Liberia - UNOMIL

The Security Council established UNOMIL on 22 September 1993 by resolution 866 (1993), for an initial period of seven months, to work with ECOMOG in the implementation of the Cotonou Peace Agreement. UNOMIL was the first United Nations peacekeeping mission undertaken in cooperation with a peacekeeping operation already set up by another organization. The Mission was set up under the command of the United Nations, vested in the Secretary-General under the authority of the Security Council and led in the field by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. It was to be composed of military and civilian components. Command of the military component was entrusted to the Chief Military Observer (CMO) reporting to the Secretary-General through the Special Representative.

RELATIONSHIP WITH ECOMOG

On 9 September 1993, the Secretary-General reported to the Security Council that the cooperation of ECOMOG would be critical to UNOMIL's success. He warned that failure by ECOMOG to deploy additional troops or their premature withdrawal would gravely jeopardize the peace process. "In such an event," he declared, "I shall immediately bring the situation to the attention of the Security Council; depending on the prevalent circumstances, I might be obliged to recommend the withdrawal of UNOMIL." He announced his intention to conclude with ECOWAS a formal agreement defining the relationship between UNOMIL and ECOMOG, which was concluded in November 1993.

Although financing ECOMOG troops was not the responsibility of the United Nations, it was proposed to establish a trust fund, under the auspices of the United Nations, to enable African countries to send reinforcements to ECOMOG, to provide necessary assistance to countries already participating in ECOMOG, and for humanitarian assistance, elections and demobilization. With the endorsement of the Security Council, the Secretary-General took steps to set up the fund.

UNOMIL COMPONENTS

The military component of UNOMIL was to monitor and verify compliance with the ceasefire, the embargo on delivery of arms and military equipment, as well as the cantonment, disarmament and demobilization of combatants. The Secretary-General estimated that 303 military observers would be required, including 41 teams composed of 6 observers per team for investigation, airports, seaports, border crossings and cantonment sites, 25 observers stationed at UNOMIL headquarters and 8 observers at each of four regional headquarters. In addition, a military medical unit of some 20 staff and a communications unit of about 25 civilian staff would be required. The civilian component was to include political, humanitarian, and electoral personnel.

The electoral assistance element would observe and verify the entire election process, from the registration of voters until the voting itself. The work would be carried out by 13 international staff, 40 United Nations Volunteers and necessary support staff. Organizing and holding elections would be the responsibility of the transitional government, through the Liberian Elections Commission consisting of representatives of the three Liberian parties. The elections were originally scheduled for February/March 1994.

DEVELOPMENTS DURING FIRST MONTHS

Following the adoption of Security Council resolution 856 (1993) on 10 August 1993, the advance party of military observers began arriving in Liberia. The Chief Military Observer arrived in the country on 10 October 1993 and by mid-December there were 166 UNOMIL military observers.

The first meeting of the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee was chaired by the United Nations on 13 August. The Committee was to monitor, investigate and report all ceasefire violations between the period when the ceasefire came into force on 1 August 1993 and the arrival of the additional ECOMOG troops and the full contingent of UNOMIL. In addition to regular patrolling and ceasefire monitoring through the Joint Committee, UNOMIL military observers conducted reconnaissance missions in cooperation with ECOMOG in many areas of the country in preparation for their deployment to these areas and in preparation for disarmament and demobilization.

The five members of the Council of State were selected on 17 August 1993, following consultations among the Liberian parties. The swearing in of the Council, however, did not take place as it was awaiting the beginning of disarmament, the start of which, in accordance with the Cotonou Agreement, was dependent on the expansion of ECOMOG and the provision by the parties of necessary information on the number and location of their combatants, weapons and mines.

The Chairman of ECOWAS, President Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo of Benin, arranged for consultations among the parties at a meeting in Cotonou from 3 to 5 November 1993. At that meeting, the parties agreed on the distribution of 13 of a total of 17 cabinet posts. The distribution of the remaining 4 ministerial portfolios, as well as other issues related to the installation of the transitional government, would await further talks. The parties also reached agreement on the composition of the Elections Commission, on the Speaker of the Legislature and the members of the Supreme Court.

On 13 December, the Secretary-General reported to the Security Council that planning and preparation for disarmament and demobilization, undertaken by UNOMIL in consultation with the Liberian parties, ECOMOG, United Nations specialized agencies and NGOs, were well under way. The commencement of actual disarmament, linked to the expansion of ECOMOG, was delayed. The Secretary-General hoped that the additional ECOMOG troops would soon be deployed to Liberia, thus enabling the disarmament and demobilization to start immediately.

The Secretary-General noted that the timetable called for disarmament to begin within 30 days of signature of the Agreement, concomitant with the establishment of the transitional government. From the beginning of the peace process, all parties had been aware that the timetable was "highly ambitious, especially given the complexities in establishing the joint UNOMIL/ECOMOG peacekeeping mission, including the deployment of additional ECOMOG troops".

