---

GUINEAN TROOPS REFUSE TO LEAVE SIERRA LEONE TOWN

The Standard Times of Freetown via allafrica.com: http://allafrica.com/stories/200207170334.html

"Guinean soldiers based in Koindu, Sierra Leone have categorically refused to vacate that land in spite of the intervention of the British troops in Sierra Leone for a peaceful resolution." [for more info click above]

---

CONAKRY EMBASSY CONDEMNS GUINEAN ELECTIONS

http://www.boubah.com/Guineenews.htm#link2034

The American embassy in Conakry reportedly denounced the conduct of the 30 June 2002 Guinean legislative elections. In a communique dated 22 July '02 cited by Guineenews, the embassy said it was profoundly distressed, "by the numerous irregularities reported by the opposition and the independent press." The US was the only western country to observe the elections, boycotted by the European Union observers. The communique expressed that "many observors find the failure of the opposition to win a single geographic district [not via proportional representation] to be almost inconceivable." And added that "the officially reported 72% turnout rate was far above that reported by many independent sources." The communique also regretted "the absence of participation of certain political parties", the most notable of which were the parties of Alpha Conde and former prime minister Sidya Toure.

I will try to obtain a copy of the full declaration.

---

 

CONTE GOVERMENT RESPONDS TO AMERICAN CRITICISMS

http://www.boubah.com/Guineenews.htm#link2038

In response to the afforementioned communique, the government of Gen. Lansana Conte accused "persons of ill-will" of attempting to undermine the "excellent relations" between Guinea and the United States. Guineenews cited the state RTG radio, "Persons of ill-will are interpreting the declaration of the American embassy as the official position of the American government" adding that "these people are showing their true colors by trying to undermine the excellent relations and cooperation that Guinea has with the United States."

---

 

SOS FOR GUECKEDOU

http://www.boubah.com/Guineenews.htm#link2031

A Gueckedou man, Mr. Souleymane Kouyate, has launched a website to help with the campaign to reconstruct the city of Gueckedou, largely destroyed during the violent attacks of December 2000. Although currently studying in a university program in Lyon, France, Mr. Kouyate was a witness to the devastating attacks and their effects, having served in the Forest with many NGOs such as Plan Guinee. Over 1500 Guineans perished during the rebel attacks, most of whom were peaceful farmers. [note: when I clicked on the link, it said the site was temporarily closed, but if it goes back up, it was www.gueckedou.info)

---

 

LE DESSOUS DES SOUS

As of today,

US $1 = 1940 Guinean francs (FG)

1 Euro = 1901 FG

Canadian $1 = 1235 FG

1 CFA franc = 2.87 FG

1 British pound = 3032 FG

A good site to bookmark if you travel or send money a lot is CNN's currency converter: http://money.cnn.com/markets/currencies/

---

August 4, 2002
Attacks on Peace Corps Volunteers Found Rising
By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Reprinted without permission

ASHINGTON, Aug. 3 — Reported assaults on Peace Corps
volunteers abroad more than doubled over the last
decade, and organizational problems in the agency may
be limiting its ability to ensure volunteers' safety,
a study by the General Accounting Office has found.

President Bush has proposed doubling the size of the
Peace Corps, to 15,000 volunteers, and expanding its
presence to dangerous countries, including
Afghanistan.

Critics say that since Sept. 11 Americans abroad face
increased risks and that expanding the Peace Corps
presence might put volunteers in harm's way.

"I've been to Afghanistan, and it's a dangerous place
for a young person," said Representative Martin T.
Meehan, Democrat of Massachusetts, who requested the
accounting office report after a volunteer from his
district, Walter J. Poirier, 22, of Lowell,
disappeared in February 2001. Mr. Poirier was working
on a tourism project in the Zongo Valley in Bolivia,
three hours from La Paz.

Four volunteers have been killed since 1997.

