As Situation in Guinea Gets Serious, Pres. Conte Begs Army to Support Him

(Reuters) - Guinea's President Lansana Conte called on the population and the army to remain united behind him on Sunday after days of violent protests against his rule during a crippling general strike in the West African country. Union leaders launched the 12-day-old stoppage because they say Conte, a reclusive diabetic in his 70s, is unfit to govern. Clashes between protesters and the security forces have killed at least eight people across the world's top bauxite exporter. "Those who want power must wait their turn. It is God who gives power and when he gives it to someone, everyone must stand behind him," the veteran president said on state radio. "Guineans must remain united, above all us soldiers, because we must be proud of wearing the uniform, a sign of allegiance to defending the country," he added. Conte seized power in Guinea in a 1984 coup and the strike poses the toughest challenge yet to his 23-year rule, threatening to throw the former French colony into turmoil. Religious leaders, the unions, civil society activists and the government were in talks to try to resolve the crisis, Guinea's Anglican bishop Albert Gomez told Reuters. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all sides to show restraint. "He encourages them to avoid any action that would result in casualties and to reach a peaceful and mutually satisfactory agreement that would help restore calm and refocus the efforts of the country on poverty alleviation and development," a U.N. statement said. Conte's rule has long been based on the support of the military, but diplomats question how long the army -- itself riven by generational and ethnic divisions -- will remain loyal in the face of popular revolt. "There are lots of young officers in their 30s who are not just frustrated about Conte but about senior people in the army," said one diplomat in Conakry. BAUXITE TRAINS STONED Protesters in Labe, northeast of Conakry, slit the throat of an effigy symbolising Conte before marching it in a coffin through the streets at the weekend, residents said. State radio said youths had stoned mineral trains carrying bauxite to Conakry port. Industry officials have already said the strike has halted output at the country's main bauxite mine and mineral trains to Kamsar, northwest of Conakry. Police had arrested 95 people since the start of the strike, 10 of whom had been formally charged, state radio said. The ruling party called the protests an attempt to seize power. "These are not union demands but political demands. It is an attempted civilian coup d'etat," said Sekou Konate, secretary-general of Conte's Party of Unity and Progress (PUP). The violence spread on Friday to Guinea's south, a region seen as particularly vulnerable because of its porous borders with Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast. West African heads of state voted at a meeting of the regional body ECOWAS late on Friday to send a high-level commission to Guinea to urge negotiations between the unions and the government. Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade and Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo both volunteered to head the delegation. Guinea's opposition said the planned mediation was too little, too late. "The Guinean people have already taken their destiny in hand. Now is not the moment to stop the process of change," said Jean Marie Dore, head of the opposition Union for the Progress of Guinea (UPG) party.

President Sirleaf Says Liberia is Ready To Help ECOWAS, Addresses Summit

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has told Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States that Liberia is available to play whatever role necessary to work for peace and stability in the West African sub-region. In a statement at the 31st Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, held in the Burkinabi capital, Ouagadougou, the President said Liberia has resolved to work within the Community framework for the peaceful resolution of the crisis in neighboring Cote d’Ivoire. Liberia’s own peace, President Johnson-Sirleaf acknowledged, is intricately tied to the peace in Cote d’Ivoire. According to an Executive Mansion Press Release, President Johnson-Sirleaf also expressed concern about the situation in neighboring Guinea, and offered her services, “in any way possible to contribute to restoring normalcy in that country.” The President recalled efforts being made within the framework of the Mano River Union to resolve the misunderstanding over a territory between Guinea and Sierra Leone.

U.N. Speacial War Crime Court Prosecutor in Sierra Leone Talks About Taylor's Trail

Recently the Prosecutor of the United Nations War Crime backed Court in Freetown addressed a number of issues regarding those on trail, including the former Liberian leader, Mr. Charles Taylor, see full text: "Thank you, Lovemore, for your kind introduction. Thank you also to the Sierra Leone News Agency for hosting this event. It is wonderful to be here with you all and I am very pleased that my first press conference as the Prosecutor of the Special Court is with you, the journalists of Sierra Leone. I wanted to be sure that before I spoke with the international press, I first met with Sierra Leone’s domestic reporters so that I could tell you personally how important I believe the work of the Special Court is to the people of this country, and to its future.

First, please let me tell you a bit about myself. I am originally from a small town in the state of Iowa, in the United States. In my early career I worked in private practice, on the staff of the US Senate in Washington, DC and as an elected representative in Iowa. In 1993 former President Bill Clinton appointed me as a United States Attorney for Northern Iowa, where I served until 2001. I then joined the Prosecution at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. There I acted as the Senior Trial Attorney of what has been called the “Media Trial.” The defendants in the case were accused of committing genocide and crimes against humanity by virtue of the terrible hate speech they spread over a radio station and through a newspaper. I am very proud of the convictions we secured in that case. After the trial, I became the Chief of Prosecutions at the ICTR, a position I held until coming here to the Special Court.

Becoming the Prosecutor is truly a dream come true for me. I am honored and humbled to be part of such an important endeavor in the history of this country, an endeavor that I believe is marking a turning point for Sierra Leone. Since the end of the war, the international community, the government of Sierra Leone and the people of this nation have been working to create a more stable, prosperous and just society. The Special Court is certainly not the only part of this effort, but it is indeed a crucial component. The Court is both a concrete example and a symbol of this turning point. For many years there was chaos, now there is order. Where once there was volatility and violence, now there is peace. Where once wicked men shattered many thousands of lives, now impunity no longer reigns.

This Court also represents a greater hope for the international community as a whole. In the words of the United Nations Security Council, it is part of an effort “to end impunity, establish the rule of law and promote respect for human rights and to restore and maintain international peace and security.”

