/ 3 June 1999

EU LIFTS NIGERIA SANCTIONS

THE European Union says it will lift all remaining sanctions against Nigeria and resume development aid from Thursday. In a statement, the 15-member bloc says its decision follows the inauguration of the civilian government whose president, Olusegun Obasanjo, was sworn in on Saturday. The EU imposed the embargo in 1995 to protest the execution of nine human rights campaigners, including the well-known writer, Ken Saro-Wiwa. Most sanctions were lifted when Abdulsalaam Abubakar took power and promised to restore democracy.