29 JAN 99 - 12:48
Guinea-Bissau: Tripartite Accord on Peace Implementation Nearly Ready
Bissau, Jan. 29 (Lusa) - Expectations grew Friday that a tripartite agreement was imminent for the implementation of Guinea-Bissau's peace accord.
After five hours of negotiations Thursday, described as "cordial" and "satisfactory" by all sides, representatives of President Nino Vieira, the rebel Military Junta and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were scheduled to meet again Friday.
"It is possible that our work will end this afternoon with the signing of an accord," the head of the presidential negotiating team, Alfredo Lopes, told Lusa Friday morning.
The primary issues in dispute have been the size and date of arrival of an ECOWAS peace-keeping force, the withdrawal of foreign troops backing Vieira and the date of installation of an already designated "national unity" government.
Meanwhile, the Senegalese daily "Sirocco" reported Friday that a 300-strong military contingent from Niger and Benin would leave Dakar Sunday for Bissau aboard a French ship to reinforce the 100 Togolese peacekeepers already deployed.
An additional 200 soldiers from Gambia and Togo would follow Feb. 3, the newspaper said, citing diplomatic sources.