UPDATE: December 8, 1994
(Volume 4, Number 32)

Note: All information presented in this update is condensed from wire and newspaper reports received from the Lexis/Nexis on-line service. Complete bibliographical information is unavailable from this service, but every attempt has been made to properly cite information and give credit to source materials. As the material in this "Update" is condensed, and does not directly quote the primary source, information from the "Update" should not be quoted.

UPDATE SUMMARY



PEACE ATTEMPTS
AZERBAIJAN: CSCE approves peacekeeping force for Karabakh
BURUNDI: U.S. calls for an end to violence in Burundi
CYPRUS: Rauf Denktas meets with Boutros-Ghali
HAITI: U.S. begins troop reduction, multinational force moves in
KOSOVO: Croatia and Albania sign four agreements on cooperation
LIBERIA: Peace talks adjourned temporarily; Warlords sign internal ceasefire
MACEDONIA: Kiro Gligorov ready to resume talks with Greece
MALI: Tuaregs claim to be observing truce
MYANMAR (BURMA): Rewata Dhamma likely to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's military leaders
NIGER: President forms commission with U.N. support
SRI LANKA: LTTE ready to continue peace talks
SUDAN: Sudan says peace efforts continue

ARMED CONFLICT

ARMENIA: Railway bridge explosion violates ceasefire in Armenia
HAITI: Release of gunman prompts violence
LIBERIA: Peacekeepers holding militia boss raided
MALI: Government troops kill raiding Tuaregs
NICARAGUA: Fighting in northern provinces
SRI LANKA: Four rebels killed

ELECTIONS AND POLITICS

BURUNDI: Opposition party members walk out of Parliament
GEORGIA: Gunmen kill party leader in Georgia
ETHIOPIA: 250,000 protest government decision; Muslims demand greater role for Islamic Courts
HAITI: Judicial system slowly being rebuilt; Prime Minister speaks out on election date; Military officers reassigned abroad
NIGER: Election campaign begins
ZAIRE: Diplomatic missions abroad closed

HUMAN RIGHTS

KOSOVO: Serbians hold 156 former Albanian police in custody
NIGER: Journalists's union protests state censorship

HUMANITARIAN ISSUES

ETHIOPIA: More Somali refugees enter Ethiopia
HAITI: U.N. calls for urgent humanitarian aid
KOSOVO: U.S. pledges to aid Kosovo
MACEDONIA: ECU to grant $23 million in aid to Macedonia
SUDAN: 3,500 refugees flee into Uganda
ZAIRE: U.N. asks Poland to send troops into refugee camps

The weekly updates are written and edited by interns in the Carter Center Conflict Resolution Program. This semester's interns are Rebecca Adams, Courtney Carter, Lillian Habeich, Yvonne Hartmann, Debbie Michalak, Sirak Solomon, Alex Strnad, and Rory Velasquez.

This "Update" will be the last one for Fall semester 1994. We will resume publication in February 1995.



ARMENIA
Railway bridge explosion violates ceasefire in Armenia: In his address at the summit of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), Armenian president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, charged that Azerbaijan violated the eight month old Armenian/Azerbaijani ceasefire on December 3. Azerbaijani agents were accused of blowing up a railway bridge that provides Armenia's rail link to Georgia and the Black Sea. Ter-Petrossian said Armenia reserved the right to retaliate.

Azerbaijani president, Heydar Aliyev addressed the accusation in a statement at the CSCE on December 6. He stated, "I am extremely surprised at the statement of (Levon) Ter-Petrosyan ... I categorically reject the accusation and consider the statement groundless." Aliyev went on to warn Armenia that any rash action could damage the ongoing peace process. (AFP, December 5; Deutsche Presse-Agentur, MTI Hungarian News Agency, December 6, 1994)

Turkmenistan reaches agreement on gas with Caucasus republics: On December 2, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia reached agreements with Turkmenistan regarding outstanding gas debts. Turkmen president, Saparmyrat Niyazov, Georgian president, Eduard Shevardnadze, Armenian president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Azerbaijani deputy premier, Abbas Abbasov arrived at mutual guarantees of gas supplies and payments of supplies for 1995. President Niyazov stated that gas supplies to Georgia and Armenia would resume on December 2. (BBC, December 8, 1994)

AZERBAIJAN
CSCE approves peacekeeping force for Karabakh: On December 7, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) agreed to dispatch a 3,000-strong force to Nagorno-Karabakh--the Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan that has been in an ethnic war since 1988. It was the first time the CSCE undertook such an operation. The composition of the force and the question of command structure will be worked out in the coming weeks. Russia made it clear that it wanted to contribute as much as half of the force and insisted that one of its officers should have overall command. Armenian leadership had no objection to Russia's dominant role but Azerbaijan remained hesitant. The government in Baku wanted guarantees that the Russian contingent will not be transformed into the Kremlin's permanent military presence in Azerbaijan.