In a letter to Mr. Meehan last year, Robert H. Hast,
managing director of the G.A.O.'s Office of Special
Investigations, said although Mr. Poirier had failed
to follow procedures for new volunteers, apparently
failing to register his housing arrangements, the
Peace Corps associate director in the region had
essentially "lost track" of him.

Incidents of "major physical assault" on volunteers,
attacks with weapons or injuries, rose to 17 per 1,000
in 2000, up from 8 in 1991, the report said. In
addition, "major sexual assaults," including rape,
fluctuated in that period, with a high of 12 in 1997
and a low of 8 in 1995.

Peace Corps officials attribute some of the increase
in reported assaults to more reliable data collection.
They say the agency began new safety measures last
year, including adding security officers and improved
training.

The full extent of violence against volunteers may be
significantly higher because many crimes go
unreported, the report said. The report suggested that
organizational problems in the Peace Corps were most
likely worsening the problem. A five-year employment
limit for supervisors, intended to keep the agency
innovative, has resulted in "a situation in which the
agency staff are continually `reinventing the wheel,'
" the report said.

The report also found that directors in the 70 or so
nations that have invited the Peace Corps were largely
autonomous, complicating the task of keeping tabs on
volunteers and ensuring safety. Most volunteers, Peace
Corps officials said, are in isolated locations.

---

August 12, 2002

Russia Denies Peace Corps Visas
Amid Domestic Political Pressure

By GUY CHAZAN
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

MOSCOW -- The U.S. Peace Corps is scaling back its
operations in Russia after the authorities denied
visas to almost half its volunteers.

Peace Corps spokeswoman Ellen Field said the
organization was "very disappointed" that 30 of 64
volunteers on two-year assignments weren't allowed
back into Russia for their second year of service. She
said a new group of 62 volunteers scheduled to arrive
in Russia next month will now be redirected to other
countries.

The Peace Corps has 7,000 volunteers serving in 70
countries, involved in clean-water, health and
teaching projects. Since it was established by U.S.
President John F. Kennedy in 1961, more than 165,000
Americans have joined the Peace Corps, serving in 135
nations. Jeff Hay, the Peace Corps' Russian director,
said 700 Peace Corps volunteers have worked in Russia
since 1992, mainly teaching English and business. He
said the organization receives 150 requests a year
from all over Russia for its volunteers.

Russia's relations with the U.S. have blossomed since
President Vladimir Putin threw his support behind the
U.S.-led war against terror in a move that signaled a
full-scale realignment of Russian foreign policy
toward the West.

But within Russia, mistrust of foreigners lingers. Mr.
Hay said articles have recently appeared in Russia's
regional press accusing volunteers of being spies and
ridiculing the organization as a scheme for bringing
down U.S. unemployment figures. He said some regions,
such as Nizhny Novgorod and Udmurtia in central
Russia, have recently pulled out of the program.

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman refused to
comment on the visa issue. "The authorities are not
required to provide any explanation for why a visa has
been denied," said Vladimir Godina.

Last year, several foreigners working for
nongovernmental organizations, many of whom had been
active in Russia for several years, were barred from
re-entering the country. Among them were employees of
environmental groups like Greenpeace and charities
running schools and orphanages for refugees in
Chechnya.

The new tougher policy on visas has coincided with a
flurry of spy trials targeting academics and
businessmen with ties to Westerners.

Write to Guy Chazan at [email protected]

URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB102909261776651955.djm,00.html

---

Senator Chris Dodd and Congressman Sam Farr previously introduced
S 2667 and HR 4979, the "Peace Corps Act for the 21st Century," on
June 20 and it has fifteen co-sponsors in the House and Senate
including RPCVs Tony Hall (D - OH), Michael Honda (D - CA), and
Thomas Petri (R - WI).

Here is a summary and comparison of the two bills:

The Kirk Bill (HR 5255) provides the authorization of appropriations
for fiscal years 2003 through 2007 with $488 million in 2007.

