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Liberia + 1 other
Sierra Leone: LURD rebel factions meet in Freetown in efforts to resolve dispute

Ref No UNAMSIL/PIO/PR/ 198/2004

Freetown, Sierra Leone - Under the chairmanship of Sierra Leone's President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and the facilitation of the United Nations, members of the two factions in the former rebe l Liberians United for Reconciliation and Development (LURD), including their disputed leader Sheku Damate Konneh and his challenger Kabineh Janneh, who is also Minister of Justice in the National Transitional Government of Liberia, yesterday reached "an a greement on broad principles" following a two-day meeting in Freetown aimed at resolving their differences.

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Iraq: Baghdad official killed; six die in Ramadi and Fallujah

Baghdad (dpa) - The deputy governor of Baghdad was assassinated on Monday and six other people were killed in violence in the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah, including press cameraman.

The deputy governor was killed and four of his bodyguards wounded in an ambush in the southern Baghdad suburb of al-Dora, an Iraqi Interior Ministry source said.

The source told Deutsche Presse-Agentur, dpa, that Hatem Kamel Abdel Fattah al-Bayati was shot by unidentified assailants near his house, killing him instantly.

"Four of his guards sustained serious

Deutsche Presse Agentur:

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Liberia: 14 killed in weekend Christian-Moslem riots in Monrovia

Monrovia (dpa)- More than 14 people were confirmed dead, 205 injured and 250 arrested during week-end riots between Moslems and Christians in Monrovia, Information Minister William Allen said Monday.
Allen said the material damage could not yet be estimated, but five churches and two mosques had been burnt to the ground.

"We can evaluate losses in terms of the peace dividend and destruction of businesses,'' Allen told journalists.

Former Nigerian head of state Abdul Salami Abubakar, who is the main negotiator in the peace process, said the riots

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Sudan: Security incidents in Darfur forces aid agencies to scale back activities, UN says

Report
UN News Service
Some relief agencies have been forced to scale back aid operations and relocate staff due to security incidents in the three Darfur states, the United Nations mission in Sudan said today.

Meanwhile in the country's south, the UN Advance Mission in Sudan (UNAMIS) reported that crops are being harvested in many areas due to improved rains since August, leading lead to improved food security over the next three months.

The UN's envoy for Sudan, Jan Pronk, is in New York to submit his 30-day report to Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

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Afghanistan: Kidnappers could have received inside help, defense official says

Kabul (dpa) Afghan defense officials were investigating Monday whether Afghan officials could have assisted a group of extremist militants in kidnapping three foreigners working for the electoral commission.

"It is difficult to believe that the kidnappers have managed the abduction without internal cooperation,'' Zahir Azimy, spokesman for the Defense Ministry, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur, dpa.

However, Azimy declined to provide details on which government officials or security agency might have assisted the kidnappers.

Last Thursday, armed men in military

Deutsche Presse Agentur:

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Uganda: Radio programme that touches hearts of rebels

Report
IRIN
[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

GULU, 1 November (IRIN) - Johny Lacambel, a local radio presenter, offers his two guests some soda before asking the tall dark male with an amputated limb to lead in prayers as the programme begins. The trice-weekly "Dwog Paco", the local Acholi language for "Come Back Home," is credited with touching many hearts and convincing a number of rebels to surrender.

The amputee is Charles Otim Mono, 33, a Lt-Col in the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group that has been

IRIN:

A selection of IRIN reports are posted on ReliefWeb. Find more IRIN news and analysis at http://www.irinnews.org

Une sélection d'articles d'IRIN sont publiés sur ReliefWeb. Trouvez d'autres articles et analyses d'IRIN sur http://www.irinnews.org

This article does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. Refer to the IRIN copyright page for conditions of use.

Cet article ne reflète pas nécessairement les vues des Nations Unies. Voir IRIN droits d'auteur pour les conditions d'utilisation.

