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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 30, 2000)
Martial law imposed for Fijian coup crisis ■ bovernment otticials have been held hostage for 10 days, and the army cuts access to the parliament By Rohan Sullivan The Associated Press SUVA, Fiji — Moving to end Fiji’s crisis, the country’s army commander imposed martial law Monday night and began to iso late the rebels who have been holding the prime minister and other government officials hostage for 10 days. The commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, announced he had assumed control of Fiji and that President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara had quit after running the country since the coup began May 19. “I have, with much reluctance, assumed executive authority of the country, and henceforth de clared martial law,” Bainimarama said at a news conference. He said soldiers will restrict access to the parliamentary compound where the insurgents are holding Prime • Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and more than 30 members of his government. Coup leader George Speight is a member of the ethnic Fijian ma jority. He wants Chaudhry, Fiji’s first prime minister from the In dian minority, removed from power and Indians barred from leading the country again. Fijians of Indian ancestry make up 44 percent or the population of 813,000 on this Pacific island, but control much of the nation’s com merce in this country 2,250 miles northeast of Sydney, Australia. By cutting access to the parlia ment compound, the military hopes to isolate the rebels from supporters who have come and gone freely. “The country will be run by a military government,” Baini marama said. “The primary ob jective of this government is to take the country toward peace and stability and the well-being of Fiji at the earliest opportuni ty.” Shortly before the commander spoke, the military imposed a 48 hour curfew in the capital, Suva. In a show of force, numerous troops and police patrolled the streets. Although Bainimarama’s mili tary previously had expressed support for President Mara, the troops had taken little action. The strategy changed Monday, one day after a mob supporting Speight killed a policeman and knocked Fiji television off the air. The death of the policeman was the first fatality in the hostage cri sis. Earlier Monday, negotiators had met again to seek a resolution to the standoff, but no progress was reported. The streets in Suva were largely quiet after police ad vised people to stay home and schools to close. ILN. peacekeeper force gains additional troops ■ Rebel forces in Sierra Leone have stolen weapons, vehicles and uniforms from the understaffed U.N. force By Clarence Roy-Macaulay The Associated Press FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — West African leaders agreed Monday to send 3,000 troops to Sierra Leone to help U.N. peace keepers who have suffered rebel attacks and seen their colleagues kidnapped. A statement released Monday by the West African heads of state meeting in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, did not specify how many troops would be sent to boost the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone. But officials at the weekend conference said on condition of anonymity that leaders had en dorsed a proposal made by re gional defense ministers two weeks ago to send 3,000 soldiers, most of them Nigerian. The statement also called on the United Nations to put the force in Sierra Leone under West African command and change its mandate from “peacekeeping to peace enforcement.” Hopes for peace were also boosted by the release Sunday of what was believed to be the last of 500 U.N. personnel held cap tive for more than three weeks by the Revolutionary United Front rebels. The RUF rebels signed a July peace accord but reignited the conflict earlier this month as a Nigerian-led West African inter vention force known as ECO MOG pulled out of the country to make way for the U.N. force. Western countries had refused to give financial backing to ECO MOG because of alleged human rights abuses committed by the force. Rights groups and U.N. of ficials agree, however, that rebel atrocities far outweighed ECO MOG crimes. The now nearly 11,000-strong U.N. force has been expected to reach 13,000 troops by the end of June. The new West African con tingent will bring the total closer to the 16,500 recommended by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi An nan. The U.N. mission has been troubled since it began late last year. At least 11 peacekeepers have been killed and 25 to 30 wounded, U.N. force command er Maj. Gen. Vijay Kumar Jetley said Monday. Rebels have also robbed peacekeepers of their weapons, vehicles and uniforms. Despite the setbacks, Jetley in sisted Monday his peacekeepers were using “force when neces sary” and had inflicted major rebel casualties when attacked. “The rebels are still licking their wounds,” Jetley said. “The RUF is in a total state of demor alization at the moment.” He did not elaborate. No fighting was reported Mon day, Jetley said, but state-run ra dio said government forces had captured the key town of Lunsar, about 60 miles east of Freetown. All Ways Travel • Book Soon for Summer • New York - $350.00* London -$499.00* Hong Kong -$669.00* Bangkok -$709.00* •tax not included, restrictions may apply. Subject to change without notice. Eurail Passes issued onsite!!?" E-mail: awt(a)Juv2travel.com www.eweb.org The Power is in Your Hands. E WEB igets^ Before you move, don't forget to stop your water and electric service. It's quick and easy to stop your EWEB service on the web at www.eweb.org, or by calling 484 6016. We'll come out and read your meter right away. 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