The Farr (HR 4979) and Dodd (S 2667) bill provides the authorization
of appropriations for fiscal years 2003 through 2007 with $560
million in 2007, a restatement of the independence of the Peace
Corps, new reporting to Congress on Country Security and student
loan forgiveness, special volunteer placement in Muslim countries,
training for all volunteers in global infectious diseases, re-
activation of the Peace Corps Advisory Board, an increase in the
monthly volunteer re-adjustment allowance from $125 to $275 per
month, and a $10 million annual Peace Corps Innovation Fund to fund
RPCV third goal activities.

You decide which bill is more beneficial to the Peace Corps. If
RPCVs do nothing, the Kirk Bill will win by default. If you think
the Dodd/Farr bill is better, then now is the time to call your
Congressman's office and tell him you support HR 4979 and to call
you Senator's office and tell him you want to see S 2667 made into
law. Read the two bills, compare them and leave your opinion. To
see how you can help pass this bill go to:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1008412.html

---

............IV. UPDATE ON LARIAM AND THE PEACE CORPS

Scores of Peace Corps volunteers are coming forward saying that over
the past 12 years they suffered crippling paranoia, anxiety,
hallucinations, memory loss, suicidal behavior and physical ailments
from seizures to vision difficulty because of the drug handed out by
government doctors to prevent malaria.

Many of those affected were medically evacuated and some were
hospitalized because of problems volunteers said were caused by
Lariam, also called mefloquine. Others risked contracting malaria
when they secretly violated Peace Corps rules and quit taking the
drug because side effects bothered them so much. Some say that
debilitating problems that began when they started taking the drug
have continued for years after they stopped.

"This has been the big story among Peace Corps volunteers for 12
years," said Allen Hoppes, a volunteer in Mali, West Africa, in
1992. That was three years after the Peace Corps began using Lariam,
which continues to be the Peace Corps' drug of choice.

"The Peace Corps told us if we did not want to take mefloquine, we
did not want to be Peace Corps volunteers," Hoppes said. Read the
story at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1008684.html

In a related story, a domestic violence expert who advises the
Pentagon said on August 8 that the military should look into whether
Lariam, an anti-malaria drug associated with aggression and suicidal
thinking, could have triggered any of the recent incidents in which
four Fort Bragg soldiers are suspected of killing their wives and,
in two of the cases, also killed themselves.

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1008826.html

Read our continuing coverage of the Lariam controversy, decide for
yourself if the health concerns of Lariam's side-effects have been
overstated, and leave your opinion at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1008129.html

---

World - AP Africa
Guinea Farmers Plant Rice, Hope
Mon Sep 9, 5:40 AM ET

By CLAR NI CHONGHAILE, Associated Press Writer

Mamady Douno slips off his flip-flops and wades through his rice field, stooping to check the spindly plants. He treads with care — after all, these delicate green shoots have changed his life.

Photo
AP Photo

The rice in this field near Maferenya, 30 miles outside Guinea's capital Conakry, is called NERICA, or New Rice for Africa, and it is behind a mini-revolution in this verdant West African nation.

Branded a "miracle rice" by some, NERICA is touted by the United Nations ( news - web sites) and other international sponsors as promising an end to the specter of hunger for thousands of West Africa's 20 million rice growers.

Consider the various ways people here describe it. In the forest uplands, they call it "Mother can no longer refuse her children." Elsewhere, its name means, "I will no longer have to sell my best goat."

"Since I started to grow this rice, I no longer buy rice on the market. With NERICA, I can feed my family, pay my kids' school fees, and be sure of having food all year," said Douno, the father of 10 children.

NERICA was created by crossbreeding African and Asian varieties of rice. Researchers at the Ivory Coast-based West African Rice Development Association used advanced biotechnology techniques to combine the high yields of Asian varieties with the robustness of African strains.

The project, which started in the early 1990s, is backed by the U.N. Development Program and the Japanese government, among others.

