DATE=2/4/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-245106
TITLE=GUINEA BISSAU / PEACEKEEPERS (L ONLY)
BYLINE=JOHN PITMAN
DATELINE=ABIDJAN
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: IN GUINEA BISSAU, ABOUT 300 WEST AFRICAN PEACEKEEPERS
HAVE ARRIVED IN THE CAPITAL, BISSAU. THE PEACEKEEPERS ARE TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF A FRAGILE CEASE-FIRE WHICH THE GOVERNMENT AND REBELS
SIGNED WEDNESDAY. V-O-A'S JOHN PITMAN HAS DETAILS FROM OUR WEST
AFRICA BUREAU.
TEXT: ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON, AFTER THREE DAYS OF WAITING OFF THE
COAST OF BISSAU, A FRENCH NAVY TRANSPORT SHIP WAS ABLE TO
DEVLIVER ITS CARGO -- ALMOST 300 SOLDIERS FROM BENIN AND NIGER.
THE TROOPS ARE PART OF A WEST AFRICAN, PEACEKEEPING FORCE,
"ECOMOG," WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY NUMBER ABOUT 600 MEN. THE
ARRIVAL OF THE SOLDIERS AND THEIR EQUIPMENT WAS REPORTEDLY
WITNESSED AT THE PORT BY OFFICIALS FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND THE
REBELLION.
UNDER THE TERMS OF A PEACE AGREEMENT SIGNED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND
REBELS LAST NOVEMBER, THE ECOMOG FORCE WILL POSITION ITSELF
BETWEEN THE WARRING SIDES AROUND THE CAPITAL. THE PEACEKEEPERS
WILL ALSO PATROL GUINEA BISSAU'S NORTHERN BORDER WITH SENEGAL --
AN AREA BELIEVED TO BE USED BY WEAPONS SMUGGLERS.
THE ARRIVAL OF THE ECOMOG TROOPS WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY A
CEASE-FIRE SIGNED ON WEDNESDAY BY PRESIDENT JOAO BERNARDO VIERA
AND REBEL LEADER ANSUMANE MANE.
// OPT // THE DEAL WAS BROKERED BY TWO TOGOLESE GOVERNMENT
MINISTERS. TOGO'S PRESIDENT GNASSINGBE EYEDEMA HOLDS THE
ROTATING PRESIDENCY OF THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN
STATES, WHICH HELPED NEGOTIATE THE NOVEMBER PEACE ACCORD, AND
WHICH IS BACKING THE ECOMOG PEACEKEEPING MISSION.
MEANWHILE, DEMONSTRATORS IN LISBON PROTESTED (THURSDAY) AGAINST
THE INVOLVEMENT OF A FRENCH WARSHIP IN THE ECOMOG DEPLOYMENT.
DURING A STATE VISIT TO PORTUGAL, FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC
WAS DENOUNCED BY PROTESTERS FOR WHAT THEY SAY IS FRENCH
INTERFERENCE IN GUINEA BISSAU'S CIVIL WAR.
ON TUESDAY, GUINEA BISSAU'S INTERIM PRIME MINISTER ACCUSED THE
FRENCH WARSHIP CARRYING THE ECOMOG TROOPS OF SHELLING REBEL
POSITIONS NORTH OF THE CAPITAL. ASKED ABOUT THAT ALLEGATION (BY
PORTUGUESE TELEVISION ON THURSDAY), PRESIDENT CHIRAC SAID FRENCH
TROOPS HAD NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN THE GUINEA BISSAU CONFLICT.
// END OPT //
NEWS REPORTS FROM BISSAU SAY PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF THE
PEACEKEEPERS, SPORADIC GUNFIRE COULD BE HEARD ALONG THE FRONT
LINES NORTH OF THE CAPITAL. HOWEVER, THE REPORTS DESCRIBED THE
SHOOTING AS MINOR, AND SAY THE CEASEFIRE GENERALLY APPEARS TO BE
HOLDING.
// OPT // A REPORTER WITH PORTUGAL'S "R-T-P" TELEVISION NETWORK
SAID THE HEAVY ARTILLERY FIRE WHICH DOMINATED THE FIGHTING ON
MONDAY AND TUESDAY HAD BEEN REPLACED BY OCCASIONAL BURSTS FROM
LIGHTER, AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. SHE SAID THE CLASHES WERE BEING
BLAMED ON POOR COMMUNICATIONS LINKS BETWEEN COMMANDERS AND FRONT
LINE UNITS. // END OPT //
THE 300 PEACEKEEPERS WILL JOIN 100 OF THEIR COLLEAGUES FROM TOGO
AND GAMBIA WHO WERE STRANDED AT BISSAU'S AIRPORT DURING THE
FIGHTING. UNDER TERMS OF THE NOVEMBER PEACE AGREEMENT, AS THE
PEACEKEEPERS DEPLOY, THEY WILL SLOWLY REPLACE TROOPS FROM SENEGAL
AND GUINEA-CONAKRY, WHO HAVE BEEN FIGHTING ON THE GOVERNMENT SIDE
SINCE JUNE.
MEANWHILE, ACCORDING TO THE PORTUGUESE NEWS AGENCY, LUSA, THE
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN AND AROUND THE CAPITAL REMAINS
"DRAMATIC" AND "CRITICAL."
THOUSANDS OF CIVILIANS FLED THEIR HOMES DURING THE HEAVIEST
FIGHTING (ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY). ESTIMATES FROM BISSAU SAY THE
ARTILLERY AND ROCKET FIRE KILLED UP TO 80 PEOPLE, AND WOUNDED
300.
DISPLACED CIVILIANS HAVE SAID THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM A LACK OF
FOOD AND CLEAN WATER.
/// REST OPT ///
SEVERAL CIVILIANS ALSO TOLD PORTUGUESE TELEVISION THEY ARE NOT
PLACING TOO MUCH FAITH IN THE CURRENT CEASE-FIRE. "THE
GOVERNMENT AND REBELS HAVE BROKEN CEASE-FIRES BEFORE," SAID ONE
MAN. "THEY COULD BREAK THIS ONE, AS WELL."
FOR THE TIME BEING, MANY DISPLACED CIVILIANS ARE TAKING SHELTER
IN CHURCHES AND OTHER PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD PROGRAM SAYS IT HAS ABOUT 600 TONS
OF FOOD STOCKPILED IN BISSAU. A W-F-P SPOKESMAN IN THE IVORY
COAST SAYS U-N STAFF MEMBERS IN GUINEA BISSAU ARE ASSESSING THE
NEEDS OF UP TO 50-THOUSAND DISPLACED CIVILIANS. (SIGNED)
NEB/JP/JWH/WTW
04-Feb-99 1:24 PM EST (1824 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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