25 JAN 99 - 21:56

Guinea-Bissau: Rice Stocks Low, Sharp Price Rise

Bissau, Jan. 25 (Lusa) - Continuing instability in Guinea-Bissau has led to a sharp increase in the price of rice, which in the past few days has risen by nearly 48 percent.

Rice merchants have been hard-hit by the country's ongoing crisis and are almost completely out of this staple food, sector sources told Lusa Monday.

Imports of rice are usually offset by exports of cashew nuts. However, the country's economy remains paralyzed in the aftermath of the five-month military revolt that ended with the signing of the Nov. 2 Abuja peace accord. -Lusa

25 JAN 99 - 20:55

Guinea-Bissau: Peace Impasse Talks "Cordial", Will Resume Tuesday

Bissau, Jan. 25 (Lusa) - Monday talks aimed at breaking the peace impasse in Guinea-Bissau took place in an atmosphere of "great cordiality", spokesmen for the rival factions told Lusa Monday. Two representatives of President Nino Vieira were present, along with a five-man delegation from the rebel Military Junta and Prime Minister-designate Francisco Fadul.

On the agenda was a 24-page document on the deployment and powers of the West African peacekeeping force. Under the terms of the Nov. 2 Abuja accord, the so-called "Ecomog" peacekeepers will replace the Senegalese and Guinea-Conakry troops that backed President Nino Vieira during a five-month military revolt against his rule. The negotiations, mediated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), will continue on Tuesday.

Differences over the timetable for the foreign troops' withdrawal and the peacekeepers' deployment have been the main stumbling block preventing the transitional "national unity" government headed by Francisco Fadul from taking office.

Earlier Monday Fadul criticized the conduct of Vieira and ECOWAS in the peace process. He cited the fact that ECOWAS had told the Military Junta that it favored a "restructuring" of the Guinea-Bissau armed forces. ECOWAS also wants to be the body that organizes the nation-wide elections to be held by the end of March, Fadul said. -Lusa

25 JAN 99 - 14:22

Guinea-Bissau: Talks Resume on Implementing Peace Accord

Bissau, Jan. 25 (Lusa) - Presidential and rebel military representatives resumed talks here Monday aimed to break the impasse blocking implementation of Guinea-Bissau's peace accord.

The talks, a continuation of negotiations held during the weekend, were being mediated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the offices of the European Union in Bissau.

Prime Minister-designate Francisco Fadul was also participating in the negotiations between delegations representing President Nino Vieira and the rebel Military Junta of Brig. Ansumane Mane.

The two sides, sources said, remained divided on the size of a planned West African peace-keeping force and dates for the withdrawal of foreign troops backing Vieira and for the installation of the new "national unity" government.

These disagreements have deadlocked full implementation of the Nov. 2 peace accord which ended a five-month armed forces' revolt against Vieira.

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