Highlights

- Some progresses in terms of peace and security have been noticed in West Africa with the appointment of a consensus Prime Minister in Guinea and the establishment of a new government accepted by the opposition and the civil society. In Côte d’Ivoire, important steps out of the four year old crisis are being taken following the peace agreement signed on March 4 in Ouagadougou by the President Laurent Gbagbo of Côte d’Ivoire and the leader of the Forces Nouvelles (FN) Guillaume Soro, appointed Prime Minister.

- The food security and nutritional situation in certain areas of West Africa and the outlook for the lean season coming up in the Sahel is of concern for regional humanitarian partners, in spite of good results of grain production for the 2006/2007 season. The Food Security and Nutrition situation of the most vulnerable populations in Togo, Bukina Faso, and Bissau Guinea are of particular concern.

- This year up to April 1, over 31,694 cases of meningitis including 2,437 deaths have been recorded in Africa. Most of the meningitis cases are found in Burkina Faso with over 19,500 people affected and 1,334 deaths.

- In collaboration with partners, OCHA will on 17-19 April organise a regional International Conference on Protection of the Civilians in Times of Conflict in West Africa. The conference will take place in Dakar. In Liberia, the International NGO International Rescue Committee organized a meeting specifically on the protection of children and cross-border issues on 22-23 March 2007.

Socio-political and security situation

Guinea: establishment of a New Government

The security situation has calmed down since January and February even if sporadic security incidents continue to be reported. The various meetings Prime Minister Lansana Kouyaté has had with the development and humanitarian partners of the Republic of Guinea resulted in the decision that the policies of his government will aim at the improvement of the conditions of living of the populations through a an effective access to basic social services (Health, Water, Electricity, Education etc.).

Côte d’Ivoire: Peace Plan in Côte d’Ivoire

A Presidential Decree confirming the appointment of Mr Guillaume Soro as Prime Minister was issued on March 29 following the adoption of the peace agreement signed on March 4 2007 in Ouagadougou by President Laurent Gbagbo and the Secretary General of the Forces Nouvelles Mr Guillaume Soro. Their mission is to organize free and fair elections in October 2007 accordingly to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1721.

Guinea Bissau: new prime Minister appointed

On March 29, Bissau Guinea Prime Minister Aristide Gomes resigned as a result of a vote of non confidence at the National Assembly. A vote of non confidence which was adopted by the three major opposition parties sitting at the National Assembly: PRS (Parti de la Rénovation Sociale), PAIGC (Parti Africain pour l’Indépendance de la Guinée et des Iles du Cap-Vert, and PUSD (Parti Uni Social-Démocrate). On 9 April, President Nino Vieira of Guinea-Bissau appointed Martinho Ndafa Kabi as new Prime Minister.

Mali: Forum on Development of the North

The Forum on the Development of Northern Mali was held in Kidal on March 23-24, 2007. The Forum resulted in a ten-year development plan for the regions of Kidal, Timbuktu, and Gao which was adopted in accordance with the peace agreement signed in Algiers by the governmental authorities and the former Tuareg assailants. During the implementation phase of the Algiers agreement the former Tuareg assailants handed to the military authorities the weapons and ammunitions they had taken during their attacks of the military camps in northern Mali in May 2006.

ECOWAS: Sensitization mission on small arms

From 9 to 17 March 2007, ECOWAS has deployed a mission of sensitization and advocacy for the ratification of the convention on small arms successively in Burkina Faso, Mali and Togo. This convention on small arms adopted in June 2006, aims to prevent the illicit accumulation of small arms on the territory of one state member of the ECOWAS. In the context of a region characterized by a high rate of youth unemployment, political instabilities in some countries, the issue of arm circulation is of concern for the security of goods and persons, the protection of child and the development in general.

For the full report please visit: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/MCON-72B4GN?OpenDocument