On December 6, President Gejdar Aliyev of Azerbaijan asked the CSCE and the peace-keeping mission of international forces to help find a peaceful settlement to the crisis as soon as possible. The Turkish prime minister, Tansu Ciller, also appealed to the CSCE to intervene in the conflict as Turkey has a common border with Azerbaijan and the populations of both countries are predominantly Muslim. (Reuters, The Washington Times, December 6; The Times Newspapers Limited, December 7, 1994)

BURUNDI
Opposition party members walk out of parliament: The power sharing agreement between the ruling party of Burundi, Frodebu (Front for Democracy in Burundi) and Uprona (Union for National progress) was threatened when Uprona members staged a walk-out in parliament. The walk-out was triggered by Frodebu's election of a new National Assembly speaker without consulting Uprona. Uprona called for the resignation of the government thereby threatening the three month old coalition agreement.

Although Uprona has only 16 seats compared to Frodebu's 65 it enjoys the backing of the Tutsi dominated army. (BBC, December 5; Deutsche Presse-Agentur, December 3, 1994)

Five dead and several injured in Bujumbura: Five people were killed and several others were injured when a grenade exploded in the central market of Bujumbura. Commenting on this and other related violence in Burundi, President Sylvester Ntibantunganya stated that the influx of refugees from neighboring Rwanda caused Burundi's current security problem. (BBC, December 2, 1994)

U.S. calls for an end to the violence in Burundi: The United States government called on Burundi security forces to maintain order and for all sides to refrain from political and ethnic violence in the country. A spokeswoman for the State Department mentioned that increases in incidents of violence was the reason for the concern. (Xinhua, December 2, 1994)

CYPRUS
Turkish leader meets Boutros-Ghali on resuming talks: President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Rauf Denktas, met with U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali in Geneva. At the end of the meeting, Denktas said Boutros-Ghali believed both sides should continue negotiations and that the goal is near. Denktas said a solution will be based on the principles of equality, partnership, and the other parameters the TRNC insisted on. (BBC, December 5, 1994)

National Council postpones U.N. General Assembly debate on Cyprus issue: The U.N. General Assembly has allowed three hours for debate on the Cyprus issue during its next meeting. The Cypriot National Council stated that the time allotted was insufficient. The debate has been postponed until Spring 1995. (BBC, December 3, 1994)

Cypriot foreign minister talks about Cyprus-EU membership: Cypriot foreign minister, Alekos Mikhailidhis, said from now to December 19, 1994, was a critical period during which Greece and Cyprus will become active in political and diplomatic sectors. This period was critical because on December 19, the Turkey-EU customs union will be discussed. Mikhailidhis added that once the date was set for the opening of membership negotiations, Cyprus will irrevocably enter a course towards EU membership. (BBC, December 2, 1994)

ESTONIA
U.S. reassures eastern Europe on NATO: U.S. secretary of state, Warren Christopher, met with ministers from Albania, Bulgaria, The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia on December 3 to discuss membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The 11 east European and former Soviet states are currently grouped with NATO in a consultative body known, as the North Atlantic Cooperation Council and in a military cooperation scheme know as Partnership for Peace. The 11 nations pressed their case for NATO membership with Christopher. They gained assurances that none would be ruled out of consideration. "Each country will be considered on its own merits. It will be case by case, none will be excluded," Christopher said. NATO agreed to draft a "NATO owner's manual" by the end of 1995 to summarize what changes the alliance and would-be-members must make if the organization was expanded. The plan to possibly extend NATO membership to some east European and former Soviet states is causing friction with Russia. (Reuters,UPI, December 3, 1994)

Baltic military commanders agree on further cooperation: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania plan to further their military cooperation in the near future and to do everything possible in order to integrate swiftly into European military structures. The three nations's defense force commanders established a joint working group to coordinate activities within NATO's Partnership for Peace program in the Baltic states. (BBC, December 2, 1994)

Estonia confident Baltic EU prospects are good: The Baltic states are confident they will take major steps towards European Union (EU) membership although negotiations have yet to start. Tallinn expects to sign an association agreement in the first half of 1995 and could become a member by the end of the decade. Latvia and Lithuania have similar aspirations. The EU has not invited Baltic representatives to the European Council in Essen on December 9. The issue of how, and under what rules, the Union wants to continue expanding will be debated at the summit. (Reuters, December 2, 1994)

Yeltsin addresses CSCE summit in Budapest: In Budapest on December 5, Russian Federation president, Boris Yeltsin, addressed the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). Yeltsin warned against expanding NATO because this would obstruct the development of trust and a single European space. He spoke in favor of a single European security and economic system. Yeltsin said the CSCE should aim to defend human and minority rights and pointed to discrimination against Russians in the former Soviet republics. Yeltsin added that the Orthodox Church was being "oppressed" in the Baltic States, especially in Estonia. Estonian president, Lennart Meri, responded saying the accusation of religious oppression was unfounded. He accused Yeltsin of using human rights violations for propaganda purposes. (BBC, Reuters, December 6, 1994)