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Somalia: Over 100 killed in clashes between Somaliland and Puntland

Report
IRIN
[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

NAIROBI, 1 November (IRIN) - Conflicting reports from the disputed region of Sool, northern Somalia, indicate that at least 100 people were killed on Friday when forces from the self-declared republic of Somaliland, and those of the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, clashed, a local source told IRIN.

Both sides are accusing the other of initiating the hostilities.

The Somaliland Minister of Information, Abdillahi Du'ale, told IRIN on Monday: "The fact of the matter is

IRIN:

A selection of IRIN reports are posted on ReliefWeb. Find more IRIN news and analysis at http://www.irinnews.org

Une sélection d'articles d'IRIN sont publiés sur ReliefWeb. Trouvez d'autres articles et analyses d'IRIN sur http://www.irinnews.org

This article does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. Refer to the IRIN copyright page for conditions of use.

Cet article ne reflète pas nécessairement les vues des Nations Unies. Voir IRIN droits d'auteur pour les conditions d'utilisation.

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Liberia: Calm returns to Monrovia, curfew still in force

UNMIL/PIO/PR 141
(Monrovia, Liberia) - The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) today said relative calm has returned to Monrovia after the violence in Liberia's capital that began last week on Thursday.

"Our coordination and communication with the government, the Liberian National Police, and religious leaders continued throughout Sunday to ensure that wanton looting and arson is brought to a stop," said Jacques Paul Klein, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Coordinator of UN Operations in Liberia, in

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Liberia: ICRC concerned about riots in Monrovia

Report
ICRC
News No. 04/129

The ICRC is deeply concerned about the riots that have raged in the Liberian capital since Thursday night and resulted in loss of life, injury and destruction of property. The organization is alarmed by the rapid escalation of violence and urges the communities involved to remain calm and to refrain from acts of reprisal.

Over 100 injured people have been treated in the ICRC-supported trauma unit at Monrovia's John F. Kennedy Hospital. In addition, the Liberia National Red Cross Society and the ICRC have come

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Israel + 1 other
UN SG endorses statement condemning Tel Aviv suicide bombing

SG/SM/9571

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General strongly endorses the statement of his special envoy, Terje Roed-Larsen, condemning today's suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. He reiterates his long-standing and adamant opposition to all terrorist attacks, from whatever quarter. The Secretary-General sends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims of today's attack.

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Colombia lashed by heavy rains

Report
IFRC
by Cristina Estrada

At least 11 people, including five children, have lost their lives and 12 are believed to be missing after Colombia was hit by torrential rains over the last month.

In total, more than 70,000 people have been affected by the floods and landslides, with the worst affected departments being Cordoba and Sucre.

The Colombian government has declared a state of emergency in 15 municipalities of Cordoba, on the country's Atlantic coast, and one in Sucre. The departments of Antioquia, Atlantico and Bolivar have also been affected.

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Angoal/Bie: Care International trains farmers

Kuito, 11/01 - About twenty farmers in the commune of Chivaulo and Cassumbi, in the central Bie province, are attending a broad course on farming, which is being provided by the NGO Care International.

The course, which started last week, will last thirty days and has the objective to upgrade and increase the capacity of the farmers, as well as create the conditions for the multiplication of various seeds such as for maze, beans, pea-nuts, sesame and ginger.

During the training, the farmers will learn matters relating to preparation of the land, correct use of fertilizers

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Burundi: Tutsis finally accept interim constitution

Report
IRIN
[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

BUJUMBURA, 1 November (IRIN) - Concerns of a constitutional crisis in Burundi abated on Monday when six Tutsi-dominated parties dropped their long-standing opposition to the country's current interim constitution.

The interim constitution is necessary to avoid a constitutional void, the chairman of the main Tusti-dominated Parti de l'unite pour le progres national Jean, Baptiste Manwangari, told reporters on Monday.

However, he said his parties still wanted changes to be made to the final constitution.

