MONTHLY REPORT--ABIDJAN--MAY 1988

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-01355R000400020007-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 11, 2013
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: June 1, 1988
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400020007-7
ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
Monthly Report -- Abidjan Bureau
FROM:
EXTENSION
NO. D Q ;
Chief, Operations Group
DATE
Ma 1988
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
OFFICER'S
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
INITIALS
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
AC/Ops
21
JUN 19
38
2.
3.
C/E&PS
4.
DD/FBIS
ZZ
XJ/,[
5.
D/FBIS
6.
7.
PO/RA
V~~--
SA/CD
9.
10.
C/AS
11.
C/B$F/AS
12.
13.
14.
C/AG
15.
Exec. Reg.
FORM 610 USE DP REV PREVIOUS
1-79
STAT
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EMBASSY OF THE
$ -( ;y ~ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
ABIDJAN BUREAU
FBIS 2611-88
1 June 1988
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, FBIS
THRU: Acting Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT: Monthly Report--Abidjan--May 1988
A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. Libya figured prominently in several West African developments in
May. The major one concerned Chad. Early in the month, France announced that
they were building an air base at Faya-Largeau in Chad. This immediately drew
a sharp Libyan condemnation. As the month progressed, Chad reported continuing
Libyan overflights and maintained that Libya had killed 43 Chadians in Libya
who had rebelled against forced conscription. Libya in turn reported "fierce"
fighting among Chad factions in the north. Later in the month the OAU met in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with the Aozou Strip controversy between Chad and Libya
scheduled as a major item on the agenda. Al-Qadhdhafi elected not to attend
but surprised the forum with a public announcement that Libya now recognized
the Habre regime, offered a "Libyan Marshal plan" to reconstruct northern Chad
and said all outstanding problems between Chad and Libya were ended. Not
surprisingly, President Habre welcomed the announcement but suggested it would
be prudent to wait to see if words were matched with deeds.
In other developments involving Libya, both Burkina Faso President
Compaore and Nigerian President Babangida visited Libya towards the end of the
month as well as the Sierra Leone foreign minister. Very little was reported
on the separate visits and what did emerged were bland announcements on pro-
moting bilateral cooperation.
2. Senegalese politics were active again in May. Against a back-
ground of several car bombings in Dakar, which is quite unusual, opposition
leader Abdoulaye Wade was given a 1-year suspended sentence for inciting post-
election violence. President Diouf then announced the lifting of the state of
emergency that had been in effect in Dakar since the recent presidential elec-
tions, a draft amnesty bill, and plans to meet with Wade. The meeting took
place at the end of the month and while no major pronouncements were made,
President Diouf seems to have successfully defused the tense political situa-
tion for the moment.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400020007-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400020007-7
3. Other political developments of note included a major Angolan-
South African meeting held in Brazzaville, Congo; a student demonstration in
Burkina Faso in support of the policies of former president Sankara, killed
in an October coup; and decreasing minor disturbances in Nigeria over a price
increase for petrol. Nigeria also successfully pressured Equitorial Guinea
to expell several South Africans working on a project and there was a major
cabinet reshuffle in Cameroon following President Biya's election to another
term.
B. Communications
The bureau's back-up Telex circuit went out yet again early in the
month and remains out of service as of this date. The PTT attributes the
outage to widespread line problems following recent rainstorms. Chronic PTT
cable problems have also put one of the bureau phone extensions and the AFP
landline out of service.
III. ADMINISTRATION
A. Personnel
1. Engineer
Abidjan Bureau. His successor,
departed on 25 May after a 3-year tour at STAT
~ arrived as scheduled on 12 May. STAT
2. Chief Monitor) (received a PSI during the STAT
B. Buildings and Grounds
1. Construction of the bureau security wall was completed in late
May. Also, work has been completed on security grills on the bureau second
floor. Contractors installing closed circuit television are still awaiting
the arrival of the equipment from Paris.
2. The first phase of a much-needed electrical upgrade was completed
during the month. The circuit breaker on the commercial power supply input
has been upgraded to match bureau needs which have, over the years, outgrown
the capacity of the building, originally designed to be a private residence.
If all goes well, work on the second phase of the upgrade will begin in June.
STAT
Chief, Abidjan Bureau
cc: Chief, Swaziland Bureau
Deputy Chief, London Bureau
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/11: CIA-RDP91-01355R000400020007-7