From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: IPS:WEST AFRICA: U.S. orders ambassador out of Burkina Faso
Date: 12 Nov 92 21:40:07 GMT
Article-I.D.: ddsw1.BxMHIw.2oz
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: North America
Title: WEST AFRICA: U.S. orders ambassador out of Burkina Faso


washington, nov 5 (ips) -- the u.s. state department said thursday
it had ordered its ambassador to the west african state of burkina
faso to return here for ''consultations'' and had asked the
government of president blaise campaore not to send its new
ambassador to washington.

spokesperson richard boucher told reporters the action, which
he said fell short of formally breaking off relations, was taken
to protest burkina faso's continuing support for liberian rebel
leader charles taylor.

he described that support as ''military aid'' to taylor's
national patriotic front of liberia (npfl), which occupies almost
all of liberia and recently mounted an offensive on the outskirts
of the capital, monrovia.  he declined to offer details, insisting
this was ''intelligence'' information.

washington blamed the reported killings last week of five u.s.
churchwomen in npfl-controlled territory outside monrovia on
taylor's group, although the npfl has denied responsibility.

boucher thursday reiterated u.s. support for the efforts of the
peacekeeping operation and negotiating efforts of the economic
community of west african states (ecowas) and charged that
campaora ''has actively undermined the ecowas peace process by
providing military support'' to the npfl.

the west african peacekeeping force (ecomog) controls monrovia
which now has found itself flooded with tens of thousands of
refugees since taylor launched his latest offensive oct. 15.

at an ecowas summit in cotonou, benin, two weeks ago, regional
leaders called for a ceasefire. that truce should have taken
effect one week ago, but taylor has vowed to continue fighting.

boucher said fighting in the monrovia area has abated in recent
days, although occasional shelling by npfl forces outside the city
haveused ''some civilian casualties.''

in addition, he said, ecomog warplanes have bombed several npfl
targets outside monrovia, including the giant firestone rubber
plantation nearby.

burkina faso's aid to taylor has ''helped exacerbate the
situation,'' boucher said, adding, ''we cannot overlook the
negative social, economic and political impact on neighbouring
states, as well as the threat to regional stability that is posed
by the liberian conflicts.'' (more/ips)

west africa: u.s. orders ambassador out of burkina faso(2-e)

west africa: u.s. orders (2)

''for the past two years, we've made known to the government of
burkina faso our grave concerns about its actions in liberia,'' he
went on.

''we've heard denials, then repeated assurances that military
support for charles taylor had ended, only to be confronted, time
and time again, with evidence of continued bukinabe military aid
to the npfl.''

boucher said washington will not cut its three-million-dollar
development aid programme to burkina faso which is channeled
exclusively through non-government organisations. but he said a
plan to send peace corps volunteers to the landlocked nation will
be put on hold.

the u.s. provided modest aid for military training to
ouagodougou until december last year. the assistance was then
suspended to protest the government's alleged support for taylor
in both liberia and neighbouring sierra leone.

the npfl claims that ecomog forces, which are dominated by
english-speaking nigerian and ghanaian troops and officers, have
taken sides in what remains an essentially civil war between
taylor and the remnants of the liberian army under the government
of the late president samuel doe, who was killed by another rebel
faction two years ago.

taylor, who launched his insurgency against doe in december,
1989, has claimed that ecomog is also behind the united liberation
movement of democracy for liberia (ulimo) which launched its own
attacks on the npfl from guinea last spring.

ulimo has also threatened to invade neighbouring cote d'ivoire
which it alleges has helped funnel arms from burkina faso to
taylor. (end/ips/jl/yjc/92)