MONTHLY REPORT-ABIDJAN BUREAU-AUGUST 1983

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000100170005-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 1, 2008
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: September 6, 1983
• Content Type: MEMO

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FOREIC.. . BROADCAST INFORMATiiN SERVICE
ABIDJAN BUREAU
MAB 3016
6 September 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, FBIS
THROUGH : Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report - Abidjan Bureau - August 1983
An eight-member Congressional delegation visited Abidjan from
17-19 August. The delegation, made up primarily of members of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Africa, was led
by Representative Howard Wolpe of Michigan. The bureau chief took
part in a briefing of the delegation on the night of the 17th. The
bureau driver made special courier runs to provide the delegation
copies of the daily file, and we loaned USIS one of our SONY-330
portable radios for use by the delegation.
Fditorial/Monitorial
1. At about midnight on 4 August, Ouagadougou radio announced that
President Ouedraogo's regime had been overthrown by former Prime
Minister Thomas Sankara, who has close ties with Libya. The bureau
had remained open late that night to process Ouedraogo's address to
the nation on National Day, and was preparing to close after midnight
when an AFP report announcing the coup was received from Okinawa
Bureau. Ouagadougou radio was immediately tuned in and Sankara's
speech to the nation announcing and justifying the coup was monitored,
followed by a series of communiques. The bureau worked throughout
the night processing material and the DCM and ambassador were alerted
to the situation in the early hours of the 5th. A package of material
was prepared for the ambassador to brief Ivorian Foreign Minister Ake
on the coup. When a minimize was imposed on communications to the
U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou, the Embassy immediately asked FBIS to
continue filing reports on the coup, calling these items "of utmost
importance." Several days after the coup, the Embassy expressed its
appreciation to the bureau "for the outstanding coverage it has provided
on fast breaking news stories emanating from Ouagadougou. The trans-
lations have been rapid and well done. They have greatly aided our
effort to provide Washington with timely and complete coverage of
Upper Volta's latest coup d'etat." An open watch was maintained for
several days and additional coverage was added for two weeks. Almost
40,000 words were processed from Ouagadougou in August, an all-time
record. The longest of these items was a Sankara press conference
on the 21st, from which the bureau processed seven takes of excerpts.
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2. The war in Chad heated up again during the month, with Libyan
troops advancing, the French intervening, and the bureau remaining
open during the evening on two weekends to cover developments. The
extra coverage enabled the bureau to process on the 7th a GUNT state-
ment accusing the French of falsely flying the Red Cross flag and an
appeal by a former Habre minister for FAN members to join the opposi-
tion, and on the 13th GUNT communiques indicating a willingness to
negotiate with FAN and reporting details of losses in the battle for
Faya-Largeau. A variety of other statements from the clandestine
Radio Bardal were processed by the bureau or BBC during the month.
Under current coverage arrangements, the bureau assumes primary
coverage for Bardai Monday through Friday, with the BBC backstopping
when reception in Abidjan is poor. On the diplomatic front, Paris
Diplomatic Information Service on the 25th carried the text of a
five-take exclusive interview granted by French President to LE MONDE
and published in that day's edition. The interview, devoted solely
to Chad, was processed and filed at immediate precedence at WSS
request because of intense consumer interest. PMJ did not receive
the paper until the following afternoon.
3. The Nigerian elections and resulting violence in various
locations occupied considerable bureau attention and resulted in
nearly 70,000 words processed from Nigerian media, a record for that
country. The major sources for detailed information on the elections,
held in stages over several weekends, were Lagos radio and the News
Agency of Nigeria. Kaduna radio also provided valuable reportage on
results from the north. The seemingly sweeping victory by the National
Party of Nigeria (NPN) triggered violence in some places and it was
reported that defeated politicians were using local media to incite
action against the NPN. As a precaution, the bureau surveyed its
reception of state radios, finding it could hear only those in the
western part of the country, with radios in the more politically
sensitive Ibo area in the east unmonitorable. A few items were filed
from Calabar and Ibadan radios concerning disturbances in those areas.
4. On the 28th the bureau reopened on Sunday evening to cover a
speech to the nation by Ghanaian leader Jerry Rawlings. The speech,
a fairly routine exortation for better work, broke a period of relative
silence which Rawlings had maintained since an attempted coup was foiled
in June. The speech was recorded and an FYI prepared, but processing
was delayed until the 29th, when a repeat broadcast was monitored with
better reception. On the 30th the bureau received the following kudo S
from the U.S. Embassy in Accra: "We want you to know how much we
appreciate the help FBIS is giving us in monitoring Ghana broadcasting,
particularly in crisis situations. The work FBIS did on the Rawlings'
speech August 28 was timely and useful."
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5. An ANGOP item in French monitored on the 27th evoked consid-
erable interest from local and Washington consumers. It reported a
statement by Angolan President Dos Santos on the arrival of UN Secre-
tary General Perez de Cuellar. Both the charge d'affaires in Abidjan
and Washington consumers requested text of the speech, which unfor-
tunately was not monitored by FBIS. A copy of the ANGOP version of
the report was given to the charge, who forwarded it to Ivorian Foreign
Minister Ake.
6. On the 13th, the Liberian Government announced it was reestab-
lishing ties with Israel, and Commander in Chief Doe subsequently made
a state visit to that country. Liberia was the second African country
to take such action, but other countries including Ivory Coast are
reportedly considering renewing formal ties with Israel.