INTER-AGENCY APPEAL

On 16 December 1993, the United Nations launched a Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for $284 million for emergency humanitarian assistance to Liberia covering a broad spectrum of activities to facilitate Liberia's transition from a war-torn nation to a peaceful and democratic State. United Nations agencies had identified priority needs, amounting to $96.41 million through the first quarter of 1994. The total appeal for $284 million was for 13 months, through December 1994. Later, following renewed hostilities, this figure was revised down to $168.4 million, to reflect limits on implementation of rehabilitation activities.

DIFFICULTIES REMAIN

In December 1993, the Liberian parties resumed their talks on the composition of the transitional government. After two weeks of intense negotiations, however, they failed to reach agreement on the disposition of the four remaining ministerial portfolios of defence, foreign affairs, justice and finance. They were also unable to agree on the date for the seating of the transitional government and for the beginning of encampment, disarmament and demobilization of combatants.

UNOMIL attained its total authorized strength in early January 1994 and began deployment of its military observers throughout Liberia. As to the expansion of ECOMOG, battalions from the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda arrived in Monrovia on 8 January and 28 January 1994 respectively and started preparations for deployment to the northern and eastern regions of the country.

Following arrival of the additional battalions, consultations with ECOMOG and the parties on the date for disarmament intensified. Ten encampment sites were identified, two for AFL, four for NPFL and four for ULIMO. The parties agreed that the disarmament of their forces would commence simultaneously and was likely to continue over a two-to-three-month period. At the same time, UNOMIL developed a plan for the demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants into civilian society, covering the continuum from military disarmament to reintegration into civilian society and involving the coordination of activities to be implemented by United Nations agencies and NGOs.

TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT INSTALLED

Meeting in Monrovia on 15 February 1994, the Liberian parties reached agreement on most of the outstanding issues impeding the commencement of disarmament and the installation of the transitional government. They then set 7 March 1994 as the date for commencement of disarmament and the installation of the transitional government. Free and fair elections would be held on 7 September 1994. The question of the disposition of the four remaining cabinet posts was not resolved. The Security Council welcomed the agreement but warned that the support of the international community would not continue in the absence of tangible progress towards full and prompt implementation of the Agreement, in particular, the revised timetable.

On 7 March 1994, the Council of State of the Transitional Government was installed in Monrovia. Three demobilization centres, one for each of the warring parties, were opened on the same day. On 11 March, the Transitional Legislative Assembly was inducted into office, with ULIMO being given the responsibility for naming the Speaker of the Assembly. The Supreme Court of Liberia opened for the 1994 term on 14 March.

DEPLOYMENT CONTINUES

Meanwhile, UNOMIL proceeded with deployment throughout the country. By April 1994, the Mission had deployed its military observers in 27 team sites out of a total of 39 projected sites. Four regional headquarters were established at Monrovia (central region), Tubmanburg (western region), Gbarnga (northern region) and Tapeta (eastern region). The military observers were engaged in the patrolling of border crossings and other entry points, observation and verification of disarmament and demobilization and the investigation of ceasefire violations.

ECOMOG deployed into the western (Tubmanburg) and northern (Gbarnga) regions. Deployment of both UNOMIL and ECOMOG in Upper Lofa was impeded by insecurity in the area. Likewise, deployment in the south-east was curtailed by the activities of the Liberian Peace Council (LPC), which emerged in the south-eastern part of Liberia after the Cotonou Agreement was signed in July 1993. UNOMIL and ECOMOG were engaged in consultations with ULIMO and with NPFL and LPC in order to reach agreement on further deployment in the western and south-eastern regions. It was reported that the total number of combatants of all factions was approximately 60,000 soldiers. In the first month of disarmament, more than 2,000 combatants, from all parties, were disarmed and demobilized.

Following the deployment of UNOMIL and ECOMOG, the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee was replaced by a Violations Committee, as foreseen in the Cotonou Agreement. The Violations Committee was chaired by the UNOMIL CMO.

Meeting on 21 April 1994, the Security Council was informed by the representative of Liberia that the Ministers of Defence, Finance and Justice had been designated on 19 April 1994 and that the appointment of the Minister for Foreign Affairs would follow. The Council extended the mandate of UNOMIL until 22 October 1994, on the understanding that it would review by 18 May 1994 the situation in Liberia and UNOMIL's role there. That review would be based on whether the transitional government had been fully installed, and whether there had been substantial progress in implementing the peace process.

The Security Council called on the Liberian parties to give urgent priority to the complete installation, by 18 May 1994, of the transitional government, especially the seating of the full Cabinet and the Transitional National Assembly, so that a unified civil administration of the country could be established and appropriate arrangements completed for national elections to be held on 7 September.

