River

While there have been some positive developments in four West African countries that have recently been torn by conflict, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today urged a group of interested States working to bring peace and development to the troubled region to continue their active support at this crucial juncture.

After nearly 30 years of work to eliminate river blindness as a public health threat in West Africa, the region will officially be declared free of the debilitating disease on Friday, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) announced today.

Welcoming yesterday’s summit meeting of the Mano River Union countries, the members of the United Nations Security Council and Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday hailed the decisions adopted by the leaders of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan looked forward to the convening of a proposed summit between the leaders of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone as another milestone towards restoring "good neighbourliness among them," a UN spokesman said today.