The EU-ACP Joint Assembly adopted a resolution condemning the military regime in Nigeria; this followed a secret ballot, with separate votes by ACP and by European delegates. The resolution condemns the decision of General Abacha to annul the presidential elections planned for August 1st this year and replace them with a referendum.
Five political parties out of 15 have been cleared to contest the presidential elections, which the Nigerian representative told the Joint Assembly would still be going ahead as scheduled, but these parties all support the candidature of General Abacha. The winner of the last free election, Moshood Abiola, has been in prison since 1995.
The resolution called on the Nigerian government to release all political prisoners, including Mr Abiola, and for fair trials to replace military tribunals. The resolution declares that EU sanctions introduced in 1995, following the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni leaders, have been ineffective, and calls for stricter measures, should there be no sign of return to democratic rule before October 1998.
Indeed, UK Under-Secretary of State for Overseas Development, George Foulkes, told the Assembly that EU sanctions, including the freezing of some Ecu 300 million in development aid, would be extended by the same deadline. The Joint Assembly wants to see a total ban on arms sales, a ban on trade missions to Nigeria and the freezing of Nigerian government assets held in the EU. Oil companies operating in the country are requested to respect international standards on human rights and international environmental commitments.
The Nigerian representative emphasised that the planned return to democracy was on course, with the presidential elections backedup with further elections to a new National Assembly. She said that the next Nigerian representative to the ACP Joint Assembly would be democratically elected. Glenys Kinnock (South Wales East, PES), on the other hand, felt that there were still too many human rights violations, restrictions on freedom of the press and trade unions and too much corruption in the country. She took France to task for breaching the EU embargo on inviting sports personalities to Europe by allowing the Nigerian football team to participate in the World Cup.