19 FEV 99 - 12:55

Guinea-Bissau: Senegal Withdraws 400 Soldiers, Less than Expected

Bissau, Feb. 19 (Lusa) - About 400 Senegalese soldiers who fought alongside troops loyal to Guinea-Bissau President Nino Vieira against a military uprising departed for home Thursday as part of the country's peace agreement.

Some 2,000 soldiers from Senegal and Guinea-Conakry have yet to be withdrawn, leaving a major irritant in full implementation of the peace accord signed Nov. 2.

The rebel Military Junta, which took control of nearly the entire country since it rebelled against Vieira last June, announced it was suspending its participation in a joint military commission because of Senegal's repeated delays in pulling out its forces.

The joint commission had agreed that this stage of the withdrawal, the second, would involve 1,200 soldiers and be completed by Feb. 14. The Senegalese high command announced earlier Thursday in Dakar that it was withdrawing about 700 soldiers, nearly twice the number that actually embarked at the port of Bissau.

19 FEV 99 - 20:22 - (updated)

Guinea-Bissau: "National Unity" Government to Take Office Saturday

Bissau, Feb. 19 (Lusa) - The "national unity" government of Guinea-Bissau, mandated by the Nov. 2 Abuja peace accord, is due to take office on Saturday.

The new cabinet will be one of the smallest in the history of Guinea-Bissau and is composed of nine ministers and seven state secretaries.

President Nino Vieira has appointed five of the ministers and three state secretaries, while four ministers and four state secretaries were named by the rebel Military Junta, which led a June revolt against Vieira's rule.

The ministers of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and of Justice and Labor, respectively Hilia Barber and Carlos Domingos Gomes, are Vieira appointees.

The ministers of Defense, of the Interior and of Economy and Finances, respectively Silvestre Alves, Caetano Intchama and Abubacar Dahaba, were named by the Military Junta.

The only holdover from the previous government is Pinho Brandao, formerly secretary of state for Energy, who has been named minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Resources.

The new cabinet will be headed by Prime Minister Francisco Fadul.

Contactos E-mail:
Geocities:  bissau@oocities.com

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