The News Review:
- Liberian Refugees: A Long Trek from Sierra Leone
- Civil Society Makes Case for Sierra Leone Ahead of HIPC Ministerial…
- Liberia: Reporters Notebook – Avoiding a Repeat of the 1990s
- Fides Service- Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples
- Uganda First investigative steps must end impunity
Liberian Refugees: A Long Trek from Sierra Leone
This Day – This Day (subscription) – Feb 2, 2004
Sulaiman Momodu, a UNHCR spokesman in the Sierra Leone, said many of those crossing the border were making “go and see” visits, leaving their families behind while they investigated whether conditions were safe enough for everyone to return. Momodu said UNHCR had recorded 10. 093 Liberians refugees leaving Sierra Leone at the two main border posts of Bo Waterside and Kailahun between October 7 and December 24 and the exodus was continuing. He stressed that UNHCR was not encouraging this mass return.
Civil Society Makes Case for Sierra Leone Ahead of HIPC Ministerial…
Free with registration – Asia Africa Intelligence Wire – AccessMyLibrary.com – Feb 2, 2004
Civil Society Makes Case for Sierra Leone Ahead of HIPC Ministerial Forum. (02-FEB-04) Asia Africa Intelligence Wire.
Liberia: Reporters Notebook – Avoiding a Repeat of the 1990s
AllAfrica.com – Feb 2, 2004
The new warring factions have much less space than their predecessors. It is no longer a Nigerian dictator wielding influence in Monrovia but the UN Security Council, with three of its strongest members involved in the Liberian peace process – Great Britain, France and the United States. Great Britain does not want its success story in Sierra Leone to go awash. France wants to make sure that its once stable and prosperous former-colony and regional powerhouse Côte d'Ivoire does not slide to the level of Liberia. Under these circumstances, one would expect that the warring factions would understand that they no longer control the game, even if, for minor issues such as jobs and cars, the international community may give them what they want to achieve peace. The call to remove Chairman Bryant came from Sekou Damateh Conneh of the warring faction known as Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (Lurd). He is playing the oldest game in politics: when one is losing control, the best thing to do is to create a distraction.
Fides Service- Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples
Fides – Feb 2, 2004
A period of turbulence followed during which different factions fought ferociously. With the mediation of neighbour countries in 1997 Liberian held elections won by Taylor. His policy foresaw interference in neighbouring countries especially Sierra Leone, where Taylor supported the rebel group RUFF (Front Unit Rivoluzionario). Through Liberia RUF exported diamonds extracted from Liberian mines under its control to fund its military offensives. As the years passed the Liberian crisis became interwoven with troubles in neighbouring countries: Sierra Leone, Guinea and more recently Ivory Coast. Networks of trafficking of arms, and also diamonds and other resources of West Africa were based in Monrovia. In 1999, mainly Mandingo formed the LURD (Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy), which had the support of neighbouring countries out of retaliation for Taylors support to local rebels.
Uganda First investigative steps must end impunity
Scoop.co.nz – Scoop.co.nz (press release) – Feb 2, 2004
Inparticular the LRA has been accused of abducting children,at times moving them across the border into Sudan andamongst them scores of girls, for use as sex slaves andcombatants. The treatment of children returning, voluntarilyor as a consequence of military action, from their abductorshas also been the subject of much controversy withallegations having been levelled against the Ugandansecurity forces of retraining some of them for militarypurposes in the fight against the LRA. Amnesty International opposes amnesties,pardons and similar measures of impunity for crimes underinternational law in all circumstances where they wouldprevent a judicial determination of guilt or innocence, thediscovery of the truth or full reparations. AmnestyInternational’s dedicated International Justice andInternational Criminal Court pages at.