OWN CORRESPONDENT, Kampala | Friday 7.00pm.
THE Commonwealth has announced the lifting of santions against Nigeria and a partial return to the fold of the organisation’s most populous member-state. At the end of their two-day conference at the Commonwealth secretariat, members of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (Cmag) said they had reached their decision “in recognition of the progress made by Nigeria so far towards the restoration of democratic government”.
The group recommended that member-states “begin forthwith to lift sanctions in existence against Nigeria”.
Cmag said it will reassess the progress in Nigeria after the presidential elections of February 27, 1999 with a view to making recommendations to heads of government regarding the full return of Nigeria to the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth decision means that the mandatory oil embargo against Nigeria will be lifted, as well as travel restrictions on members of the military regime and their families. Meanwhile Nigerian leader general Abdulsalami Abubakar arrived in Togo from Ghana on Saturday afternoon for talks on Sunday with Togo President General Gnassingbe Eyadema. The two leaders were discuss bilateral, regional and international issues, particularly the furtue of the West African intervention force, Ecomog. The Nigerian leader was expected to return home later on Sunday.