"There is no genetic modification," said Gunther Hahne, director of research at West African Rice Development Association in Bouake, Ivory Coast.

Hahne says this is probably why NERICA has not set off a debate of the kind surrounding golden rice, a strain genetically engineered to produce vitamin A to combat malnutrition and blindness. Critics call it Frankenfood.

NERICA varieties yield up to 50 percent more at harvest, without fertilizers, and are more resistant to disease and pests. They ripen in three months, compared to four or five for other varieties.

That means NERICA can be harvested in August and September, when people tend to run out of reserves and often go hungry as they wait to harvest the new crop in November and December.

And NERICA benefits the land, promoters insist. Slash-and-burn farming is common here, as the more productive Asian rice varieties cannot compete with weeds, forcing farmers to move on after a crop or two. NERICA smothers weeds.

"This chases hunger away, and when there is hunger you are not free," said Douno, standing under a light drizzle in his field.

Previous attempts to crossbreed African and Asian rice had resulted in sterile plants, but researchers circumvented this problem with a technique called embryo rescue, which is like in vitro fertilization.

Different varieties of NERICA have been created to suit different soils, and different climates. "NERICA, for us, is not a product. It's a technological process which allows us to do what we want," Hahne said.

The UNDP reckons NERICA could save West and Central Africa $100 million annually in rice imports over the next three to five years.

Farmers played a key role in three years of trials, testing different varieties of the rice and selecting the ones best suited to their land. Now, the rice is being cultivated in around 17 West and Central African countries.

Guinea is one of the front-line countries in the NERICA project — in 2000, around 20,000 farmers cultivated the seeds.

But NERICA's success has raised some problems.

Near Kindia, a busy market town 90 miles north of Conakry, researchers at the Kim Il Sung Center for Research into Agronomic Science test the purity of seeds produced by local farmers in a rundown, ill-equipped laboratory.

Director Banou Keita says there is a danger that farmers, who have been chosen to grow seeds and sell them on, might mix them with older varieties, distilling the purity of the crop.

"It is essential to train and monitor the farmers. We are using the best people but it is not enough," he said.

Back in Maferenya, Mamady Douno has big ideas. He would like to buy a tractor, so that he could harvest up to 120 acres.

"Now there are some of my relatives who are even bigger than me," he says, proudly sticking out his rotund stomach.

---

OUTGOING NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT CRITICIZES HEAD OF STATE

http://www.boubah.com/Guineenews.htm#link2092

El Hadj Boubacar Biro Diallo, outgoing president of the National Assembly, criticized head of state Gen. Lansana Conté in one of his last acts before the installation of the new legislature. Particularly, Diallo criticized Conté for concentrating all power in his hands while blaming the legislature. "Having succeeded in confiscating for yourself all the powers (legislative, executive and judicial), don't look elsewhere for the cause of the country's problems," he said in a open letter addressed to Conté. Adding, "In 7 years, you didn't meet once with the National Assembly president. Even in most difficult days of the crisis caused by the attacks on our borders." He attributes Guinea's problems in large measure to, "the democratic deficit, the opaqueness of a government characterized by bad governance and systemic corruption, all of which are encouraged by total impunity." Diallo was a founding member of the ruling PUP but has fallen out of favor with the party since criticizing alleged torture practiced by the security forces and the marginalization of the legislature and courts by the presidency.

---

 

LAST WORDS ON LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS

http://www.boubah.com/Guineenews.htm#link2092

-Jean-Marie Doré, leader of the UPG, has announced that his party's 3 recently elected deputies will not seat in the new National Assembly.

-The Supreme Court finally confirmed the controversial results of the legislative elections of 30 June.

-The American government has demanded electoral reform [no comment] concerning the 2003 Guinean presidential elections, such as a single ballot and transparent ballot boxes.

