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Show World Thursday, August 23, 1990 The Daily Herald, Provo, Utah Report says Armenia declares i ndepencJence Death foil in factional warring tops 580 mark hostage will be released MOSCOW (AP) Armenia's Parliament overwhelmingly passed a declaration of independence today that invalidates the Soviet Constitution in the republic and calls for the creation of its own military force. - Hie NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) official Iranian news agency reported today that a European hostage held in Lebanon would be freed in the next few hours. The Islamic Republic News Agency, quoting an "informed source,' said the hostage to be freed was likely to be Brian Keenan, an Irish national held since April 1986. IRNA, monitored in Nicosia, did net name the source but correspondents in both its Beirut and Damascus office said the report was accurate. They said they did not know specifically when the release would take place. The news agency carried a similar report on an imminent release in July, which proved false. In Beirut, a source close to the Syrian command, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Syrian government was notified two days ago of the decision to free a European hostage, probably Keenan. He said arrangements have since been discussed on where, when and how the release will take place. The source said he believes the hostage will be handed to the Syrian authorities somewhere in Lebanon and he will be delivered by the Foreign Ministry in Damascus to the Irish ambassador there. In Dublin, the Department of Foreign Affairs said, "We are aware of the report and would point to its speculative nature." '. Gerben Meihuizen, the Dutch am-- . bassador to Syria, said he had "no confirmation" of the report. The Netherlands handles Irish interests in Damascus while their ambassador, Declan Connolly, is based in Riyadh. A source at the ministry of information in Damascus said they had no immediate information about the release.. Keenan's family in Northern Ireland reacted cautiously, to the rent r port Keenan, 39, was kidnapped April 11, 1936 in west Beirut. on The neighboring Baltic republic menia resolution will "start the of Estonia, which followed Lithuprocess of restoring state indeania with a declaration of a pendence of Armenia." ' transition period toward indeArmenia's new nationalist pressaid pendence, was expected to begin ident, Levon it was a historic decision allow--' its formal negotiations with the ing Armenia to set its own "rela- - Kremlin today. The action makes Armenia the tions with the world," including Latvia is also expecting to befifth of the 15 Soviet republics to Azerbaijan and other Soviet re- gin talks in the next week. declare either immediate indeGeorgia has declared its intenpublics, according to the indetion of moving toward independpendence or its intention of sepapendent news agency Interfax. The official news agency Tass ence. rating from the Soviet Union ' said the over a period of time. ;Five other republics have derepublic's name was The resolution entitled "The clared "sovereignty" or the right changed from the "Armenian SoDeclaration of Independence" viet Socialist Republic" to the to overturn Soviet laws on their was approved by a vote of 183-"Republic of Armenia." territory. They are Russia, the said legislator Samvel Shakhmu-radya- n Other republics that have emlargest of the Soviet republics, in a telephone interview barked down the road toward the Ukraine, Byelorussia, Moldafrom Yerevan, the capital of the independence have drawn the via and Uzbekistan. small republic bordering Turkey wrath of the, federal government. Earlier today, Tass reported and Iran. The Lithuanian declaration of that troops drove several The resolution invalidates the independence in March set off a hundred Armenian guerrillas out Soviet Constitution on Armenian war of nerves with the of the Kazakh border region of territory and calls for creation of Kremlin, including a Soviet em- Azerbaijan after three days of armed forces to safeguard the bargo on all oil and most natural battles and attacks on villages. Several local residents and border, which is often the scene gas. In late June, however, the of violent conflict with the neightwo sides agreed on a comprotroops were killed and wounded and 100 homes were destroyed by mise expected to bring negotiaboring republic of Azerbaijan. Jthe Armenian shelling. tions on independence. Shakhmuradyan said the Ar JOHANNESBURG, South Africa Police firing tear gas (AP) Zulus from townarmed separated ship residents today, and leaders called for another meeting to end black factional violence that has killed more than 500 people. Fighting between Zulus loyal to the conservative Inkatha movement and Xhosas, mostly followers of the ANC, has spread through black townships around Johannesburg since emoting Aug. 12. Zulus and Xhosas are South Africa's