CONTINUED FIGHTING

On 20 April 1994, the Council of State of the Liberian Transitional Government was fully installed, and the Ministers for Justice, Defence and Finance were confirmed by the Transitional Legislative Assembly, with the newly appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs scheduled to be formally inducted on 19 May.

At the same time, a dispute arose within the leadership of ULIMO, along ethnic lines, between Chairman Alhaji Kromah (Mandingo) and General Roosevelt Johnson (Krahn) over ULIMO nominees to the Council of State. The dispute resulted in an outbreak of fighting in the western region among the ULIMO forces. Fighting also erupted in the eastern part of Liberia between NPFL and LPC. The transitional government, UNOMIL and ECOMOG undertook efforts to bring about a ceasefire between the two groups and to bring LPC into the disarmament and demobilization process.

The continuing fighting within and between the parties constituted one of the most serious obstacles in the way of the peace process. Mediation efforts to resolve the dispute within ULIMO resulted on 6 May in a ceasefire and an agreement for further negotiations. However, the negotiations collapsed and serious fighting resumed on 26 May. In the eastern part of Liberia, attacks by LPC against NPFL also continued. All attempts to negotiate the end of hostilities were unsuccessful.

Moreover, the parties' mistrust for one another extended, in the case of some of them, to ECOMOG. Soldiers of the Nigerian and Ugandan contingents were abducted and held for varying lengths of time by elements of ULIMO and LPC, both of which claimed that ECOMOG had lost its impartiality and was involved in the conflict. NPFL also asserted complicity between some elements of ECOMOG and AFL in supplying material and logistical support to LPC. All these assertions added difficulties to ECOMOG's ability to carry out its peacekeeping responsibilities.

As a result of mistrust and hostilities between and within some factions, and despite the efforts of ECOMOG and UNOMIL, the parties refused to engage actively in the disarmament of their combatants or to give up control of territory. Three months after the start of demobilization, a total of only 3,192 combatants had been demobilized. Insecurity in some areas of the country also impeded full deployment of ECOMOG and UNOMIL.

The Secretary-General reiterated to the Security Council on 24 June his belief that UNOMIL's efforts were critical to the implementation of the Cotonou Agreement and to assisting the transitional government and the Liberian people to achieve national reconciliation. It was imperative that all the Liberian parties extend greater cooperation to ECOMOG and UNOMIL and that the transitional government bring all the parties together to agree on specific steps to ensure that the elections were held on schedule. Should the parties fail to maintain their commitment to the peace process, the Secretary-General warned, he would have no alternative but to recommend to the Security Council that the involvement of the United Nations in Liberia be reconsidered. On 13 July, the Council called on the transitional government, in cooperation with ECOWAS and OAU with the support of UNOMIL, to convene a meeting of the Liberian factions not later than 31 July in order to agree on a realistic plan for resumption of disarmament and to set a target date for its completion.

FACT-FINDING MISSION DISPATCHED

The transitional government did not meet the deadline. During July and August 1994, the situation in Liberia seriously deteriorated, and the Council of State remained ineffective. Fighting continued between the Krahn and Mandingo elements of ULIMO in the west of the country, and between LPC and NPFL in the south-east. There were also signs of a split within the NPFL hierarchy. All factions were experiencing command and control problems, resulting in an increase in banditry and harassment of civilians, including NGOs and unarmed United Nations military observers. Disarmament virtually ceased, and there was no clear prospect as to when elections would or could be held. Population displacement from the counties in the south-east and west continued to grow with every new wave of fighting and with each report of atrocities against civilians. ECOMOG was still not fully deployed and UNOMIL withdrew from the western region due to lack of security. On 26 August, the Secretary-General informed the Security Council that he had decided to dispatch to Liberia a fact-finding mission to review the situation in the country and advise him on the most appropriate course of action. On the basis of the mission's report, the Secretary-General would submit to the Council his recommendations with regard to the future United Nations role in Liberia. The mission was headed by the Secretary-General's Special Envoy, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, and visited the area from 16 to 26 August.

AKOSOMBO AGREEMENT

On 7 September 1994, the Chairman of ECOWAS, President Jerry Rawlings of Ghana, convened a meeting of the leaders of the warring factions at Akosombo, Ghana. The meeting was attended by NPFL, both wings of ULIMO and AFL. LPC and the Lofa Defence Force (LDF) -- the second faction which emerged in Liberia after the signing of the Cotonou Agreement -- declined to attend the meeting. Representatives of the United Nations and OAU were present as facilitators. The meeting culminated in the signing, on 12 September, of a supplementary agreement to the Cotonou Agreement, which reaffirmed the Cotonou Agreement as the only framework for peace in Liberia. It also sought to give the transitional government a more central role in the supervision and monitoring of the implementation of that Agreement. The factions would be permitted to review the status of their appointees to the Council of State, and participation in the Transitional Legislative Assembly would be broadened by adding 13 representatives from the various counties.