Borders marked on basis of Estonian maps: The Estonian border was discussed during a meeting between Enn Leisson, the chairman of the control committee on fulfilling Estonian-Russian inter-state agreements, and Nikolay Medvedjev, Russian deputy minister of federal development and cooperation. Medvedjev said that although Estonian officials protested the demarcation, the border was drawn according to maps the Estonian government presented to the European Union and to the Council of Europe when Estonia joined these organizations. Medvedjev also said that in the letters accompanying the maps, Estonia stated that she had no territorial claims against her neighbors. (BBC, December 2, 1994)

Estonia supports Chechen people's right to self-determination: On November 29, the Estonian premier, Andres Tarand, said his country supported the Chechen people's right to self-determination. Estonia wished to publicly declare its support because "though we cannot influence the world of politics to a great extent, we were aided by the world public opinion in our own fight for independence," Tarand said. (BBC, December 2, 1994)

Estonian-Russian-Finnish border guards sign cooperation agreement: The heads of border guard services of Estonia, Finland and Russia signed a tripartite cooperation agreement in Helsinki, as well as cooperation plans for 1995. The protocols signed do no reflect political differences as far as the border between Estonia and Russia is concerned. (BBC, December 2, 1994)

ETHIOPIA
250,000 people protest against Ethiopia's government: 250,000 people took to the streets to protest the government's decision to allow ethnic groups to secede from Ethiopia. The demonstration was called by the Alternative Council of the Forces of Peace and Democracy (ACFPD), an umbrella organization of several opposition groups.

The demonstrators also called for the release of jailed opposition leaders including, Asarat Woldeye of the All Amhara People's Organization and Abera Yemaneab of the Coalition of Democratic Forces, and several independent journalists.

The constituent assembly, which is heavily dominated by Meles Zenawi's ruling party the Ethiopian Peoples's Revolutionary Democratic Front, approved an article on self-determination for ethnic groups and an article for government ownership of land, which incited the protest. (AFP, December 5; AP, December 4, 1994)

More Somali refugees enter Ethiopia: Two thousand Somali refugees are entering Ethiopia each day because of renewed violence in the Hargeissa area of Somalia. The U.N. High Commission on Refugees said there are about 32,000 Somali refugees currently in five camps in eastern Ethiopia. (Xinhua News Agency, December 1, 1994)

Muslims demand greater role for Islamic courts: More than 100,000 Muslim men and women protested in Ethiopia's capital, demanding a greater role for the country's Islamic courts. The protest was incited by a civil court's overruling of an Islamic court's decision. The protesters demanded that the Islamic court's jurisdiction be expanded and made explicit in the draft constitution now being debated by a constituent assembly. Other demands included, state subsides for the Muslim Supreme Council as was the case with the Orthodox Church, the wearing of Muslim cloth by school girls and designated places for prayers in public institutions.

Currently Islamic courts have limited jurisdiction, mainly on divorce, religious and inheritance issues affecting muslims. (AP, November 28; BBC, November 30, 1994)

GEORGIA
Gunmen kill party leader in Georgia: On December 3, Georgian opposition leader, Georgy Chanturia, was killed in Tblisi. Chanturia's wife, Irina Sarishvili, a member of parliament, and two other party members were also wounded when gunmen opened fire on Chanturia's car. Chanturia's party was at odds with current authorities and with militant and radical opposition groups. A statement issued by the National Democratic Party of Georgia on December 5, said the terrorist act was planned and executed by Russia's imperialist forces and mafia groups in Georgia. The document also stressed that the current Georgian leadership also bore responsibility for the incident. (BBC, December 5; The Commercial Appeal, December 6, 1994)

Shevardnadze calls on CSCE to recognize Abkhaz "genocide": In a speech to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) on December 6, Georgian president, Eduard Shevardnadze, called on the international community to recognize the "genocide" being carried out by Abkhaz separatists against Georgians. Separatist Abkhaz and Georgians have been holding peace talks under UN auspices for the past year, following 13 months of war that left more than 3,000 dead. The peace talks, dealing with the future status of Abkhazia -- a Black Sea province of Georgia -- are currently deadlocked. The Abkhaz declared autonomy in 1992 and recently appointed Vladislav Ardzinba president of the self-declared republic. (AFP, December 6, 1994)

HAITI
U.S. begins troop reduction, multinational force moves in: Major Regina Largent, a military spokeswoman, said U.S. forces in Haiti would be reduced to 6,000 by December 10, a few days ahead of the original December 15 partial withdrawal date. About 3,000 U.S. soldiers will remain in Haiti as part of a U.N. peacekeeping force.