IRIN:

A selection of IRIN reports are posted on ReliefWeb. Find more IRIN news and analysis at http://www.irinnews.org

Une sélection d'articles d'IRIN sont publiés sur ReliefWeb. Trouvez d'autres articles et analyses d'IRIN sur http://www.irinnews.org

This article does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. Refer to the IRIN copyright page for conditions of use.

Cet article ne reflète pas nécessairement les vues des Nations Unies. Voir IRIN droits d'auteur pour les conditions d'utilisation.

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WFP renews call for Bangladesh's flood victims

Report
Xinhua
DHAKA, Nov 1, 2004 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) Monday renewed its appeal for international assistance for Bangladesh, reported the official Bangladesh News Agency.

The new appeal came as Disaster and Emergency Response (DER) Group of the Bangladesh Local Consultative Group (LCG) released a post-flood need assessment report, saying that three months after the July floods, many affected communities were still waiting for basic food and livelihoods support to arrive.

The DER report confirms the initial fears

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UN civilian worker in DR of Congo accused of child molestation

Report
UN News Service
A French civilian member of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been accused of child molestation and is being held by French justice officials, according to a joint United Nations and French statement.

The individual in question has been handed over to his country's authorities after he was transferred Friday night to Kinshasa by the UN Organization Mission in the DRC (MONUC) for security reasons, said the statement, issued yesterday by MONUC and the French Embassy.

"From Sunday morning, 31 October

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First NATO course for Iraq underway in Norway

STAVANGER, Norway -Twenty Iraqi security personnel are here at NATO's Joint Warfare Centre participating in the first training conducted outside of Iraq in support of the training mission announced by the Alliance at the Istanbul Summit in June.

The eight-day course, which started Monday, has been tailored to meet the needs of mid- to high-ranking Iraqi security personnel.

"Our NATO facility is well placed to offer our Iraqi guests training that will be extremely relevant to the challenges and opportunities they face in rebuilding their country's security

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Sierra Leone: SRSG launches Women's Help Line project in Pujehun

Ref No UNAMSIL/PIO/PR/ 197/2004

Freetown, Sierra Leone - The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sierra Le one, Ambassador Daudi Ngelautwa Mwakawago over the weekend launched the Women's Help Line (WHL) in the southern provincial town of Pujehun. The project was undertaken at the initiative of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).

In his keynote address to a packed hall, Ambassador Mwakawago said in spite of the untold suffering the war inflicted on them, the women of Pujehun had made encouraging efforts to deal with

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UN envoy, Iraqi Prime Minister hold talks on transition process

Report
UN News Service
The United Nations envoy for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, met today in Baghdad with interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi for talks on the situation in the country and the UN role in helping it through the transitional process.

Since his return last month to Baghdad, Mr. Qazi, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative for Iraq, has been meeting with a number of Iraqi officials and representatives of various civil society organizations and political entities.

The meetings are intended to explore means through which the UN can work with these groups in advancing the

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Camp for internally displaced in northern Uganda battles cholera outbreak - UN

Report
UN News Service
Thousands left homeless after severe rains recently struck the oldest camp housing internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northern Uganda are now battling a cholera outbreak, the United Nations relief coordination office said today.

Three people at the Pabbo camp have died from the illness, said the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The camp was hit on 24 October by a severe storm that ripped the roofs off most of the 5,500 shelters and washed away food rations.

At least 1.6 million people in northern Uganda have been displaced by the 18-year long conflict.

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Indonesian troops kill nine rebels in Aceh

Jakarta (dpa) - Government troops have shot to death nine rebels in Indonesia's Aceh province in the latest spate of violence in the troubled region, a military official said Monday.

The nine were killed Sunday in gunfights between military troops and rebels in three different districts of Aceh, 1,750 kilometres northwest of Jakarta, said Aceh's military spokesman Ari Mulya Asnawi.

"Armed clashes between members of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) and separatist groups killed nine rebels on Sunday at several locations in Aceh,'' the state-run Antara news agency

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