The Akosombo Agreement called for an immediate ceasefire and provided more details concerning its implementation, the disengagement of forces and the responsibilities of the factions with regard to assembly and disarmament of combatants. It foresaw elections by October 1995 and specified that if any faction or group refused to desist from acts in violation of the Agreement, the transitional government, in collaboration with ECOMOG, would have the power to use the necessary force to assure compliance. The transitional government would also conclude a status-of-forces agreement with ECOWAS. Soon after its signing, however, the Akosombo Agreement became engulfed in controversy, and there was no movement towards its implementation.

LIBERIA IN A "DESPERATE STATE"

Overall, the military situation during September and October remained confused, with alignment and realignment of groups depending on their short-term interests, and the breakdown of command and control within factions. Warlords, without any particular political agenda but with control of a certain number of soldiers, were seeking territory for the sake of adding to their own claim to power. The results were not large military victories, but deaths mostly of civilians, the decimation of entire villages and the breakdown of any semblance of law and order.

The factional fighting resulted in some 200,000 persons being uprooted from their places of temporary or permanent residence. Because of insecurity, international and local relief organizations located in Liberia were unable to deal with the growing tragedy inside the country. Movement of relief supplies became impossible, including across the border from Côte d'Ivoire, leaving thousands without access to assistance. As a result, almost all international humanitarian assistance operations ceased, except at Buchanan and Monrovia.

The continued fighting significantly limited the ability of UNOMIL to perform its functions. Moreover, on a number of occasions, unarmed United Nations military observers were themselves the target of harassment and violence. On 9 September, in what might have been a premeditated action to use the observers as a shield and to secure reliable communications and transportation facilities, NPFL elements detained 43 UNOMIL observers and 6 NGO personnel at nine sites in the northern and eastern regions and confiscated their transport, communications and most other equipment. UNOMIL immediately undertook round-the-clock contacts with faction representatives, NPFL interlocutors, neighbouring countries and ECOMOG in order to secure the release of those detained. On 14 September, 33 observers were released and found their way to relative safety.

Given the breakdown in the ceasefire and the inability of ECOMOG to provide security for UNOMIL observers, UNOMIL was unable to carry out many of its mandated activities. All UNOMIL team sites were evacuated except for those in the Monrovia area. As of 12 October, the strength of UNOMIL military personnel was reduced to approximately 90 observers from the authorized strength of 368. This temporary reduction was matched by a commensurate reduction in the civilian staff of UNOMIL.

The Secretary-General told the Security Council on 14 October 1994 that the political, military and humanitarian developments of the preceding month had left Liberia in a desperate state. The transitional government, the factions and the people of Liberia needed to focus on political accommodation to stop the country from sliding deeper into chaos. The Secretary-General decided to dispatch a high-level mission to consult the ECOWAS countries on how best the international community could continue to assist Liberia in bringing about a cessation of hostilities. In order to allow the high-level mission time to conduct its work and present its conclusions, he recommended that the Council extend the mandate of UNOMIL for a period of two months.

On 21 October, the Security Council, by its resolution 950 (1994), extended the mandate of UNOMIL until 13 January 1995.

HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

By June 1994, approximately 1.1 million people were receiving humanitarian assistance, of an estimated 1.5 million in need. Approximately 400,000 people were inaccessible because of factional fighting. Of the total number of beneficiaries, 800,000 were registered as displaced, of whom 150,000 had been displaced within the preceding six months. Since the beginning of 1994, 70 per cent of the estimated food needs had been mobilized by the international relief community. Organized voluntary repatriation of the 700,000 Liberian refugees had been adversely affected by the slow pace in the peace process. However, UNHCR continued to facilitate spontaneous repatriation, with an average of 1,000 persons returning every month from Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone.

The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance grew to an estimated 1.8 million by August, with assistance and rehabilitation activities limited to the areas immediately in and around Monrovia and Buchanan. By 12 November 1994, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Liberia was reporting that the crisis had affected more than 700,000 innocent civilians in rural Liberia and 1.2 million residents and displaced persons in Monrovia, its environs and the rest of Montserrado country. He noted that continued fighting severely restricted most relief activities, and that the plight of those suffering in rural Liberia could not be significantly eased until minimum conditions of security existed that would permit an orderly resumption of emergency food deliveries.

At the end of November 1994, donors had provided approximately 49 per cent of the $168.4 million in prioritized needs requested in the Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal, covering the period from November 1993 to December 1994.

MISSION TO ECOWAS MEMBER STATES

In its resolution 950 (1994), the Security Council welcomed the Secretary-General's proposal to send a high-level mission to discuss the deteriorating situation in Liberia with ECOWAS member States. The mission was led by Mr. Lansana Kouyaté, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and visited Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Consultations were held with the Chairman of ECOWAS, President Rawlings of Ghana, President Lansana Conté of Guinea, Chairman Valentine Strasser of Sierra Leone, President Konan Bédié of Côte d'Ivoire, and the ECOWAS Committee of Nine, which coordinates ECOWAS activities on Liberia and is composed of the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Discussions were also held with Liberia's Council of State, including its Chairman, Mr. David Kpomakpor, diplomatic missions, United Nations organizations and NGOs, as well as with the Liberian faction leaders, who were meeting in Accra at the invitation of President Rawlings.