two largest tribes. Fierce battles Wednesday in and Kagiso killed at least 70 people, while police continued to 2, ' . Vos-loor- . Soviet smokers have nicotine fit MOSCfW (AP) Smokers angry over a cigarette shortage blocked a street next to Red Square, pushing their summer-lon- g nicotine protest to the heart of Soviet power. The scores of protesters ended their blockade after several hours Wednesday, but only after a truck delivered a dozen cases of cigarettes to a nearby tobacco kiosk. A line of more than 230 people formed immediately. "It's only a temporary success," said protester Sergei Borinov, watching the truck driver unload the cigarettes. "They bring something, sell it in 10 minutes, and again there is nothing. This is the way we live." Deputy Mayor Sergei B. Stankev-ic- h said 22 of 24 cigarette factories have closed for repairs in the Russian republic. The government newspaper Izves-ti-a said the Soviet Union a nation T of 70 million smokers bought 5 billion fewer cigarettes from Bul garia, a principal supplier, this year because of a lack of hard currency. . . Cigarettes usually cost about about 80 cents a pack but black market prices have ranged from $3.20 to $4.80. Kosmos, a premium brand, has cost up to $8. Severe shortages of even basic consumer goods have plagued the ! Soviet economy despite limited reform pushed by President Mikhail S. Gorbachev. ' Smokers have staged strikes and other demonstrations over the acute cigarette shortage that has lasted all summer. On Monday, 200 people blocked traffic in Leningrad, 300 staged a similar protest in Gorky, and 3,000 people rallied at a plant in Yaroslavl, the Interfax news service market-oriente- d In Wednesday's protest, held dura steady rain, about 120 soggy demonstrators formed a human chain across the wide street from the Moscow Hotel to the Lenin ing . Central Museum, stopping six buses and turning back cars. Some passengers patiently waited aboard three of the buses, and the driver of one of them opened his window, winked playfully at the protesters and said: "Give me a cigarette!" But the atmosphere was tense. At one. point, 20 testy demonstrators surrounded Deputy Mayor Stankev-ica radical politician elected to the Moscow city council along with other reformers this year. They peppered him with questions on when the cigarette shortage Xt would end. "This has never happened before!" a woman shouted at h, us find bodies from previous fighting in other townships., Attacks on police in the townships also increased 1' : Wednesday. Despite pieas from government and black leaders for peace and a strong police and army presence, armed bands of Zulus and Xhosas have continued their war. In Kagiso, west of Johannesburg, Zulus and township residents faced off throughout this morning, separated by police firing tear gas. The township residents included Xhosas and members of other tribes. No - Police also fired birdshot at ton men holding firebombs, wounding both. The men were then arrested. Reporters saw one burned body. "There was shooting all night," said a local businessman who would not give his name. "We have had no sleep. It is an awful situation." Zulus wearing red head bands also looted and damaged abandoned houses near the migrant workers hostel where they live in the township. One of the houses was set on Sre. At least 514 people have been killed in the black townships around Johannesburg since Aug. 12. It is considered some of the worst township violence in years. The independent South African ' Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who cut short a visit to Canada because of A the township violence, called Wednesday for an international peacekeeping force to halt the fight- J! - West BANJUL,. Gambia (AP) African leaders have failed to arrange a truce in the Liberian civil war with rebel chief Charles Taylor, whose threats have kept a West African military force from inter; vening in the conflict. Taylor refused to attend the talks Wednesday in Banjul and reportedLibly told journalists m rebel-hel- d erian territory that the peace plan was a ploy to keep President Samuel Doe in power in Monrovia, the Liberian capital . Taylor's representative at the talks, Tom Woeiyou, vowed after the negotiations broke down that the rebel faction would try to repel "with all the force we can muster" a military unit organized by the ing. De Klerk said Wednesday that delegations of the ANC and Inkatha would meet soon to discuss ways to end the fighting. He said the meeting should be held immediately. "high-leve- l" leaders to halt the war that has claimed more than 5,000 lives. The intervention force has been waiting to set sail from Freetown in another West AfriSierra Leone for several days. can country Taylor threatens to attack any foreign troops who intervene in the conflict.' His forces invaded from Ivory Coast on Dec. 24 to oust Doe, who they call corrupt. 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