With U.S. forces withdrawing, the U.N. Security Council authorized on November 29 the deployment of 500 U.N. troops to begin taking over the peacekeeping operation in Haiti. No official date was set for the U.N. to assume leadership of the mission.

About 300 new soldiers from Caribbean countries will train in Puerto Rico and are scheduled to replace the 266 Caribbean troops already in Haiti. The soldiers will be trained by U.S. Special Forces and U.S. Justice Department officials at Puerto Rico's Camp Santiago. (AFP, A.P., November 30; A.P., December 3, 1994)

Judicial system slowly being rebuilt: President Jean-Bertrand Aristide appointed Clauzel Debrousse the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Debrousse was a member of the old Supreme Court and was an opponent of the military coup that ousted President Aristide in 1991.

In a speech made in Cayes, 125 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, President Aristide urged victims of repression to take their cases to the courts. The government estimates that nearly 7,000 people suffered abuse under the former military regime. (AFP, December 2; San Francisco Examiner, December 3, 1994)

Military officers reassigned abroad: President Aristide appointed former chief of the Haitian armed forces, Major-General Jean-Claude Duperval, as military attachˇ to Brazil. Other senior military leaders were also reassigned to posts outside Haiti. Brigadier-General Max Mayard was named military attachˇ to Ecuador, Colonel Marc Valmond was assigned a post in Colombia and Colonel Charles Andrˇ, the navy commander, was reassigned to Belgium. Both Duperval and Mayard served under Lieutenant-General Raoul Cˇdras, and Andrˇ was a Cˇdras spokesman. (Reuters, December 1, 1994)

Prime Minister speaks out on elections date: Prime Minister Smarck Michel projects that parliamentary and local elections will take place 14 to 22 weeks following the establishment of a nine member electoral commission. Representatives from various parties are trying to reach an agreement as to the composition of the commission. The representatives are concerned with the possibility of a losing party rejecting the legitimacy of the elections. (New York Times, November 30, 1994)

U.N. calls for urgent humanitarian aid: An appeal for $77 million in aid to finance agricultural, environmental, health and educational programs in Haiti will be made on December 6 by Peter Hansen, the U.N. under-secretary for humanitarian affairs. Funds from donor countries will be used to finance these programs over the next six months. (Reuters, December 2, 1994)

Release of gunmen prompts violence: Angry Haitians harassed Samuel Chery, an attachˇ, after he was released by U.S. soldiers following two months of detention. Hundreds of people wielding machetes and sticks surrounded Chery's home following his release. U.S. soldiers returned to save Chery from the mob. (A.P., December 2, 1994)

KOSOVO
156 former Albanian police held in custody: Authorities in the Kosovo province of Serbia said that on December 2 they arrested 156 former Albanian policemen from the Albanian community on suspicion that they were involved in plans for the province to secede and join Albania. This statement was confirmed by the Kosovo Democratic League (LDK). At a news conference in Pristina, Miodrag Brkljaca, the chief public prosecutor, said 156 people were arrested and 133 were under investigation. All were accused of either creating "an interior ministry" for the "Republic of Kosovo" or of belonging to "illegal militias." (AFP, December 2, 1994)

U.S. pledges to aid Kosovo: The United States (U.S.) reaffirmed its commitment to use military force to defend the Albanian majority of Serbia's Kosovo region if Serbs tried to expand the Balkan war there. Kosovo leader Ibrahim Rugova, met senior administration aides and urged the U.S. to tie lifting sanctions on Serbia to a peaceful resolution of his semi-autonomous region's long-running struggle against Belgrade's domination. State Department deputy spokesperson, Christine Shelly, stated during a news conference that "there isn't any change" in pledges made earlier by the Clinton administration or the former Bush administration to intervene militarily in Kosovo if Serbs attacked. (Reuters, December 2, 1994)

LATVIA
New political party will become Latvia's largest: The new political party "Latvijai" (meaning Latvia) crucially altered the shape of political power in Latvia. The party, formed on November 18, now has more than 10,000 members. Latvijai outnumbers the Farmer's Federation which was formerly the largest Latvian party with 3,000 members. (BBC, December 5, 1994)

Parliamentary committee discusses Latvian foreign policy: On November 30, a proposal on Lativian foreign policy was submitted by the Lativian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission. Cooperation among the Baltic states and cooperation with the European Union and the G7 countries were defined as priorities. Relations with Russia was also listed as important because Latvia was interested in establishing lasting and stable relations with the neighboring state. A unified foreign policy is not in place at this time. (BBC, December 2, 1994)

LIBERIA
Peace talks to resume after no agreement reached: The Liberian warring factions were asked to report back in Ghana within twelve days for another attempt to find a lasting peace in the country. This followed the adjournment of the all-Liberia peace conference on December 1, when the factions failed to reach a consensus on the composition of the five-member Council of State (COS). The COS would serve as an interim administrative body until general elections are held. (BBC, December 2, 1994)

