USIA - State Department Report, 97-02-12

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From: The United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at <gopher://gopher.usia.gov>

REPORT ON STATE DEPARTMENT NOON BRIEFING, FEBRUARY 12, 1997

(Liberia, Nigeria, Uganda, China/WTO, Mostar, Serbia) (700)

LIBERIA -- Burns read the following statement on Liberia: "As part of our commitment to the Liberian peace process, the United States will airlift 1, 200 troops from Ghana, Mali and Cote d'Ivoire to participate in the West African Peacekeeping Force in Liberia. The new troops will strengthen the ability of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) to disarm factional fighters and provide security for national elections planned for May 30.

"The airlift of these additional troops is being funded out of the $30 million in assistance for Liberia that the Administration announced last April."

NIGERIA -- Burns read a statement on the bombing in Nigeria: "The United States condemns the February 12 bombings in Lagos, Nigeria. This is the fourth bombing in Lagos since December with a total of at least six deaths and 40 injuries. The targets in all cases appear to have been military. We condemn the perpetrators of the bombings and of terrorism in any form. We remain concerned about the dangers posed to Nigerians and American citizens by acts of terror and urge all Nigerians to forswear violence."

UGANDA -- Burns noted a statement released on February 6 by the Ugandan Embassy in Washington which said Uganda has no desire to become involved in the internal affairs of Zaire and would not take any action that would perpetuate the conflict in Eastern Zaire.

"That was a very helpful statement," Burns said. "We now hope that statement will be represented in government action by Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda, and the other neighbors of Zaire." The United States remains concerned about the fighting in Zaire and the persistent allegations of outside involvement in that fighting, Burns said.

CHINA/WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO) -- Burns reiterated U.S. support for Chinese accession to the World Trade Organization. "The United States has said repeatedly that we support China's accession to the WTO on the basis of a commercially meaningful accession package," Burns said. But he added that "any accession package must include adequate market access measures for American companies in China.

"We have had a series of negotiations with the Chinese since September, and we have started to make progress.... But we need to see further progress to make sure that American companies have the access that they need," Burns said.

MOSTAR -- The United States "strongly condemns" the recent expulsions of Moslems by Croats in Mostar. "We call upon the Croat authorities to allow the Bosniacs, the Moslems, to return to their homes at once. Such actions violate both the letter and the spirit of the Dayton accords as well as accepted international norms," Burns said.

The United States is calling for "maximum restraint" on all sides, given the tense situation in Mostar resulting from the cemetery attack on Moslems by Croats on February 10, Burns said. The United States welcomes the February 12 expressions of regret by Croatia's President Franjo Tudjman and Ilija Izetbegovic, president of the Moslems in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to Burns. "We welcome their commitment to bring the responsible Croat authorities to justice. We are pressing all of them to renew their efforts to build a civil society in Mostar," Burns said.

SERBIA -- The United States welcomes the decision made February 11 by Serbia's parliament to recognize the results of the November 17 municipal elections, Burns said.

"It is significant to allow the opposition to win the elections when they clearly won them -- to recognize that and allow them to take power," Burns said. "But if there is any attempt made by the Serbian government to strip away the assets of power -- the ability to print, the ability to broadcast, the ability to control civil services -- then of course, we would be concerned. It would mean that Serbia is not honoring the agreement to allow the November 17 elections to stand," Burns said.

"We will wait to see the concrete deed of the Serbian government in allowing these politicians to have effective control over the instruments of government."

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