The mission submitted the following recommendations for ending the conflict in Liberia:

(a) the Liberian political and factions leaders must be brought to understand that, in the absence of political accommodation and reconciliation, continued support from the international community would not be forthcoming; (b) ECOWAS member States, particularly the six directly involved with Liberia, should urgently organize an extraordinary meeting of Heads of State to resolve their differences and harmonize their policies on Liberia; (c) if the above could be accomplished, ECOWAS should be encouraged to consider strengthening ECOMOG and restructuring it in order to achieve a better balance of troops, including contributions from other African countries; (d) international support, including financial support, logistics and equipment, should be sought to enable ECOMOG to carry out its mandate, particularly with respect to deployment, encampment and disarmament; (e) the future of UNOMIL should depend on the successful implementation of the above steps. Meanwhile, UNOMIL's mandate should be extended for a limited period of three months from 13 January 1995.

ACCRA AGREEMENT

Having returned to Accra, on 21 December, the parties signed there two agreements, known collectively as the Accra Agreement. One clarified the Akosombo Agreement, which had been signed by NPFL, Alhaji Kromah's wing of ULIMO and AFL. The other enabled the non-signatories to the Akosombo Agreement -- ULIMO-Johnson, LPC, LDF, the Central Revolutionary Council (CRC-NPFL) and the Liberian National Conference (LNC) -- to accept that Agreement. CRC-NPFL was a breakaway faction of NPFL.

The Accra Agreement stipulated that a ceasefire would come into effect by midnight on 28 December 1994. A new, five-member Council of State would be installed within 14 days thereafter, composed of one member chosen by each of NPFL, ULIMO, AFL/Coalition and LNC and Mr. Tamba Taylor, a traditional chief chosen by NPFL and ULIMO. Elections would be held on 14 November 1995 and a new Government installed on 1 January 1996.

In the meantime, the Secretary-General informed the Security Council that Mr. Trevor Gordon-Somers would shortly be completing his assignment as Special Representative for Liberia. It was the Secretary-General's intention to appoint Mr. Anthony B. Nyakyi, former Permanent Representative of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United Nations, to succeed Mr. Gordon-Somers. Mr. Nyakyi took up his duties in Monrovia on 28 December 1994.

The ceasefire came into effect as stipulated in the Accra Agreement. However, the military situation remained highly charged and unstable. Hostilities had spread to over 80 per cent of the country and the fighting had caused massive population displacement. Because of insecurity and serious logistical difficulties, ECOMOG had been deployed in less than 15 per cent of the country. Its absence from major points along the borders was a factor in the continuous breach of the arms embargo.

POLITICAL STALEMATE CONTINUES

The Security Council extended the mandate of UNOMIL until 13 April by its resolution 972 (1995) of 13 January. In accordance with the timetable set out in the Accra agreement, the Liberian parties were to have nominated a new five-member Council of State by 11 January 1995. However, when they met in Accra under the auspices of ECOWAS on 9 January, they were unable to reach agreement on the composition and chairmanship of the Council. The main bottleneck was the inability of AFL and Coalition forces (ULIMO-J, LDF, LPC and CRC-NPFL) to reach agreement on their joint nominee. Nominees from the other parties included Mr. Charles Taylor, President of NPFL; Mr. Alhaji Kromah, Chairman of ULIMO-K; and Mr. Oscar Quiah, representative of LNC.

TECHNICAL TEAM

By resolution 972 (1995), the Security Council requested the Secretary-General to report on the role of UNOMIL and of ECOMOG in Liberia and the resource requirements of ECOWAS States to maintain their troops in ECOMOG. The Secretary-General dispatched a small technical team to Monrovia, which held detailed consultations from 6 to 10 February 1995.

ECOMOG informed the technical team that its strength was about 8,430 troops, organized in 10 self-contained infantry battalions. The Government of Nigeria contributed the bulk of the force (4,908), while troops were also provided by the Governments of Ghana (1,028), Guinea (609), the United Republic of Tanzania (747), Uganda (760) and Sierra Leone (359). Smaller contingents were also provided by Gambia (10) and Mali (10).

The main military functions of ECOMOG, in accordance with the Cotonou and Accra agreements, were the protection of civilians in safe havens; establishment and provision of security for assembly sites, where the combatants would initially congregate pending disarmament; establishment and provision of security for encampment sites where ECOMOG would disarm combatants and carry out other activities related to demobilization; assistance in the enforcement of the arms embargo through the establishment of border crossing points and patrols; and maintenance of general security throughout the country.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

In the absence of credible security guarantees, relief activities continued to be limited to greater Monrovia and Buchanan town, and to those areas of Grand Bassa, Margibi and Montserrado counties that were controlled by ECOMOG. The humanitarian crisis in Monrovia itself was of particular concern and continued to be aggravated by a steady flow of internally displaced persons seeking refuge, and a small number of combatants wishing to demobilize.