Liberia warlords sign internal ceasefire agreement: On November 30, the two leaders of Liberia's United Liberation Movement (ULIMO) declared an immediate internal ceasefire and pledged to promote dialogue, peace, and reconciliation between their members and officials. The "Ulimo internal ceasefire agreement" was signed in Accra by Alhaji G.V. Kromah and Roosevelt Johnson. (Deutsche Presse-Agentur, November 30, 1994)

Raid on peacekeepers holding militia boss: On December 3, unidentified gunmen attacked African peacekeepers who were holding a former Liberian military commander on sedition charges arising from a failed coup attempt in September 1994. The aim of the attackers was not immediately clear but reports of the raid in Fendall, north of Monrovia, gave rise to speculation that they wanted to free former Armed Forces of Liberia General Charles Julue, whose trial was to start on December 5. Individual peacekeepers said there had been an incident, but gave no details of casualties. One ECOMOG source said the attackers had pretended to be surrendering fighters from a militia. (Reuters, December 3, 1994)

LITHUANIA
Belarussian and Lithuanian commission meet to establish state borders: During negotiations held in Minsk between the Belurus and Lithuania state commissions a draft treaty was agreed on the state borders between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Lithuania. Experts on the border will make the necessary specification in the first half of December. (BBC, December 3, 1994)

MACEDONIA
Gligorov ready to continue negotiations, but not about name: Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYRM) president, Kiro Gligorov, said the FYRM is ready to continue negotiations with Greece, but not on a new name for Macedonia. Instead, Gligorov wanted to devote the talks to the current relations between FYRM and the European Union (EU), cooperation, and security in the Balkans. (BBC, December 5, 1994)

Assembly rejects proposals on use of Albanian language: Albanian deputies in the Macedonian parliament put forward proposals regarding amendments to the law on the use of Albanian language. None of these proposals were approved; therefore, the Macedonian language and the Cyrillic alphabet will be used in all administrative bodies, but Albanian language will not be used. (BBC, December 3, 1994)

ECU to grant $23 million in aid to Macedonia: The European Commission called on member states to grant ECU $23 million in aid for the FYRM. This aid package was intended to help those sectors of Macedonia that were affected by U.N. sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro, as well as the sanctions imposed on the FYRM by Greece.

This aid package will focus on three main areas: supplying of fuel to establishments involved in humanitarian work; supplying of raw materials to key sectors involved in food supply, and the supplying of materials and replacement parts for the food sector. (European Report, December 3, 1994)

Albanian university in Tetovo may precede division of Macedonia: The Macedonian Ethnologist Association warned Skopje that the upcoming illegal opening of an Albanian university in Tetovo was an introduction to divide the FYRM. The association said the founding of the university was a step toward the Albanian separatist goal of an autonomous region in western FYRM. The university, however, was still scheduled to open on December 17, 1994. (BBC, December 2, 1994)

MALI
Tuaregs claim to be observing truce: The Azaouad Arab Islamic Front, which represents Tuaregs involved in hostilities with the Mali government, said its members will observe a truce until the second week of December at the request of an Algerian mediator. Tuareg leader, Zahabi Ould Sidi Mohamed, said if the government did not change its stance towards the Tuareg rebels during this time, attacks will resume. Mohamed said he was ready for more dialogue with the government. (BBC, December 2, 1994)

Government troops kill raiding Tuaregs: 16 Tuaregs were killed when they raided the town of Gourma. No military deaths were reported in the December 1 government statement. The attack followed a November 25 Tuareg attack in the northern Timbuktu region where eight Tuareg cattle thieves were killed. Azaouad Arab Islamic leader, Zahabi Ould Mohamed, denied his group's involvement in this attack. The thieves reportedly stole more than 200 head of cattle after attacking the village of Kassoum. No army troops were killed.

President Alpha Oumar Konare called the problems with Tuaregs in the north a "tragedy." He said not all Tuaregs were involved in the fight against the government. Since September 30, there have been more than 140 deaths due to the conflict. (BBC, November 30; Reuters, November 29, December 2, 1994)

Malian representative plays lead role in prison conference: Mohamed Ali Bathily served as rapporteur in the five-day International Red Cross conference on revising the penal system in 17 African nations. "The failure of the system is clear," said Bathily, who pointed out that before Europeans installed prisons, punishment that promoted reconciliation was successful. A new penal code based on early traditional punishments was put into place in Djibouti and other nations are still involved in discussions for changes. (AFP, December 5, 1994)

World Bank holds private sector talks with 12 African nations: Mali is sending a representative to a World Bank meeting on December 7 and 8 to discuss improving the nation's private sector. The conference on development and privatization will draw approximately 100 participants. (Reuters, December 5, 1994)

