 December 1999 -- Rebel officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are reporting fresh clashes with government troops on the northwestern front.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 13 December 1999 -- Russian General Gennady Troshev has ordered the town of Shali, 20 kilometers southeast of the capital, to surrender or face destruction. Shali is the only sizable Chechen town still in rebel hands aside from Grozny.
YEARENDER: AFGHANISTAN Voice of America 13 December 1999 -- 1999 was another year of dashed hopes that peace will return anytime soon to Afghanistan. The country's problems have been compounded by the Taleban's refusal to extradite accused terrorist Osama bin Laden, who is living in the country.
Russian Offensive in Chechnya Seen to Threaten Pipelines By Phillip Kurata USIA 13 December 1999 -- Russia's military operations in Chechnya threaten the East-West energy corridor from the Caspian Sea to Turkey, former U.S. national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski said.
SRI LANKA BATTLES Voice of America 12 December 1999 -- Tamil Tiger rebels say only 15 of their cadres have been killed in recent battles,refuting government claims on Saturday that 230 rebels were killed in an attack on a strategic military camp in Northern Sri Lanka.
WAHID - AMBON Voice of America 12 December 1999 -- Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has called for Muslim and Christian communities in eastern Maluku province to stop the fighting that has killed hundreds of people in the past year.
CONGO/HOLBROOKE Voice of America 12 December 1999 -- U-S ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke's visit to Africa took him to the capitals of all the countries involved in the Congo conflict and included a meeting in Uganda with the leaders of the Congolese rebellion.
RUSSIA/CHECHNYA Voice of America 12 December 1999 -- Russian military officials say they are focusing air and artillery attacks in southern areas of Chechnya, while attacks on the capital, Grozny, remain suspended.
UGANDA/REBELS Voice of America 11 December 1999 -- In Uganda, rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces have launched a series of attacks over the past three days.
WORLDWIDE CAUTION Terrorist Threat PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT - U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE -- December 11, 1999 -- The U.S. Government has credible information that terrorists are planning attacks specifically targeting American citizens during the period of time leading up to and through the beginning of the New Year and Ramadan events and celebrations (from now through early January 2000).
LANKA/FIGHT Voice of America 11 December 1999 -- At least 230 Tamil Tiger rebels have been killed in an attack on a strategic military camp in Northern Sri Lanka.
CHECHNYA/CHECKPOINT Voice of America 11 December 1999 -- The Russian military in Chechnya has opened a corridor to allow safe passage for civilians trying to get out of the capital, Grozny, before the army unleashes its full fury on the city.
RUSSIA/CHECHNYA Voice of America 11 December 1999 -- Russia has backtracked over what was initially presented as a Saturday deadline telling residents of Grozny to leave or face certain death.
Transcript: Holbrooke, Feingold Hold Press Conf. In Kinshasa USIA 11 December 1999 -- After meeting with the signatories of the Lusaka Accords during his 10-nation trip across Africa, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, said he and his delegation have found wide support for a facilitator to help ease the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DROC).
Text: U.S. Welcomes Georgia's Position on Conflict in Chechnya USIA 11 December 1999 -- The United States welcomes Georgia's reiteration of its opposition to the use of its territory "by any forces involved in the conflict in Chechnya," Deputy State Department Spokesman James Foley said December 11.
Text: Foley Statement on Sri Lanka Report on Mass Grave Investigation USIA 10 December 1999 -- "The Department of State commends the fact that on December 6 the Government of Sri Lanka submitted to a Magistrate in Jaffna its forensic report on the results of an investigation into a multiple gravesite at Chemmani in northern Sri Lanka," State Department Deputy Spokesman James Foley said December 10.
Text: Head of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Concerned over Chechnya USIA 10 December 1999 -- Helle Degn, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has appealed to Russian leaders "to take immediate steps" to protect the civilian population in Chechnya and to observe international humanitarian standards.
CENTRAL ASIA - RELIGIOUS ACTIVISM Voice of America 10 December 1999 -- Most of the violence has been blamed on foreign-backed Islamic extremists who use the religion to advance their political agenda.