On 3 February, the Secretary-General launched an inter-agency consolidated appeal for Liberia, for the six-month period January to June 1995, seeking the $65 million in extrabudgetary resources required by United Nations agencies to continue to carry out life-saving interventions in a number of key emergency sectors.

OPTIONS BEFORE SECURITY COUNCIL

On 24 February 1995, the Secretary-General advised the Security Council that, because of the security situation, the 78 military observers and seven paramedical staff serving with UNOMIL were deployed only in the greater Monrovia area, including Buchanan and Kakata. Two months after the signing of the Accra Agreement, the Liberian factions and political leaders were still haggling over the composition and chairmanship of the Council of State and had yet to show that they were genuinely committed to the fulfilment of their obligations under the Agreement. Moreover, their inability to re-establish a ceasefire verification committee threatened the already fragile ceasefire.

In its resolution 972 (l995), the Security Council expressed the hope that the member States of ECOWAS would convene a summit with a view to harmonizing their policies on Liberia, including tightening the application of the arms embargo. Meeting in Copenhagen on 11 March 1995, the Secretary-General and President Rawlings agreed that the summit should take place as soon as possible and should bring together the heads of State of the ECOWAS Committee of Nine and also involve the leaders of the Liberian parties.

On 13 April, the Security Council, by its resolution 985 (1995) decided to extend the mandate of UNOMIL until 30 June 1995 and urged all Liberian parties to implement the Akosombo and Accra Agreements. The Council urged all States, and in particular all neighbouring States, to comply fully with the embargo on all deliveries of weapons and military equipment to Liberia imposed by resolution 788 (1992), and to that end decided to establish a Committee of the Security Council, consisting of all the members of the Council, to monitor and help improve the embargo's effectiveness, and to recommend measures in response to violations.

ECOWAS SUMMIT

The Third Meeting of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS Committee of Nine on Liberia was held at Abuja from 17 to 20 May 1995. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the United Nations, OAU and the United States. The following Liberian parties sent their delegations: AFL, LNC, LPC, NPFL, CRC-NPFL, ULIMO-K, and ULIMO-J. Mr. Kpomakpor, the Chairman of the Council of State, also participated in the meeting. Delegations of all the Liberian factions except NPFL were headed by their respective leaders.

Despite four days of discussions and the emergence of a substantial measure of agreement on nearly all the outstanding issues, the Liberian parties were unable to reach a final agreement on the composition of the Council of State.

FIGHTING CONTINUES

In the meantime, fighting in Liberia continued between ULIMO-K and ULIMO-J in Grand Cape Mount and Bomi counties; between NPFL and ULIMO-K in Lofa county; between NPFL and ULIMO-J in Bong and Margibi counties; and between NPFL and LPC in Grand Bassa and Maryland counties. Several towns changed hands, and there were reports of human rights abuses as combatants moved into or out of a particular area. All this resulted in a continued influx of displaced persons into the ECOMOG-controlled areas of Buchanan and Kakata. Contending factions continued to block access routes into inhabited areas, resulting in the disruption of the delivery of relief supplies and unnecessary suffering of civilians. Because of the unstable security situation, ECOMOG's deployment remained restricted to the central region and to some areas of the western region. United Nations military observers were co-deployed with ECOMOG in Buchanan, Kakata and Monrovia.

Although the humanitarian situation continued to remain critical, there was some expansion of humanitarian assistance activities in Bomi and Cape Mount counties. By June 1995, the United Nations consolidated inter-agency appeal for Liberia had received $49 million of the total $65 million requested, most of it in support of food aid needs.

UNOMIL'S MANDATE EXTENDED

On 10 June 1995, the Secretary-General recommended to the Security Council the extension of UNOMIL's mandate for a period of three months. He called on the Liberian faction leaders to do all they could to "give peace a chance, to save innocent civilians from death and suffering, and to avoid the continuing destruction of Liberia as a result of their inability to settle their differences". By its resolution 1001 (1995) of 30 June, the Security Council extended UNOMIL's mandate until 15 September 1995 and declared that unless serious and substantial progress was made towards a peaceful settlement, the Mission's mandate would not be renewed.

ABUJA AGREEMENT

Following the adoption of resolution 1001 (1995), diplomatic efforts aimed at moving the peace process forward intensified. In July, the Liberian parties held a series of meetings in Monrovia.