MYANMAR (BURMA)
Rewata Dhamma likely to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's military leaders: Buddhist monk, Reverend Rewata Dhamma, who played a key role in getting the ruling military junta and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to start a dialogue in September, said on November 27 he might meet both sides on his next trip to Burma in mid-December. The Reverend Rewata Dhamma also said he expects Suu Kyi's freedom "sooner or later" and hopes to be helpful in the process. (BBC, November 29, 1994)

Burma hails meetings with Aung San Suu Kyi: Burmese Foreign Minister Ohn Gyaw said on December 1 that recent meetings between Burma's military rulers and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi helped build mutual understanding and were likely to continue. Ohn Ghaw also said Burma's State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) sincerely intended to resolve its political problems and would rely on diplomacy and not fighting to solve its dispute with ethnic minority rebels. (Reuters, December 1, 1994)

Burma's junta plans referendum on constitution: Burma's new constitution will be adopted by a referendum, and general elections will be held in accordance with the new charter, National Planning and Economic Development Minister Brig. Gen. David Abel, a member of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), told a Japanese business delegation. The constitution will be written based on guidelines to be adopted by the ongoing convention. According to the plan, the draft constitution will then be adopted by a referendum, and the election will be held under the new constitution for power transfer to the elected government. (Kyodo, December 2, 1994)

Four Burmese soldiers killed in clash: At least four Burmese soldiers were killed and 10 others wounded in a clash with Karen rebels in jungles close to the country's eastern border according to a senior Burmese official. The three-hour exchange of gunfire took place on November 27. There were no details on rebel casualties. A warning was issued to Thai villagers along the border to beware of a possible spillover from renewed clashes between Burmese and Karen troops. (Reuters, November 29; BBC, December 2, 1994)

Burmese destroy opium poppy fields in Shan state: Soldiers, police, anti-narcotics personnel and local residents destroyed 462 acres of opium poppies at Pinlaung in the southwest of the Shan state. During the operation which took place from November 8-22, the narcotics suppression team met villagers to discuss substitute crops. A visiting U.S. delegation said on November 2 that the Burmese government had agreed to survey this year's harvest with U.S. cooperation as part of a drive to curb cultivation of the crop. Washington has linked resumption of aid to the military-backed government to progress in human rights, democracy, and narcotics control. (Reuters, November 28, 1994)

Burma signs anti-narcotics pact with Bangladesh: Burma and Bangladesh signed an agreement on December 2 to cooperate in suppressing narcotics. Officials from both countries stressed that the agreement did not imply existence of any serious narcotics problem between the two. Bangladesh was the only neighboring country left to sign the agreement after India, China, Thailand and Laos. (Deutsche Presse-Agentur, December 2, 1994)

Thai police arrest nine in Khun Sa drug ring: Thai police have arrested nine suspected drug traffickers in a major drug ring following a tip-off by U.S. authorities. The action followed a request for cooperation sent from the U.S. to the Thai foreign ministry in early November. The U.S. listed 20 names of people believed to be the key aides to Khun Sa, leader of Burma's Shan minority group, which controls most of the heroin in the Golden Triangle Region. (Reuters, December 2, 1994)

Daiwa to help Burma develop capital markets: On November 30, Daiwa Research Institute, an affiliate of Japan's Daiwa Securities, sealed an agreement to help Burma develop its capital markets. The institute director said the principal objective of the agreement was to establish working capital markets-focusing on stocks and bonds-so that Burma can privatize some of its state-owned enterprises and move toward a "market-oriented economy." (Business Times, December 1, 1994)

NICARAGUA
Former president Ortega admitted to Cuban hospital for heart condition: Former Nicaraguan president, Daniel Ortega, is in stable condition at a Havana hospital after tests revealed he suffered a myocardial infarction three months ago. Ortega received a medical checkup for symptoms that surfaced while he was attending the first World Solidarity with Cuba conference. Ortega, the secretary-general of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, will not have to undergo surgery, according to his Cuban doctors at the Medical-Surgical Research Center. (BBC, December 5, 1994)

Fighting in northern provinces: Eight rebels and two government officials were killed in hostilities on December 4 in several northern provinces. The most violent attacks occurred in La Palanca, 170 miles north of Managua. The afternoon attack left eight people dead after more than 50 rebels clashed with soldiers from the Sandinista People's Army (EPS). The rebels, led by re-armed contra commanders, were estimated to number almost 2,000. The attacks were the fiercest in the past two months. (U.P.I, Xinhua, December 5, 1994)

Cuban president to visit country: When General Humberto Ortega steps down in February 1995 as the Nicaraguan army commander, Cuban president, Fidel Castro, plans to be there. Ortega is scheduled to hand over control of the army to Major General Joaquin Cuadra Lacayo on February 21, 1995, pending President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro's approval. Ortega personally delivered the invitation to Castro during a recent visit. (Xinhua, December 1, 1994)