INDONESIA - EAST TIMOR Voice of America 10 December 1999 -- East Timorese spiritual leader Bishop Carlos Belo is calling on the United Nations to set up a war crimes tribunal for East Timor.
CHECHNYA Q&A Voice of America 10 December 1999 -- Chechen fighters are pulling back in the face of the far superior Russian tanks and armor and rockets and artillery.
CHECHNYA SITREP Voice of America 10 December 1999 -- As the Saturday deadline approaches for civilians to get out of the Chechen capital Grozny, only a few hundred have taken advantage of the Russian offer of safe passage out of the city.
E-U / CHECHNYA Voice of America 10 December 1999 -- Leaders of nations in the European Union have agreed to cut back their relations with Russia because of the Russian assault against Chechnya.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 10 December 1999 -- Russian forces continue to bombard the Chechen capital, Grozny, one day before a military deadline for residents of the city to leave or face even more massive attacks.
U-N-H-C-R / CHECHNYA Voice of America 10 December 1999 -- United Nations officials are voicing concern about civilians trapped in the Chechen capital, Grozny, as a Russian deadline nears for them to leave the city.
U-N-H-C-R / ANGOLA Voice of America 10 December 1999 -- The U-N refugee agency, U-N-H-C-R, says more than two-thousand refugees have fled Angola into Zambia in the past few days.
ANGOLA WAR Voice of America 10 December 1999 -- This past year saw the collapse of the United Nations peacekeeping effort in Angola as all-out war consumed the country once again, creating yet another Angolan humanitarian catastrophe.
U-N / AFGHANISTAN Voice of America 10 December 1999 -- The United Nations World Food Program says millions of Afghans are likely to go hungry this winter because of a bad harvest, soaring wheat prices, and reduced supplies of food from neighboring Pakistan.
INDONESIA - SEPARATISM Voice of America 10 December 1999 -- Indonesia's military says it is ready to intervene to prevent rebellion in restive northern Aceh province.
HONDURAS - NICARAGUA DISPUTE Voice of America 09 December 1999 -- The dispute rose out of a maritime treaty between Honduras and Colombia, which grants both countries access to a large area in the Caribbean sea that Nicaragua claims as its territory.
CHECHNYA VISIT Voice of America 09 December 1999 -- As Russia's military offensive in Chechnya gains momentum, efforts are on to re-establish Moscow's rule in territories newly returned to federal control.
CLINTON-CHECHNYA Voice of America 09 December 1999 -- President Clinton is defending his criticism of the Russian military campaign in Chechnya in the face of a verbal attack from Russian President Boris Yeltsin.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 09 December 1999 -- Russian forces say they have taken control of the Chechen city, Urus-Martan, 20 kilometers southwest of the capital, Grozny, but are still bombarding rebel fighters in the town.
U-S / RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 09 December 1999 -- The U-S general who led NATO through the Kosovo conflict is sharply criticizing Russia for its unrestricted use of military firepower in Chechnya.
Text: U.S. Statement on Chechnya to OSCE Permanent Council USIA 09 December 1999 -- In a statement to the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) December 9, the United States welcomed Russia's invitation to OSCE Chairman-in-Office Knut Vollebaek to visit the North Caucasus December 14-15.
US Department of State Daily Press Briefing 08 December 1999 -- We have never questioned Russia's right to fight terrorism or insurgencies on its soil. But we have strongly and consistently urged all sides to seek a political solution. A purely military solution is not possible. We are aware of reports that Russia is using heavier weapons, including fuel air bombs. We can't confirm those specific reports.
PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE PRESIDENT December 8, 1999 -- I think Russia is already paying a heavy price. I think they'll pay a heavy price in two ways. First of all, I don't think the strategy will work. Secondly, the continuation of it and the amassing of hundreds of thousands of refugees, will further alienate the global community from Russia.
Text: U.S. Statement on Chechnya to OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation USIA 08 December 1999 -- "Disturbing reports from Chechnya have raised further concerns about the scale of violence as well as the operational methods that are being employed by the Russian military," Ambassador David T. Johnson told the Forum for Security Cooperation of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) December 8.
