30 OUT 98 - 12:43

Guinea-Bissau: President Vieira, Rebel Mane to Travel Together to ECOWAS Summit

Banjul, Oct. 30 (Lusa) - After back-to-back public and private meetings, the warring president of Guinea-Bissau, Nino Vieira, and rebel chief Brig. Ansumane Mane were expected to fly together Friday to a summit of the Economic Community of West African States in Nigeria.

The archrivals, whose talks here Thursday appeared to have broken little ground toward peace, were accompanying host Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to Abuja, where leaders of the 16 ECOWAS states will debate regional problems, including the Guinea-Bissau conflict.

ECOWAS and the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) have been trying jointly to broker a solution to the nearly five-month-old conflict in the former Portuguese territory.

Observers said the protocolar and private meetings in Banjul, which led to a public embrace between Vieira and Mane, was a positive development but left the two sides still far apart.

Bissau government sources told Lusa Vieira had proposed the formation of a provisional cabinet, which would be mandated to prepare general elections, and the deployment of an international "interposition" force between the belligerents.

In contrast, rebel Military Junta sources said Mane rejected the introduction of a foreign military force and continued to insist on the withdrawal of several thousand Senegalese and Guinea-Conakry troops backing Vieira.

Abandoned by most of his armed forces, which revolted under Mane's leadership June 7, Vieira presently controls little more than parts of the capital city.

Junta sources told Lusa that Mane, given the apparently deadlocked positions, had initially turned down the idea of accompanying Vieira to the ECOWAS summit.

He relented, the sources said, to take advantage of the summit to explain the reasons of his revolt to the region's leaders. - Lusa

30 OUT 98 - 09:36

Guinea-Bissau: President and rebel leader hug each other

Banjul, Oct. 30 (Lusa) - Ther president of Guinea-Bissau, "Nino" Vieira and the country's rebel leader, Brig, Ansumane Mane, hugged each other in Banjul, capital of The Gambia, on Thursday.

The hug was part of the two sides'peace talks in Banjul. Vieira and Mane took part in a solemn session hosted by the president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh.

Both Vieira and Mane said they hoped that a peaceful solution to the conflict in Guinea-Bissau could soon be finalised. The armed conflict erupted on 7 June.

Vieira's government announced a four-point peace proposal in Banjul on Thursday, covering mutual respect for the country's existing cease-fire and its monitoring process, the deployment of a mission of independent observers, the reopening of the airport and harbour of Bissau (which both are under control of Mane's rebel forces) and humanitarian aid.

The peace talks between the two warring sides have been brokered by the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries and the Economic Community of West African States. Lusa/Fim

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