-The participation of the UPR in the legislative elections is causing serious splits within the party. The party's two leaders Bâ Mamadou and Siradiou Diallo were divided about whether the party should participate in the legislative elections (which they ultimately did). Bâ Mamadou reportedly created his own headquarters, after having been prevented from reading a declaration at the UPR's HQ. The new HQ saw a "muscled" visit from security forces, purportedly to prevent partisans of the two leaders from attacking each other.

---

GUINEAN LAWYERS ON STRIKE

http://www.boubah.com/Guineenews.htm#link2094

Some 140 lawyers of the Guinean bar association have gone on an unlimited strike (I'm not sure if it's the entire bar association or just the ones in Conakry). They are protesting against the "abuses of power" of the Attorney General Abou Camara.

---

GUINEA FARMERS PLANT RICE, REAP HOPE

http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/africa/09/09/guinea.seeds.of.hope.ap/index.html

Jerry Bowman posted a link to this story yesterday but in case anyone missed it, here it is again.

---

LE SYLI NATIONAL RETURNS TO INTERNATIONAL PLAY WITH A BANG

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/cup_of_nations/2246719.stm and http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/2241949.stm

Guinea's national soccer team, le Syli national, returned to international play by thumping Liberia 3-0 in Conakry in a qualifier for the 2004 African Nations Cup. Captain Titi Camara scored less than a minute into the match. Fodé Camara and Ibrahim Conté added goals early in the second half to seal the victory for the home side. This was the first competitive match for le Syli in over two years, as the team was suspended from the international soccer federation FIFA for governmental interference in soccer affairs; it was also the first match for the Liberian national since the retirement of their legendary forward (and captain and sometimes coach and bankroller and general humanitarian) George Weah. Guinea was led by its new coach, Frenchman Michel Dussuyer who'd been in charge of the team for less than a week before the match.

Ethiopia is the third team in the qualifying group, from which one side will advance to the 2004 Nations' Cup to be held in Tunisia. Guinea's next qualifier is on the weekend of 11-13 October in Addis Abeba.

---

CONTE ORDERS HAIRCUTS FOR SOCCER PLAYERS

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/2244352.stm

---

FIRE RAVAGES A MARKET IN LABE

http://www.boubah.com/Guineenews.htm#link2125

Around sunset on September 17, a fire ravaged a large part of the Daaka market in city of Labé. According to reports, a clandestine vendor of petrol knocked over one of his bottles which broke near some source which caused it to ignite. Some 20 kiosques were absolutely destroyed and the petrol vendor was greviously burned, although the mayor of Labé stated that she will survive.

---

NEW NATIONAL ASSEMBLY INSTALLED, ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT

http://www.boubah.com/Guineenews.htm#link2130

On September 23, the 114 deputies of the new National Assembly were sworn. The session was preceded by a meeting between Gen. Conté and the members of his PUP. He told the members of his party to act in the general interest, to stop thinking of themselves as being from a certain region or clan and to always act in the name of all Guineans. He said that the PUP deputies should work with deputies from the other parties and not see them as enemies. Afterwards, the National Assembly elected a new president of that institution: Aboubacar Somparé, the secretary-general of the PUP.

---

MORE TROUBLES AT THE GUINEA-LIBERIA BORDER

http://www.boubah.com/Guineenews.htm#link2133

For the second time in a week, unknown assailants attacked the border sous-préfecture of Soumayah, in the Macenta prefecture. They killed 2 Guinean soldiers and injured 3 others; the attackers, who came from Liberia, were reportedly killed.

---

'MASS GRAVES' FOUND IN GUINEA

A mass grave has been reportedly found in Guinea by people who say their relatives were killed by Sékou Touré's regime more than three decades ago. The group representing the relatives, Children of the Victims of Camp Boiro, were led to the mass graves by local people in the hills and forests around the city of Kindia. The Children of the Victims of Camp Boiro has announced its intention to sue before the International Court of Justice, the Guinean state, including Gen. Lansana Conté who the group accuses of 'rehabilitating' Sékou Touré. The presidential palace was recently renamed after Guinea's first leaders and there is sporadic talk of naming the international aiport in Conakry after him too.