Health workers strike for higher wages: To pressure the government into giving them higher salaries, about 23,000 health workers staged a 24-hour strike. Emergency rooms remained open during the strike. The government pledged to study budgets for the ministries of health, education and national policy and to consider pay increases for workers. (Xinhua, November 28, 1994)

NIGER
Election campaign begins: To prepare for national parliamentary elections on January 7, 1995, candidates began campaigning on December 7. President Mahamane Ousmane, who dissolved the parliament on October 17, said the elections will be an expression of democracy. He said he expected his party to win a majority of seats, but pledged to "reach out to all citizens of this country of goodwill who are motivated by the concern to revive the country." (BBC, December 6, 1994)

President forms commission with U.N. support: To fight the proliferation of weapons in Niger, officials established the National Commission for the Collection and Commission of Illegal arms. The commission will focus efforts on disarming militias in the nation and controlling arms trafficking across the country's borders.

President Mahamane Ousmane announced that Colonel Anadou Seyni will lead the commission, which will operate in cooperation with the U.N. The commission will be comprised of Niger citizens who can assist in limiting weapons trafficking throughout Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad. U.N. secretary general, Boutros Boutros-Ghali who requested the formation of the council, will send an envoy during the first of December to direct activities. (Reuters, December 1, 1994)

Journalists' union protests state censorship: The National Information Workers Union (Ben-Syninfo) announced that political leaders were interfering with the work of state media representatives, especially the Voix du Sahel radio station. The communique followed the censoring of a national press review broadcast on November 27. The union's statement "strongly condemns the stopping of the national press review, the censorship of the media and any form of external interference from politicians." (BBC, November 30, 1994)

Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry president visits: The Saudi president of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry arrived on December 1 on the group's first visit to Niger. The delegation spent two days in Niger before visiting Burkina Faso. The chamber represents Islamic private industries and works towards the creation of an Islamic common market. The chamber is an affiliation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, of which Niger is a member. The visit falls at a time in when Islamic religious activists are involved in protests against the government's contraception campaign. (Reuters, December 1, 1994)

Niger health workers strike: Only emergency service was available as health workers called a 72-hour strike beginning on November 28 to demand regular wages and better equipment for hospitals. No deaths were linked to the health and social workers's strike. (Reuters, November 29, 1994)

Niger Human Rights League demands release of Nigerian prisoner: A Nigerian businessman, held in a Niger prison for over a year without trial, ended a hunger strike to protest his detention. Jerry Yusuf's 12-day fast called attention to his case as the Niger Human Rights League requested courts to rule his detention illegal. In July, Niger's Court of Appeals confirmed a lower court decision not to press charges against Yusef because the government claimed he was improperly extradited. Although the courts will not permit a trial, Yusuf remained imprisoned.

Yusuf was arrested in Nigeria on November 14, 1993. He was accused of planning the October 25 hijacking of a Nigeria Airways Airbus on which one person was killed when police stormed the plane after it landed in Niger's capital. Yusuf began his hunger strike on November 17, 1994 to demand action on his case. (Reuters, November 29, 1994)

SRI LANKA
LTTE ready to continue peace talks: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran said in a November 26 speech that "the doors are open for negotiations" with the government. President Chandrika Bandaranaike-Kumaratunga's government asked the LTTE to declare a week-long ceasefire which would be reciprocated by a two week ceasefire by the government. The LTTE responded positively by requesting details of how the ceasefires would be observed. The LTTE's response was prompted by the government's decision to answer an LTTE request that there be an investigation of the killing of a senior LTTE leader, which occurred during the it's November 12-17 unilateral ceasefire. According to information minister, Dharmasiri Senanayake, peace talks could resume by December 25. (BBC, November 30, 1994)

Paul Isenman, the south Asian regional director of the World Bank, said the government should continue its peace efforts with the Tamil rebels. Isenman also said the bank would assist in financing rehabilitation and reconstruction projects in northern and eastern Sri Lanka and that an end to the war would help reduce the spiralling budget deficit.