Text: Joint Statement Expresses Concern Over Civilians in Chechnya USIA 08 December 1999 -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a joint statement December 8 regarding the situation of civilians in Chechnya.
Text: U.S. Government Statement on Afghanistan at Ottawa Meeting USIA 08 December 1999 -- "Prospects for peace in Afghanistan have continued to be discouraging since this group's last meeting in June," the U.S. Government said in a statement prepared for delivery at the Afghan Support Group's meeting in Ottawa, Canada, December 8.
SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS ASSEMBLY SHOULD ESTABLISH WORKING GROUP TO ADDRESS PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF REPORT ON AFRICA Press Release SG/SM/7253 AFR/195 - 8 December 1999 -- Following is the text of the address delivered today by Secretary- General Kofi Annan to the General Assembly meeting on follow-up to his report on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa.
SECRETARY-GENERAL SUGGESTS FORMATION OF GROUP FOR PROMOTION OF PEACE, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS CONTINENT OF AFRICA Press Release GA/9681 - 8 December 1999 -- The fight against AIDS must be intensified because it was a threat to the existence of many African countries. The representative of the European Union said that in curbing the supply of arms to Africa, full attention must be given to examining measures to suppress the illegal trade in diamonds, gold, and other precious materials which were used to pay for them.
CUBAN EXILE TRIAL Voice of America 08 December 1999 -- A federal jury in Puerto Rico on Wednesday acquitted five Cuban exiles who were on trial for plotting to assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro.
SUDAN / UGANDA Voice of America 08 December 1999 -- The presidents of Uganda and Sudan say they will try to normalize relations between their countries.
BRITAIN / CHECHNYA Voice of America 08 December 1999 -- Britain says it appears Russia is responding to international condemnation of its military assault in Chechnya and the threat to withdraw much-needed financial aid.
CLINTON - CHECHNYA Voice of America 08 December 1999 -- President Clinton says he does not believe ending U-S aid to Russia over Moscow's military campaign in Chechnya is in the U-S interest.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 08 December 1999 -- Widespread international condemnation of Russia's bombardment of Chechnya may be having some effect. Russia now says it is just warning civilians to leave in order to guarantee their safety.
INDONESIA / ACEH Voice of America 08 December 1999 -- Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid has warned the troubled northern province of Aceh that the government will not tolerate efforts to break free from Indonesia.
NICARAGUA INSTITUTES PROCEEDINGS AGAINST HONDURAS OVER 'MARITIME DELIMITATION' IN CARIBBEAN SEA Press Release ICJ/593 - 8 December 1999 -- Nicaragua instituted proceedings against Honduras with regard to "legal issues subsisting" between the two States "concerning maritime delimitation" in the Caribbean Sea.
PRESS CONFERENCE BY FOREIGN MINISTER OF HONDURAS 7 December 1999 -- Nicaraguan reaction to the entry into force of the treaty between Honduras and Colombia was of concern. There had been small numbers of troops seen moving towards the Honduran border at three different points.
U-N / TIMOR Voice of America 07 December 1999 -- United Nations and private aid agencies have sent a 41-member medical team to a refugee camp in West Timor to deal with a reported upsurge in disease among the East Timorese refugees.
EAST TIMOR ANNIVERSARY Voice of America 07 December 1999 -- The people of East Timor held a somber remembrance today/Tuesday of the Indonesian invasion of their territory 24 years ago.
SUDAN PARDONS Voice of America 07 December 1999 -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has pardoned 20 prisoners, including two Roman-Catholic priests, charged with a series of bombings.
CONGO FOOD AID Voice of America 07 December 1999 -- The World Food Program (W-F-P) says it is running out of resources to feed hundreds-of-thousands of people displaced by the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 07 December 1999 -- Russia has brushed aside the outpouring of international outrage at its five-day "leave or die" ultimatum to Chechens in Grozny, calling it -- counterproductive.