From the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2349639.stm

Also more precise details can be found at Guinéenews: http://www.boubah.com/Articles/Articles.asp?Id=119

---

GUINEANS CAUGHT IN IVORIAN TORMENT

Numerous Guineans living in Côte d'Ivoire are caught in the turblent uprising which threatens to engulf Guinea's western neighbor. Guineans comprise the third largest foreign population in Côte d'Ivoire, after Mali and Burkina Faso; although exact numbers are unavailable, it is estimated that somewhere between 750,000 and 2 million Guineans live in Côte d'Ivoire. It's a very dangerous situation (this is me editorializing) since the populist elements in the south are promoting a xenophobic nationalism whereby Ivorian Muslims from the north are treated as foreigners and (in the present situation) invaders, even though they are Ivorian. Since most Guineans are Muslims, they are mixed in with this group and thus subject to dangerous treatment by the mobs.

News from Guinéenews: http://www.boubah.com/Articles/Articles.asp?Id=116

http://www.boubah.com/Articles/Articles.asp?Id=139

Guinean escapees from the Ivorian civil war spoke to Guinean state television about the exactions against them committed by loyalist forces because of their alleged ethnic affinity with the "northerners" of Cote d'Ivoire. But the Ivorian rebels who ran numerous barrages (checkpoints) in their zone of control accused the Guineans of being involved in racketeering. The Guineans were accused of "cooperating with loyalists" by the rebels and of "leaving Cote d'Ivoire now that things are going badly" by the loyalists. Both accusations were used to relieve Guineans of their hard-earned possessions.

Once arriving at the border by vehicle, Guinean military and customs officials threatened to not let them re-enter the country under the pretext that the borders were closed. Exhausted by the experiences, the Guineans had no choice but to give their last francs to the officials.

Those who returned to Conakry were then confronted with another serious dilemma: armed banditry which has reached "endemic" proportions, according to residents of the capital.

In a televised address, General Lansana Conté ordered the police and gendarmes to shoot on sight all "thieves" caught in the act and in military garb. "There will be no trial for a thief," declared the head of state on the occassion of Army Day (1 Nov.).

---

NATIONAL TEAM LOSES TO ETHIOPIA

The Guinean national team lost 1-0 to Ethiopia in an African Nations Cup qualifier in Addis Ababa, a disappointing result after their opening 3-0 win against Liberia in Conakry. All four teams in the group, Guinea, Niger, Ethiopia and Liberia, have 3 points from 2 matches, but Guinea top the group on goal difference (+2). The group winner will go the 2004 Nations Cup in Tunisia. Guinea's next match will be on 30 March 2003 in Conakry against Niger.

From Guinéenews: http://www.boubah.com/Articles/Articles.asp?Id=115

---

Press Freedom Index

The NGO Reporters sans frontières (Reporters without borders) recently published its first worldwide press freedom index. According to the organization, "The index was drawn up by asking journalists, researchers and legal experts to answer 50 questions about the whole range of press freedom violations (such as murders or arrests of journalists, censorship, pressure, state monopolies in various fields, punishment of press law offences and regulation of the media). The final list includes 139 countries. The others were not included in the absence of reliable information." The top four in the index were Finland, Iceland, Norway and the Netherlands while the bottom four were North Korea, China, Burma and Turkmenistan.

The United States was ranked 17th in press freedom, ahead of Britain and Italy but behind Slovenia and Costa Rica. Guinea was ranked 79th, surprisingly behind Ivory Coast (thus proving that having press freedom and using it responsibly are two different things) and Sierra Leone but ahead of India and Israel.