Meeting on 28 and 29 July at Accra, the ECOWAS Heads of State adopted a resolution stating that the withdrawal of UNOMIL would compromise the efforts made by ECOMOG and affect the situation in the subregion. They called on the Security Council to review its decision to withdraw UNOMIL from Liberia if the peace process had not progressed significantly. The Chairman of ECOWAS then convened a meeting of the Liberian factions at Abuja from 16 to 19 August. The leaders of all the parties, as well as Chief Tamba Taylor, representing the traditional chiefs, attended the meeting. Representatives of the Nigerian Government, the Eminent Person of OAU for Liberia and the Secretary-General's Special Representative were also present as facilitators.

After four days of intensive discussions, the Abuja talks culminated on 19 August 1995 in the signing by the Liberian parties of an agreement, amending and supplementing the Cotonou and Akosombo accords, as subsequently clarified by the Accra agreements. In accordance with provisions of the Abuja Agreement, a comprehensive ceasefire was established on 26 August at midnight and a new six-member Council was installed on 1 September, one day ahead of schedule. The Council comprised Mr. Wilton Sankawolo as its Chairman; Dr. George Boley, representing the coalition of LPC, CRC-NPFL and LDF; Mr. Alhaji Kromah of ULIMO; Mr. Oscar Quiah of LNC; Chief Tamba Taylor; and Mr. Charles Taylor of NPFL. AFL was given the defence portfolio, while General Roosevelt Johnson's wing of ULIMO (ULIMO-J) was given a number of ministerial posts. The new Council of State would remain in power for one year, until the holding of elections on 20 August 1996. The Agreement also included a schedule of implementation and a formula for the distribution of government posts.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT

An ECOWAS delegation visited Liberia from 25 to 27 August to assess the situation on the ground and confirmed that the factions had sent instructions to their forces to lay down arms and observe the ceasefire. In the meantime, UNOMIL and ECOMOG began active preparations for the implementation of the Agreement. The Ceasefire Violations Committee, chaired by UNOMIL and consisting of ECOMOG and representatives of the transitional government and the factions, met in the beginning of September to review with the factions plans for monitoring the ceasefire and the implementation of the other provisions of the Agreement, including disarmament and demobilization. A Disarmament Committee, chaired by ECOMOG and comprising UNOMIL, the transitional government and representatives of the armed factions, with the participation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was established to draw up plans for the disengagement of forces, disarmament and the exchange of prisoners of war. The international community was urgently requested to provide support for ECOMOG as well as for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of combatants.

The humanitarian situation in several parts of Liberia also improved. Negotiations between UNOMIL, ECOMOG and a number of factions resulted in the opening of critical roads from Kakata to Gbarnga and from Kakata to Bong Mines. This allowed United Nations agencies and NGOs to begin delivering aid to previously cut-off locations in central and northern Liberia. In addition to increasing their activities in new areas, relief agencies continued to provide relatively unimpeded assistance to needy populations in ECOMOG-controlled areas. However, logistical constraints and the absence of credible security guarantees for other parts of Liberia continued to prevent sustained humanitarian activity in much of the country, including Lofa county and south-west Liberia.

The Secretary-General observed to the Security Council on 13 September 1995 that "... the prospects for peace in Liberia are perhaps better now than they have been at any time since the outbreak of the civil war". He emphasized, however, that ultimately it was the Liberian leaders who were primarily responsible for the restoration of peace in their country. He recommended that the Council consider extending the mandate of UNOMIL until 31 January 1996 and identified several elements which, in his view, were crucial for the success of the peace process in Liberia. Among them, he pointed to the need for international assistance in re-building the country's economy and infrastructure and strengthening governmental institutions. Another important factor was the disarmament and demobilization of Liberia's estimated 50,000 to 60,000 combatants, of whom as many as 25 per cent were children, and their effective reintegration into civilian life. The country's national police force did not have the capacity to maintain law and order and, therefore, technical and logistic assistance should be provided in that area.

There was also an urgent need to provide ECOMOG with adequate financial and logistic resources to enable it to carry out its responsibilities in Liberia effectively. The Secretary-General intended to dispatch a mission to Liberia in order to assess the requirements involved in the implementation of the Abuja Agreement. He also informed the Council of his intention to deploy 42 additional military observers to UNOMIL, in order for the Mission to carry out its responsibilities in monitoring the ceasefire and the disengagement of forces. At the same time, UNOMIL would continue to work with ECOMOG on the adoption of a new joint concept of operations. The Security Council welcomed the steps to resolve the conflict in Liberia peacefully and extended the mandate of UNOMIL as recommended by the Secretary-General.

NEW MANDATE AND CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

A United Nations technical team visited Liberia from 19 to 30 September to consult with the Liberian leaders and other interested parties on the requirements for the implementation of the Abuja Agreement. The team subsequently travelled to Accra for consultations with ECOWAS on 2 October. On 23 October, the Secretary-General submitted his recommendations to the Security Council on a new mandate and concept of operations for UNOMIL, based on the findings of the mission and the lessons learned since the Mission had been established in September 1993.

