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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 29, 2000)
Page 6 Rebels released 30 % more U.N. hostages FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — Rebels released 30 United Nations (U.N.) hostages Sunday, boosting hopes that the remaining personnel held captive in Sierra Leone would be freed soon. The development brought the number of remaining U.N. captives to fewer than 100 from about 500 ini- feel very happy. I thought we were never going to reach this place. Thank God we are here." — Lance CpI. Elias Mwanza U.N. hostage daily captured in early May. Some 143 hostages were flown Friday and Saturday from Monrovia to Free town, the capital. U.N. spokesperson David Wimhurst said the 30, all Zambians, were flown to the Liberian capital of Monrovia. Liberian officials said they had arrived from the remote northeastern Sierra Leonean town of Pendemu, where rebels handed them over. Dressed in military uniforms and clutching bottles of mineral water, the former hostages expressed relief and joy. Most were in good physical condition, although some were be ing treated for malaria, minor in juries and fatigue, Liberian medical officials said. "I feel very happy. 1 thought we were never going to reach this place. Thank God we are here," said Lance Cpl. Elias Mwanza, who suffered a jaw and other injuries. Mwanza said some of the captors had tormented the hostages while others were more kind and promised not to kill them "because we are their African brothers." Pvt. Goma Justin, who had deep cuts on his foot from stepping on broken glass, described his captivity as "rough." Despite the releases, fighting be tween rebels and pro-government forces was reported over the week end at the strategic crossroads of Rogberi Junction, about 50 miles east of Freetown, Wimhurst said. He had no further details. Meanwhile, West African heads of state were gathering for weekend meetings in the Nigerian capital, Abu ja, to discuss the crisis in Sierra Leone. The rebels have killed tens of thousands of people and intention ally mutilated many more during the 8-year-old civil war. The conflict reignited earlier this month when the Revolutionary United Front rebels took the U.N. peacekeepers hostage and began advancing to ward Freetown. Associated Press Television News cameraman Miguel Gil Moreno de Mora and Reuters corre spondent Kurt Schork were killed Wednesday in a rebel ambush. South African cameraman Mark Chisholm and Greek photographer Yannis Behrakis suffered light injuries in the same attack. WORLD THE BATTALION Monday, May 29.! • Hey, M Eritrea’s civilians flee fighting, peace talks loom over 2-year war ocal D|s brine lie fast-gre art ASMARA, Eritrea (AP) — Fighting raged Sunday between the Horn of Africa's warring neighbors on the eve of peace talks — opening a new front in Er itrea's smoldering humanitarian crisis. Infantry and artillery clashes in what's become the heaviest fighting in the 2-year-old border war threaten to uproot 200,000 people around the central city of Mendefera, the United Nations warned. The 2-week-old Ethiopian offensive already has sent nearly one-seventh of Eritrea's people fleeing north, some into neighboring Sudan. Trucks, buses and vans commandeered by the gov ernment poured into the grounds of a school about 20 miles north of Mendefera, disgorging hundreds of evacuees, mostly women and children, each carrying a bulging, plastic bag or two of their belongings. Boys clambered off the high-paneled, open- backed trucks first. Parcels, babies and women — clasping their skirts to protect their modesty — followed. "We have only these pieces of clothes," said 70- year-old Bisrat Berhe, pinching the hem of her skirt as she crouched under the eaves of a primary school that in the past day had become home to 18,000 Eritreans. At least 6,000 new arrivals were expected by day's end, said Simon Nhongo, a U.N. official. Eritrea said last week that fighting already had dislodged 555,000 of its 4 million people. Ethiopia's military now is pursuing the retreating adversary miles deep into Eritrea — putting its citi zens into panicked flight ahead of the advance. Increasingly punished by the latest offensive, Er itrea agreed last week to withdraw from all disput ed territory and return to talks set for Monday in Al geria on resolving the neighbors' 2-year-old war over their poorly delineated border. Ethiopia has made plain its bargaining strategy for the talks. "We shall negotiate while we fight and we shall fight while we negotiate," Prime Minister Meles Zenawai told African diplomats in the Ethiopian cap ital, Addis Ababa, last week. Sunday morning, Ethiopian warplanes bombed a nearly completed power plant near the port city of Massawa, Eritrea's Foreign Ministry said, calling the attack "vandalism and senseless destruction." Ethiopia said the planes attacked a militar, stallation, not a power plant. For its part, Ethiopia accused Eritreans on Sup of shelling its forces near one of the easternta from which they had pledged to withdraw, In Addis Ababa, Ethiopians rallied by thelt dreds of thousands to celebrate the ninth annivf of the overthrow of the military regime that a ruled Ethiopia, which in 1991 still included thel province of Eritrea. The ralliers — grizzled veterans of the gueri war against Benito Mussolini's forces aloi young men in uniform — had new triumphs ebrate as well. "The invading Eritrean forces have beender ished!" President Negasso Ghidada told theel. crowd, listing towns and territories retakenbv country's forces in past days. On the eve of talks in this David-and-Gok struggle, which