EU suspends aid deals

Brussels (Reuter) - The European Commission said yesterday it will suspend development co-operation with Nigeria and recall its head of delegation in protest at the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other minority rights activists.

The Commission, the European Union's executive body, also said it will propose tightening restrictive measures already imposed on Nigeria's military regime.

Its decision to recall its head of delegation, which represents the European Union as an organisation, follows a move by the Union's 15 individual member states on Saturday to pull their ambassadors out of Nigeria.

A Commission spokeswoman said that in a five-year programme ending this year, Nigeria was set to receive 365m ecus (pounds 303m) in development aid via the Lome Convention, an aid and trade agreement between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

There was also a 173m ecus programme for aid and loans via the European Development Fund and the European Investment Bank.