CLINTON - CHECHNYA Voice of America 07 December 1999 -- The Clinton Administration has renewed its warning to Russia that it will pay a price in the international arena if it carries out its threat to kill civilians who fail to leave the Chechen capital of Grozny by Saturday.
CHECHNYA / HUMAN RIGHTS Voice of America 07 December 1999 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R, is expressing alarm about the fate of tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the Chechen capital, Grozny.
INDONESIA: ACEH POSES NEW 'TEST' FOR WAHID Foreign Media Reaction -- 07 December 1999 -- Indonesian President Abdurrachman Wahid was facing the first major "test" of his presidency in responding to the unrest in the north Sumatran province of Aceh, where pro-independence activists have demanded an "East Timor-style" referendum.
Taliban Persecution of Women and Girls in Afghanistan December 6, 1999 - In commemoration of Human Rights Day, President Clinton is announcing new U.S. policy initiatives to address the circumstances of Afghans, especially women and girls, who have suffered serious human rights abuses at the hands of the Taliban.
US Department of State Daily Press Briefing 06 December 1999 -- We are deeply disturbed by reports that the Russians have set a deadline urging residents of Grozny to leave by December 11. This deadline would threaten the old and infirm and others who cannot leave or are afraid to leave Grozny. Notwithstanding the dropping of warning leaflets, Russia still has the obligation to differentiate between lawful and unlawful targets in this conflict. We urge the Russians not to follow through with this ultimatum.
Russia is using chemical weapons in Chechnya Kavkaz-Tsentr Date: December, 6, 1999 -- Today, at 8 am Oktyabrskiy and Staropromislovskiy districts of Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic, were shelled with special chemical bombs, which release clouds of inflammable gas creating massive blasts that incinerate buildings and people.
SIERRA LEONE / U-N Voice of America 06 December 1999 -- The first elements of a United Nations peacekeeping force have begun arriving in Sierra Leone.
RWANDA TRIBUNAL Voice of America 06 December 1999 -- A former national leader of Rwanda's Interahamwe militia has been found guilty of genocide at a U-N court and sentenced to life in prison.
CLINTON / CHECHNYA Voice of America 06 December 1999 -- President Clinton is warning Moscow that it will pay a heavy price if it follows through with its threatened drive against the Chechen capital, Grozny.
U-S / RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 06 December 1999 -- The United States is urging Russia not to follow through with an ultimatum to the residents of Grozny, the Chechen capital, to leave their homes by Saturday or face destruction.
CLINTON - TALIBAN Voice of America 06 December 1999 -- President Clinton has announced new aid to Afghan refugees who flee what the United States describes as the Taliban's repressive policies against women.
INDONESIA - MALUKU VIOLENCE Voice of America 05 December 1999 -- At least 31 people have been killed in the latest round of clashes in Indonesia's eastern Maluku province.
RUSSIA/CHECHNYA Voice of America 05 December 1999 -- Russian forces continue air and artillery attacks against the Chechen towns of Argun and Urus-Martan as they press forward toward the capital Grozny.
RUSSIA/CHECHNYA Voice of America 04 December 1999 -- The commander of Russian forces in the North Caucasus says the Chechen capital, Grozny, is fully blockaded by Russian troops.
INDONESIA - ACEH Voice of America 04 December 1999 -- At least two people were wounded in the Indonesian province of Aceh when government soldiers opened fire on a group of people celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the rebel separatist movement.
U-N-H-C-R / TIMOR Voice of America 03 December 1999 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R, says the repatriation program in East Timor has reached a critical stage.
CONGO REBELS Voice of America 03 December 1999 -- Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo say government troops have recaptured a key town on the northwestern front.
RUSSIA CHECHNYA Voice of America 03 December 1999 -- Russian forces are claiming a major victory, saying they have seized the town of Argun, which guards the eastern approach to the capital Grozny.
U-N-BURUNDI CONCERNS Voice of America 03 December 1999 -- The United Nations Security Council today (Friday) repeated its concern about the situation in the African nation of Burundi where fighting has created a major humanitarian crisis.
ARGENTINA / "DIRTY WAR" AFTERMATH Voice of America 03 December 1999 -- One of the most notorious generals in Argentina's last military dictatorship is in jail, after testifying Friday before a federal judge in Buenos Aires.