In a statement, the European Union (EU) president said, the EU "strongly urges the LTTE to take positive steps to respond to moves made by the Sri Lankan government for restoring peace...and to cease its campaign of violence." (Deutsche Presse-Agentur, December 3; RAPID, November 29; Reuters, November 28, 1994)

Four rebels killed: In two separate incidents, government troops killed four LTTE rebels. Three rebels were killed on December 2 in Panichchakerni, 130 miles east of Colombo. Another rebel was killed in a guerilla attack on policemen on December 1. There were no government casualties in the attack. (A.P., December 3, 1994)

SUDAN
Sudan says peace efforts continue: Diplomatic efforts to end Sudan's civil war are going ahead despite the government's poor relations with two of the four countries mediating the conflict. Kenya, with which Sudan still has good ties, is active in trying to find a settlement to the war. Sudanese state television reported that Kenyan envoy Zakaria Onyonka was making contacts with all factions of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in order to set a date for another round of peace talks with the government. (Reuters, November 30, 1994)

3,500 Sudanese refugees flee into Uganda: Since mid-November, over 3,500 refugees have fled into Uganda as a result of the intensified fighting in southern Sudan between the Sudanese government and the SPLA. The U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Uganda, Ulf Kristoffersson, said the daily influx of refugees into Uganda has increased to about 500 per day. He also said the Ugandan government and other non-governmental organizations were assisting the refugees at a transit camp in Koboko, northwestern Uganda, where over 90,000 Sudanese refugees now live. (Xinhua, December 3, 1994)

Sudan denies Eritrean charges of training opposition forces: On Sudanese radio, Sudanese foreign minister Husayn Abu Salih denied the Eritrean government's recent statement that Sudan was training a group of Eritreans inside Sudan. He also denied allegations that Sudan was trying to overthrow the government of Eritrea. Abu Salih affirmed Sudan's commitment to the agreements signed in August between Sudan and Eritrea on the voluntary repatriation of refugees and the boosting of interaction through the joint security committee. In addition, he expressed his faith in Sudanese-Eritrean cooperation through official channels "in order to safeguard Eritrea's security and stability from all threats." (BBC, December 1, 1994)

Abu Salih complains to U.N. envoy about irregularities in relief work: The U.N. envoy to Sudan, Ambassador Vieri Traxler, who is currently visiting the country, has confirmed that he witnessed tangible progress in humanitarian and voluntary relief work in area affected by the war. Traxler, who met with Abu Salih on December 2, praised the efforts to cooperate and to coordinate with voluntary organizations. However, Abu Salih protested to Traxler about the activities of certain voluntary organizations which he said departed from the laws and ethics of the relief work by embarking on political and information activities to bring about incitement and distortion. Abu Salih expressed the hope that the organizations would confine themselves to voluntary relief tasks. (BBC, December 3, 1994)

Southern Sudanese youths deny U.S. congressman's allegations of human rights violations: Bishop Gabriel Rorech, minister of state at the Sudanese foreign ministry, stressed the important part being played by young people towards achieving peace and development in Sudan. The statement was made during a meeting with a delegation of youths from the southern states, who participated in the Youth Convention for Peace and Development held recently in Khartoum. The youth delegation presented Bishop Gabriel with a protest note, in reply to allegations by U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf who accused Sudan of violating human rights. The memorandum hailed the religious coexistence prevailing in the country and rejected the U.S. Congress's interference in Sudan's internal affairs. (BBC, December 2, 1994)

Sudan touts success on inflation before visit to IMF: On November 27, the Sudanese government claimed success in lowering inflation and stabilizing its currency trading, days ahead of a visit by senior officials to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for talks on Sudan's economic program. Central bank governor, Sabir Mohammed al-Hassan, told an economic symposium in Sudan that the tight monetary and economic policies in place since the beginning of 1994 were starting to pay off. He said the inflation rate fell from 120 percent in June and July to 85 percent in October. Observers noted that the figures differed from those produced by Finance and Economic Planning Minister Abdulla Hassan who said in October that inflation in July stood at 130 percent. (AFP, November 27, 1994)

ZAIRE
Diplomatic missions abroad closed: The Zairean government reduced the number of its embassies and consulates abroad from 63 to 25. The closure of 38 diplomatic missions is meant to produce a savings of $1.8 million a month for the collapsed economy. Diplomats abroad were unpaid for the past 29 months and survived off the revenue of high-priced visas, which are reportedly the most expensive in the world. According to the information minister, Masegabio Nzanzu, some diplomats signed up for welfare in their host countries while others sold their state-owned residences to pay off debts.

The government decided to keep diplomatic missions in its nine neighboring states, South Africa and the troika of western countries with close ties to Zaire--the U.S., Belgium and France. Embassies and consulates will also be retained in Britain, Germany, Italy, Canada, Morocco, China and Japan. (AFP, Reuters, December 3, 1994)

African Development Bank resumes cooperation: On December 3, Information Minister Nzanzu said a delegation of the African Development Bank (ADB) optimistic about Prime Minister Kengo wa Dondo's economic reforms, agreed to resume financing Zaire. The ADB stopped funding the government in the early 1990's when it failed to pay its debts. (Reuters, December 3, 1994)

U.N. asks Poland to send troops into refugee camps: In order to protect food distribution and stop the terrorism of Rwandan refugees by soldiers and militiamen of the former Rwandan government, the U.N. asked the Polish government to send troops into the refugee camps. The Polish foreign ministry is considering the request. (Polish Press Agency, December 2, 1994)