Mane cleared of arms trafficking

Brigadier Ansumane Mane, who led last year's army rebellion, has been cleared of "wrongdoing" by the national parliament's commission on arms trafficking, the Portuguese news agency, LUSA, reported.

The report by the commission, released to parliament at its first sitting on Tuesday since the rebellion, stated that during the inquiry "no-one directly or indirectly accused Mane of involvement in arms trafficking," and urged that his suspension as armed forces chief be reviewed, LUSA said.

However, the existence of the arms trade is acknowledged, the report said, and several officials, including the former security chief and the head of military counter-intelligence, have been charged with involvement in arms shipments to separatist rebels in the Casamance region of southern Senegal.

The report said that the president, Joao Bernardo Vieira, knew about the operations but had made no attempt to stop them.

Vieira dismissed Mane as armed forces chief in February 1998 and in June Mane led a military rebellion against the government. A peace treaty was signed last year and a national unity government, including Vieira and military junta appointees, took office on 20 February, LUSA said.