The article and full index can be found at: http://www.rsf.fr/article.php3?id_article=4116

---

QUESTIONS CONCERNING CONTE'S HEALTH

http://www.boubah.com/Articles/Articles.asp?Id=193 and http://www.boubah.com/Articles/Articles.asp?Id=179

The Guinean leader Gen. Lansana Conté cut short an official visit to Japan last week. No official reason was given, but the most credible reports indicated that he was suffering complications from his diabetes; although others indicated that he returned in response to rumors of a planned coup d'Etat blamed on former prime minster Sidya Touré, now head of an opposition party. According to Guinéenews, Radio France Internationale incorrectly announced the head of state's death, which caused an urgent reunion of the army before the correct information was discovered. However, the failure of Conté to appear in public since his return caused general nervousness and prompted a total deseration of public places in Conakry in this morning (12 December). One of Guineenews' informants has since reported that Conté was seen in the courtyard of the presidential palace. Members of the head of state's entourage have reportedly encouraged him to make a public statement, but none has been forthcoming as yet.

---

AGGRAVATION OF IVORIAN CIVIL WAR AFFECTS GUINEANS

http://www.boubah.com/Articles/Articles.asp?Id=181 and http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2568613.stm and http://www.boubah.com/Articles/Articles.asp?Id=188

Guinea now has the perhaps dubious monicker of "haven of peace in an ocean of instability" in West Africa. Dubious, because this was once used to describe neighboring Cote d'Ivoire which is in the midst of an increasingly messy civil war. According to Guineenews, several million Guineans live in Cote d'Ivoire. I won't get into too much detail, but just as the Sierra Leone and Liberian conflicts affected Guinea, so too does this one. A tentative coup in Cote d'Ivore about two months ago quickly degenerated into armed conflict, involving former army members based primarily in the north of that country and the regular (loyalist) army. There had been a negotiated cease-fire between the rebels and the government, but that fell apart. A second rebel group has arrived in the west of the country, the part that borders Guinea. There was a lot of fighting around the town of Man, which is near Guinea. As the conflict's ethnic dimension heated up (all Muslims were seen by the nationalists as "foreigners" and thus 5th column enemies of the state), many Guineans were caught in the crossfire. Dozens of Guineans have lost their life in these xenophobic attacks. Hundreds of refugees have already flooded into the border prefecture of Lola, according to Guinea's Moussa Solano, minister of territorial administration. With the recent discovery of a mass grave in western Cote d'Ivoire, the number of refugees is sure to increase. Earlier this week, many western countries (including the US, Belgium and Britain, but excluding France) called for their citizens to leave Cote d'Ivoire.

---

ARMY INTERVENES ON KANKAN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

http://www.boubah.com/Articles/Articles.asp?Id=189

On December 10, the army intervened to put down a general strike by students at the Julius Nyerere University in Kankan, according to the BBC's correspondent in the country. It was reported that the army's intervention was muscular and those who didn't flee in time were beaten with batons and transported to the Camp Soundiata on the outskirts of the city. The strike, called by the Student Coordination of Kankan, called for the strike reclaiming better study and living conditions. Among the revindications was the closing of a hotel on the campus which is reported to be a hotbed of prostitution and thus distracting students from their studies [note: I'm just translating!], as well as an increase in their student stipend from the equivalent of US$31 to US$52, professors and a better equipped library. The strike follows similiar student uprisings in the last two years in Dubreka, Conakry, Kindia, Forecariah, Dubreka, Mali Centre and Kissidougou. Deaths among striking students reportedly occurred at the Koundara and Mali marches.

---

CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFYING

For you soccer fans, Guinea lost away to Ethiopia by 1-0 in the second match of African Nations Cup 2004 (in Tunisia) qualifying. All four teams in the group, Guinea, Liberia, Ethiopia and Niger are equal with 3 points, although Guinea is in first place with a +2 goal difference. Guinea's remaining matches are as follow:

30 March vs Niger (in Conakry)

7 June vs Niger (in Niamey)

22 June vs Liberia (in Monrovia)

6 July vs Ethiopia (in Conakry)

Only the group winner is guaranteed to qualify.

---