Personnel
1. London Bureau Associate Edito returned to England STAT
on the 5th, following an eight-week TDY during w c he filled in
while the bureau chief and deputy chief were on annual leave.
2. Teletypis received a PSI on the 7th, to STAT
FSN 6/4.
STAT
Chief, Abidjan Bureau
Attachment:
Monthly Production Report
cc: Chief, Swaziland Bureau
Deputy Chief, London Bureau
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ABIDJRN BUREAU PRODUCTION REPORT FOR AUGUST i983
TOTALS FROM ALL SOURCES:
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 288,228
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 91228
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH: 795
IIa INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE:
(MINUTES OR ISSUES PER WEEK)
IIIL OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
7,434 38,368 115
(PUBLISHABLE WORDS PER MONTH)
ANGOLA
LUANDA DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
ENGLISH
LUANDA DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
FRENCH
LUANDA ANGOP IN
PORTUGUESE
LUANDA RNGOP IN
FRENCH
BENIN
EOTONOU DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
FRENCH
C:OTONOU EHUZU IN
FRENCH
CAMEROON
YAOUNDE DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
ENGLISH
YAOUNDE DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
FRENCH
CAMEROON TRIBUNE IN
FRENCH
CAMEROON TRIBUNE IN
ENGLISH
CONGO
BRRZZRVILLE DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
FRENCH
BRRZZRVILLE BULLETIN OUOTIDIEN IN
FRENCH
BRAZZAVILLE ETUNBR IN
FRENCH
CHAD
(CLANDESTINE) BRRDRI CHADIAN
NATIONAL RADIO
1,848
1.848
2:578
3,020
1,928
i,8i8
13.988
n,/
r
s2
ssassss:
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t2
sssaaaasi
BROAD- PRESS PGBLICA-
CASTS AGENCIES TIONS
FRANCE
PARIS RFP IN
ENGLISH
PARIS RFP IN
FRENCH
PARIS DIPLOMATIC INFORMATION SERVICE IN
ENGLISH
PARIS DIPLOMATIC INFORMATION SERVICE IN
FRENCH
t3ABON
LIBREVILLE DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
FRENCH
LIBREVILLE L'ONION IN
FRENCH
U%BRE ILLS AFRICA NGsi IN
FRENCH
GHRNR
ACCRR DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
ENGLISH
ACCRA INTERNATIONAL SERVICE IN
ENGLISH
ACCRA GHRNRIRN TIMES IN
ENGLISH
ACCRA DRILY GRAPHIC IN
ENGLISH
ACCRA WEEKLY SPECTATOR IN
ENGLISH
ACCRA THE MIRROR IN
ENGLISH
1:828
558
25,568
assssad+.
45,308
41:888
3,758
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13
BRORD- PRESS POBLICR-
CASTS AGENCIES MGRS
GUINEA
CONAKRY DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
FRENCH
CONAKRY HOROYR IN
FRENCH
j }TORY COAST
RIIDJRN DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
FRENCH
ABIDJAN FRRTERNITE NRTIN IN
FRENCH
ABIDJRR INFORMATION IN
FRENCH
LIBERIA
MONROVIA RADIO ELNR IN
ENGLISH
MONROVIA DOMESTIC IN
ENGLISH
MONROVIA EXPRESS IN
ENGLISH
MONROVIA LIBERIAN INAUGURAL IN
ENGLISH
MONROVIA NEW LIBERIAN IN
ENGLISH
MONROVIA THE SUND PEOPLE I N
ENGLISH
MALI
BAMAKO DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
FRENCH
3AMRKO LESSOR IN
FRENCH
MRURITRINIR
NOUAKCHOTT DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
FRENCH
NOURKOHOTT CHRRB IN
FRENCH
NIGER
NIAMEY DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
FRENCH
NIAMEY LE SAHEL IN
FRENCH
NIAMEY SAHEL HEBDO IN
FRENCH
i, 208
558
7,i2@
2,i28
3,058
rr
0
:, 260
/4
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BRORD- PRESS PUBLICF
CASTS AGENCIES TIONS
NIGERIA
LAGOS DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
ENGLISH 34,748
LAGOS INTERNATIONAL SERVICE IN
ENGLISH 1:?88
KADUNA DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
ENGLISH 6,?28
NIGERIAN NEWS AGENCY (NRN) IN
ENGLISH
CRLRBA DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
ENGLISH 1,668
IBADAN DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
ENGLISH 698
24,868
SENEGAL
BRIAR DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
FRENCH 3,888
IIAKAR LE SGLEIL IN
FRENCH
iIRKRR DANA IN ENGLISH 2,9?8
BRKAR PRNR IN FRENCH 8,248
TOGO
LOME DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
FRENCH
TOGO NOUVELLE MARCHE IN
FRENCH
UPPER VOLTA
OUAGADOUGOU DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
FRENCH
OUAGADOUGOU L'OBSERVRTEUR IN
FRENCH
ZAIRE
KINSHASA DOMESTIC SERVICE IN
FRENCH
KINSHASA RZAP IN
FRENCH
KINSHASR ELIMA IN
FRENCH
? UBUMBASHI MJUMBE IN
FRENCH
sssasas 14
938
39,858
1,998
588
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