1.
GV EXT. Ministry building (3 shots)
0.16

2.
MV INT. Delegates seated (2 shots)
0.24

3.
SCU President speaks (M.Mady Cissoko)
0.29

4.
SCU Congo Republic delegate & Togo delegate followed by Nigerian, Senegal by Nigerian, Senegal & Upper Volta delegates (5 shots)
0.43

5.
MV PAN Delegates & President
0.56



Initials SGM/1145 SGM/1156



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Transport ministers from member countries of the multi-national airline Air Afrique met in Dakar on Wednesday (April 5) to discuss the consequences of Cameroun's decision in January last year to withdraw and set up its own airline.

Air Afrique was founded in 1961 with the intention of attracting tourism on a regional scale to the French speaking member countries of West and Equatorial Africa.

At a meeting of Air Afrique members in Yaounde, Cameroun, on January 1 this year, it was announced that Cameroun owed Air Afrique 600 million frances CFA (about on million sterling) and had installations belonging to the company worth about 560 million france CFA. The Cameroun Transport Minister said it regretted the statement, which it said intentionally left in the background the large Cameroun credits to the company.

Opening the Dakar meeting, Senegalese President Leopold Senghor said the chief problems to solve were the settlement of outstanding credits and evaluation of Cameroun's staff working for Air Afrique.

SYNOPSIS: An important meeting in Dakar for the Future of the eleven-nation airline, Air Afrique. Transport Ministers from member countries are faced with financial problems following Cameroun's decision last year to withdraw -- and set up its own airline.

The delegates were discussing the settlement of outstanding credits and the evaluation of Cameroun's assets in the company.The also considered sacking Cameroun staff working for Air Afrique.

Last year the eleven member nations announced that Cameroun owed the Airline consortium about six-hundred million francs CFA. And they said Cameroun had installations belonging to the company worth more than five-hundred million francs. The Cameroun Transport Ministry later said the statement was regrettable and intentionally left large Cameroun credits to the company in the background.