OF BORIS N. YELTSIN, PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, ON THE PROBLEMS OF CHECHNYA DECEMBER 3, 1999 -- TODAY OUR COUNTRY IS WAGING A GRAVE BATTLE AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, WHICH HAS TOSSED A BRAZEN CHALLENGE TO THE PEOPLES OF RUSSIA.
US Department of State Daily Press Briefing 03 December 1999 -- Sec. Albright asked FM Ivanov about extremely troubling report of killing of 250 Russian soldiers. She stated US opposition actions in Chechnya. FM Ivanov restated Russian policy, assured Sec. Albright the OSCE visit would go forward. Chechen rebel tactics play a part in the Chechnya situation as well. US has been concerned for some time over links between international terrorism and Chechen and other rebels. Russia is still completing economic conditions required by its IMF program.
Text: U.S. Statement on Chechnya to OSCE Permanent Council USIA 02 December 1999 -- Ambassador David T. Johnson, head of the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has called on Russia to "pursue steps toward a political solution today" inChechnya.
CHINA-UIGHUR Voice of America 02 December 1999 -- Chinese authorities have sent the son of a prominent Uighur businesswoman to a labor camp for allegedly supporting Uighur separatism.
U-N SOMALIA Voice of America 02 December 1999 -- A U-N human rights expert says there is growing stability in Somalia. Mona Rishmawi, says the northeastern and northwestern parts of Somalia are quite stable. But the situation in southern Somalia remains turbulent.
NORTHERN IRELAND HOME RULE Voice of America 02 December 1999 -- Britain has officially transferred home rule powers to Northern Ireland. The Irish Republic in the south has revised its constitution to drop reference to any hostile claims to Ulster province.
CONGO REBEL FIGHTING Voice of America 02 December 1999 -- The head of the Ugandan-backed Congolese Liberation Movement, Jean-Pierre Bemba, says fighting has broken out between rebels and government troops at Basankusu, about 800-kilometers northeast of the Congo capital, Kinshasa.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 02 December 1999 -- Russian military officials say Chechen militants have set up strong defenses in the capital, Grozny, and are fighting Russian troops in two towns near the city.
UGANDA / AMNESTY Voice of America 01 December 1999 -- Uganda is considering a limited amnesty to anti-government rebels in hopes of stopping the nation's long and bloody civil war.
U-S / SUDAN Voice of America 01 December 1999 -- A war of words is heating up between Sudan and the United States following passage of a U-S law that would allow direct shipments of food aid to Sudanese rebels.
INDONESIA / IRIAN JAYA Voice of America 01 December 1999 -- An estimated 20 thousand people gathered Wednesday in the capital of the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, to raise the flag of the separatist movement pressing for independence from Indonesia.
CONGO FIGHTING Voice of America 01 December 1999 -- Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have called for the government of President Laurent Kabila to halt a military offensive in the country's northwest.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 01 December 1999 -- Russia's Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev says Russian forces might need up to three more months to complete their military campaign in Chechnya.
BURUNDI / MANDELA Voice of America 01 December 1999 -- Former South African president Nelson Mandela has been named the new chief mediator in the Burundi peace process.
AFGHAN / U-N Voice of America 01 December 1999 -- In Afghanistan, a senior U-N official says he has not seen any evidence that Taleban forces are using teenage soldiers in their fight against opposition forces.
TALEBAN - WOMEN Voice of America 01 December 1999 -- The Taleban faction - which controls 90 percent of Afghanistan -- has come under increasing fire from human rights and women's groups since it emerged as the most powerful force in war-torn Afghanistan.
PRESS BRIEFING ON WORLD AIDS DAY 1 December 1999 -- While 200,000 people had died last year in Africa as a result of conflicts and natural disasters, 2 million had died because of AIDS.
DECLARATION ON CHECHNYA EUROPEAN UNION PRESIDENCY CONCLUSIONS HELSINKI EUROPEAN COUNCIL 10 AND 11 DECEMBER 1999