It added that the gesture would be meaningless if Chief Moshood Abiola, widely believed to be the winner of the 1993 annulled elections, and Beko Ransome-Kuti, a prominent human rights leaders, were not released. The first Nigerian presidential candidate declared himself on Wednesday. A second registered attempt to win the 1983 Nigerian election failed. No other politician has yet decided to stand in the presidential elections. According to local media, the Sunday operation in Akwatia was in response to a mob attack earlier in the month on police officers, who were sent to arrest alien diamond dealers.
Ghanaian law bars aliens from entering diamond mining areas except with a vialid permit.
Ghana Consolidated Diamonds Ltd owns the Akwatia mine, Ghana's only large-scale diamond works. Thirty killed in attack, rebels claim Niger rebels claimed that 30 people were killed in simultaneous attacks on two army bases in eastern Niger last Friday. Issa Lamine, head of the FDR's external affairs, claimed that the Guedira army post and its supplies were still in rebel hands. The Niger Chief of Staff denied significant rebel gains. US missionaries evacuate Casamance American missionaries and their families have left Senegal's southern province of Casamance because of growing insecurity linked to separatist unrest.