The Court has recently reached a significant milestone with the completion of the trial phases of the CDF and the AFRC cases. In the coming months the judges in these cases will render their verdicts. The RUF trial continues in May with the presentation of the Defense case. Finally, the trial of Charles Taylor will begin this year in The Hague. The Court’s Outreach Program has capitalized on the Court’s domestic location to communicate the Court’s message to every corner of the country and ensure a maximum number of citizens learn about what is happening in the case. For this reason, some are concerned about the decision to move the trial of Charles Taylor to The Hague. While I support this decision as necessary for the stability of the region, let me say how important I believe it is that the Taylor trial be brought home to the people of Sierra Leone. Every effort is and will be made to ensure that Sierra Leoneans have transparent access to this trial. Each case at the Special Court is heard, argued and decided upon in the name of the people of Sierra Leone, and the many miles between here and Mr. Taylor will not change that.

Let me say once again how pleased I am to be with you today and how honored I am to be part of this significant chapter in the history of Sierra Leone. I will be happy to take your questions."

UNMIL's Jamaican Police Receive Peacekeeping Medals

Mr. Ryan awarding medals to the Jamaican police officers
Photo: UNMIL

Monrovia, Liberia – The Officer-in Charge of UNMIL, Jordan Ryan, yesterday awarded United Nations peacekeeping medals to eight Jamaican police officers for their contributions to the peace process in Liberia.

Expressing his appreciation to the Jamaican officers for their commitment and dedication, Mr. Jordan Ryan said: “The training and mentoring you provide to the Liberia National Police officers will go a long way in building their capacity so that they can effectively and efficiently carry out their responsibilities.”

Mr. Ryan stressed the importance of continuing UNMIL’s support to the Liberian government: “Your work is contributing towards ending the culture of impunity in Liberia and re-establishing the Rule of Law in a country devastated by long years of conflict. Each and every one of you is playing an important role in achieving UNMIL’s principal objective of maintaining law and order and public safety.” The UNMIL Officer-in-Charge also urged the Jamaican officers to strictly abide by the Secretary-General’s policy of zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse.

The Jamaican police contingent in Liberia comprises of five women and three men who perform a range of functions in Monrovia and in Foya, Lofa County. The medal award ceremony was attended by senior UNMIL officials including the UN Police Commissioner Mohammad Alhassan.

UNMIL Public Affairs Press Releas

UNMIL Empowes Rivercess Educational System

Photo: Eric Kanalstein/UNMIL

Cestos City, Liberia – As part of the effort to rebuild the education sector and support the recovery and reconstruction initiatives in Liberia, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Alan Doss, has officially handed over the newly rehabilitated G. Flama Sherman Kindergarten to the authorities and residents of River Cess County, in the southern part of the country.

The rehabilitation of the kindergarten, which was funded by the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) through its Quick Impact Projects (QIPs), is part of a broader UN initiative to expand Liberia’s educational system. More than 50 per cent of all QIPs target educational facilities throughout Liberia, with special focus on areas receiving returning war-affected populations.

Addressing the River Cess County authorities and residents during the handover ceremony, Mr. Doss spoke about the importance of education in rebuilding the nation and noted that education is a right of every citizen of the world and the foundation of freedom. “Without education there is no lasting freedom,” he said.

The Special Representative acknowledged the challenges facing the County, highlighting the need to re-establish the rule of law, including the rehabilitation and construction of police stations, court houses and correctional facilities. Mr. Doss assured the residents that UNMIL would continue to work towards strengthening the security services and assist in the recovery of Liberia. He stressed the importance of maintaining peace. “Without peace and harmony we cannot progress,” he noted.

River Cess County Superintendent Mr. Francis Paye welcomed the delegation and praised UNMIL for its efforts to help rebuild the County. He also gave an overview of the challenges, including, health, education, communications, road conditions and the need to build a bridge across the Cestos River.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Joseph Korto, recognized that “not only is the education system in Liberia weak, but River Cess is one of the Counties that is underserved.” To show the intent of Liberia’s President to champion the cause of education, he announced a donation of computers for students in the County. He also stressed the importance of raising the standards of education, the need for more teachers and the incentives currently being established to encourage qualified teachers to return to the counties.

The hand-over ceremony was also attended by the Senior Senator of River Cess County, Mr. Jay Jonathan Banney, and senior UNMIL officials. While in Cestos City, the Special Representative also met with the Ethiopian contingent and UNMIL personnel deployed in the County.

UNMIL Public Affairs Press Release

In U.S. Nagbe Sloh Hospitalized, Solee is Dead

A Liberian Journalist based in the U.S. , J. Nagbe Sloh, Managing Director of Sloh Information Service, has fallen ill and is being treated at Marcer Hospital in Belview , New Jersey .

According to the informative Liberia Media & Advertising Agency (LMAA) in the U.S. Mr. Sloh, whose left arm is reportedly dead and swollen, was admitted on Monday, January 15^th.

In a related development, a prominent son of Liberia hailing from Lofa County Mr. Daniel Solee has reportedly died in the U.S., according to the LMAA.

Mr. Solee died of January 17, 2007 at his home in Laurel, in the State of Maryland, the U.S.A, funeral arrangements are as follows:

1. Wake Keeping: Friday, January 26 7:00 P.M.-10:00 P.M

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church

7607 Sandy Spring Road

Laurel, MD 20707

2. Memorial Service: Saturday, January 27, 10:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M.

First Evangelical Lutheran Church

3604 Chatham Road

Ellicott City, MD 21042

3. The body is expected to leave for Liberia by January 31, 2007

Meanwhile, financial contributions are being received at the Solee's residence ( 16047 Dorset Road, Laurel, MD 20707) through Joseph Sonjor Solee and Ezekiel Kparkar Solee.

The family can be contacted by telephone number 301-497-2307