DAKAR, 25 May 2007 (IRIN) - IRIN-WA Weekly Round-up 379 for 21 –25 May

CONTENTS

CHAD: State of emergency ends but troubles continue NIGERIA: New health risk with farmers using banned bird flu vaccine NIGER: Aid workers in north threatened by carjacking, fresh landmines COTE D'IVOIRE: Pro-government militias make symbolic start to disarmament

CHAD: State of emergency ends but troubles continue

Hundreds of thousands of Chadians continue to live in displaced camps because of violence in the east and banditry remains rampant in and around the capital N'djamena, yet the Chadian government on Friday said it will lift a six-month old state of emergency order. For humanitarian workers, the east remains an area of grave concern with the possibility of various types of armed conflict breaking out at any moment. The state of emergency order, which gave the government powers to ban public meetings, censor the press and arrest people without charge, was imposed at a time of frequent attacks by anti-government rebels. http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72384

NIGERIA: New health risk with farmers using banned bird flu vaccine ABUJA, 24 May 2007 (IRIN) - Commercial poultry farmers in Nigeria are vaccinating their chickens against a deadly strain of bird flu virus despite a government ban. Experts say they are increasing the risk of further contamination.

"Vaccination that is not done properly has contributed to the spread of the infection," said Mohammed Saidu, head of animal health at Nigeria's World Bank-sponsored programme to combat the virus known as H5N1. He and other bird flu experts are concerned about reports that large-scale farmers around the commercial capital, Lagos, and in the north of the country have been buying the imported vaccines through local markets that are poorly regulated and frequently sell fake or defective products. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health warn that with unregulated use of vaccines the H5N1 virus could mutate into a new more deadly strain. http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72344

NIGER: Aid workers in north threatened by carjacking, fresh landmines DAKAR/NIAMEY, 22 May 2007 (IRIN) - At least one international relief organisation has suspended its work in the north of Niger because armed groups are commandeering vehicles and laying anti-personnel mines in the area. "The whole commune of Iferouane [in north Niger] has become a little dicey," said Jeff Ratcliffe, head of the Irish Red Cross in Niger which "temporarily halted" operations after one of its vehicles was carjacked in Agadez the main city in the north on 8 May. "Eight men wearing military fatigues armed with Kalashnikov and pistols were waiting right in front of our gate to steal the four wheel drive," he said. Many other four wheel drives and motorcycles have been stolen in Agadez in recent weeks he said adding that government soldiers were also frequently under attack. "The army is very much being targeted by bandits or rebel elements" Ratcliffe said. The governor of Agadez, Abba Malam Aouaouaar Boukar, has confirmed that anti-personnel mines have been laid around an army barracks 200 kilometres north of Agadez at the town Iferouane, as well as elsewhere. "Practically all main roads have been mined in the region as well as many back roads," he said at a public meeting in Agadez last week. A new Touareg rebel movement, Mouvement des Nigeriens pour la Justice (MNJ), which has been active in northern Niger since February this year, said soldiers have been defecting from the army to join their ranks and that they bear responsibility for many of the carjackings.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72301

COTE D'IVOIRE: Pro-government militias make symbolic start to disarmament GUIGLO, 21 May 2007 (IRIN) - The pro-government militia in Cote d'Ivoire's western region handed over a handful of guns and ammunition on Saturday which were burned together with some militia uniforms. The action which took place in the western town of Guiglo was in keeping with the terms of a peace deal although many observers say full implementation of the agreement still has a long way to go. "Since the start of the crisis the militias have shown that they hold very powerful weapons but I fear that they will decide to hide their bigger weapons to use again later," a military officer serving with the UN mission in Cote d'Ivoire (ONUCI), who spoke on condition of anonymity as he did have authorisation, said. Three collection sites have been set up in the west of the country at the villages of Doke, Ziaglo and Blolequin, according to the Ivorian army. President Laurent Gbagbo who attended a ceremony said around 1,000 weapons have been already been collected from the militia who claim to be 15,000 strong.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72277

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