pits a country of 4 million—Eiit — against one of 61.7 million — Ethiopia- vaunted Eritrean army seems, at least for the: ment, to have misplaced its slingshot. Rem< Fiji rebels reject latest offer to end hostage crisis SUVA, Fiji (AP) — The leader of rebels holding the former prime min ister and 30 others hostage in Fiji on Sunday rejected an offer to end the cri sis — but said there could be a peace ful resolution within days. Rebel leader George Speight said he expects a new offer within two days that could lead to the release of the captives. He told Australian television that he "would not be surprised if it is over this week." Meanwhile, late Sunday in the Fi jian capital of Suva, 200 rebel support ers, some carrying guns, defied road blocks, vandalized a local television station and fired shots into the air. A police officer died from gunshot wounds Sunday night, a hospital spokesperson said on condition of anonymity. It was unclear when or where he was shot, and the death could not be immediately confirmed. In an effort to end the 10-day crisis. President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara on Saturday fired the democratically elected government and said the rebels would likely be granted immunity from prosecution. But Speight rejected the offer, in sisting Mara resign and that Fiji's 1997 constitution, which indigenous Fijians blame for giving too much power to the nation's ethnic Indian minority, be scrapped. Mara, a figurehead who normally holds little government power, said he would appoint a caretaker administra tion by today and rule the Pacific na tion until then through state-of-emer- gency powers. Speight and about 60 gunmen have been holding Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and more than 30 members of his government hostage since storming the parlia ment compound on May 19. Chaudhry, elected last year, is the country's first leader from its minority Fijians of Indian ancestry. Speight claims to be acting on be half of the Pacific island nation's ma jority indigenous Fijians, and wants to reduce the powers that Indians can hold in the government. A reporter for Australian tete who was allowed briefly to v. Chaudhry said he saw no sign- physical abuse. Earlier Sunday, rebel guardsk ing automatic weapons opened: gates of parliament to let in some 1: supporters for a 90-minute Methoo church service. Afterward, Speight stood for 10: utes shaking hands with supporters Main trading partner Austral well as New Zealand, the Ui States and the United Nationsk condemned any deal that replaces! elected government as giving in terrorism. ramurals Rec Fitness Aquatics Golf Course TAMU Outdoors Sport Clubs 00 Su Texas A&M de HI was killed Sate fenl that injurei -triers. Nichols, who begin his fourth M this summ when a car I center medial Paso and coll id H with the car ii Jchols was a fr Assenger, accor | £/ Paso Times. 1 19, of El Paso, \ rck the median TAMU Outdoors Event Date Registration Rock Climbing Day Trip June 10 May 29- -June 6 Intro to Climbing Clinic June 11 N May 29 -June 8 Kayak Roll Instructional Clinic June 13 fvtay 29- June 12 Lead Climbing Clinic June 1 3 MayN^9- June 12 Hiking Day Trip June 1 8 May 2$K June 14 Kayak Stroke Clinic June 20 May 29- fune 20 Horseback/HikingfrDay Trip june 24 May 29- June 20' Intro to Climbing Clinic july 8 june If Muly 6 Kayak Roll Instructional Clinic July 11 June 26- -July 10 Fly Fishing by Canoe Day Trip July 15 June 26- -July 11 Kayak Workshop .July 15-16 June 26- -July 17 Kayak Open Practice Session July 18 June 26- -July 17 Bat Watching Canoe Trip July 20 June 26- -July 18 Rafting Day Trip July 22 June 26- -July 18 Intro To Climbing Clinic July 23 June 26- -July 20 Rock Climbing Day Trip July 29 June 21- -July 25 August Break Trip Sail/SCUBA the Bahamas August 1 9- 25 Now- |une 15 . * *. For information call 845-7826 * • or visit our homepage recsports.tamu.ed Check out our flyers for more details on u SPORTS our programs. Intramurals Registration • On Sale Now—Unlimited Aerobics Passes $50. 20 Punch Pass $30, 10 Punch Pass $ 1 5. One Class $2. • Need Motivational Help?—Sign up for a session with a Rec Sports Personal Trainer at Member Services. •Personal Fitness Profile—$10 if purchased with Personal Training Session or $20 if purchased separately. Register at the Member Services Desk in the lobby of the Rec Center. Contact DeAun Woosley at 862-3995 for more information. • Tai Chi—Register May 30-June 5 at Member Services, $30 for six weeks of classes to be held Tues. and Thurs at 6 p.m. Classes begin June 6. • Massage Therapy—$35 for Rec Members and $45 for non Rec Members. Appointments can be made at Member Services. Contact Paula Opal at 845-3076 for more information. 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Golf GREEN CHARGES Student Green Charges F ac u I ty/Staff/A I u m n i/R et i ree Guests Weekdays $11 $ 14 $ 1 7 PENBERTHY DRIVING RANGE Rec Members Small Bucket $3 Large Bucket $5 JEN1 | Th The construe nly have minin to Tom I g, Traffic and' I Road signs ring semeste instruction be phase of the pr the existing pav just north of I l>uth toward C May 29-June5| Af ^* e P May 29-|une5 t rom Wallborr May 29-June5 § a y mcmd Stot May 29-June 5 ti on began at tl May 29-June(| ] id proceeds May 29-June Wlitchell Parkv May 29-Junef j Wellborn F on closing date.tepaved from 1 •eorge Bush I )ad wasrepav Y ear the currei Weekends ; , I btudentsi $14 , , uelay in trave c 2o b llt an access hie," said Will Non Rec Members 1 Students at $3.50 slacles, but f $6 summer is bet reespo rts.tam u .edu All prices subject to dicing ;time to get Iron hool, butsim