Under the proposed adjustment of UNOMIL's mandated, the Mission's main functions would be to exercise its good offices to support ECOWAS and the transitional government, monitor compliance with the ceasefire and other military provisions, and verify disarmament and demobilization. UNOMIL would also support humanitarian assistance activities as appropriate; investigate and report to the Secretary-General on violations of human rights; assist local human rights groups in raising voluntary assistance for training and logistic support; observe and verify the election process, in consultation with OAU and ECOWAS, including the legislative and presidential elections, scheduled to take place on 20 August 1996.

The functions of ECOMOG had been defined to include the following tasks: to monitor the borders of Liberia and man the main entry points by land, sea or air in order to ensure that no arms or ammunition were brought into the country; to assemble and disarm combatants of all factions; to establish checkpoints to verify the movement of arms and assist in the return of refugees and internally displaced persons; and to carry out intensive patrols throughout the country to build confidence and create an atmosphere conducive to the holding of free and fair elections. For operational purposes, ECOMOG divided the country into three sectors, each under the control of a brigade. Accordingly, ECOMOG brigade headquarters would be established at Gbarnga, Greenville and Tubmanburg. ECOMOG force headquarters would remain in Monrovia.

ECOMOG strength in October 1995 was 7,269 all ranks. In order to fulfil its new tasks, ECOMOG planned to increase its strength to some 12,000 all ranks and to deploy its forces to nine safe havens (6,600 all ranks), 10 to 13 assembly sites (3,400 all ranks) and at 14 border crossing points (2,000 all ranks). Nigeria had indicated its readiness to provide two additional battalions, and Ghana and Guinea had also indicated their readiness to provide one each. Other ECOWAS countries were in principle prepared to contribute troops, subject to the availability of the required financial and logistical support.

By its resolution 1020 (1995) of 10 November, the Security Council decided to adjust UNOMIL's mandate and concept of operations, as recommended by the Secretary-General. The Council urged the transitional government to act to avoid ceasefire violations and to maintain the momentum of the peace process. The Council also urged all Member States to contribute to United Nations Trust Fund for Liberia, and to provide logistical and other assistance to ECOMOG.

HUMANITARIAN ASPECTS

As of October 1995, some 1.5 million people, out of a total population of approximately 2.3 million, continued to require humanitarian assistance, including some 700,000 displaced persons. In addition, UNHCR estimated that 727,000 Liberian refugees had sought asylum in neighbouring countries: 367,300 in Côte d'Ivoire, 395,000 in Guinea, 14,000 in Ghana, 4,600 in Sierra Leone and 4,000 in Nigeria. Following improvement in the political and security situation, new requirements for humanitarian assistance included extending relief aid to civilians in previously inaccessible areas, providing for the repatriation of refugees and resettlement of internally displaced persons, and addressing the humanitarian aspects of the demobilization of former combatants and their integration into civilian life.

To expand and strengthen the coordination mechanisms, the Secretary-General appointed, in November 1995, a United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator. Serving under the overall authority of the Special Representative, the Humanitarian Coordinator would support and coordinate the efforts of the operational agencies of the United Nations such as UNICEF, UNHCR and WFP, while mobilizing increased participation by FAO, UNDP and WHO in relief and resettlement activities and in the provision of assistance to demobilizing soldiers. Other United Nations agencies, such as the International Labour Organisation, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the United Nations Volunteers, would contribute in areas related to their mandates. The Humanitarian Coordinator would also support the efforts of the wider humanitarian community, including non-governmental, international and multilateral organizations. In order to support the Humanitarian Coordinator in carrying out these functions, a Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Office (HACO) was established. The Office consisted of two units: a Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Unit and a Demobilization and Reintegration Unit.

A TURN FOR THE WORSE

By the end of 1995, following some initial progress in the implementation of the peace agreements and improvement in the security and humanitarian conditions in the country, the situation in Liberia began to take another turn for the worse. The implementation of the Abuja Agreement was behind schedule. The critical aspects of the Agreement, disarmament and demobilization, did not begin at the time foreseen. There were serious violations of the ceasefire. These violations included intermittent fighting between Alhaji Kromah's forces (ULIMO-K) and Roosevelt Johnson's forces (ULIMO-J). Fighting also occurred between LPC and NPFL and between NPFL and ULIMO-K. There were also delays in deploying ECOMOG personnel and equipment throughout the country. At the end of December 1995, heavy fighting broke out at Tubmanburg as a result of attacks on ECOMOG by ULIMO-J troops. Casualties were suffered by the combatants and by the civilian population.

In this volatile atmosphere, following confrontations between rival groups within ULIMO-J, the transitional government, on 23 March, issued a warrant for the arrest of General Roosevelt Johnson, accusing him of murder. On 6 April, the Rapid Reaction Unit of the national police, backed up by the forces of NPFL and ULIMO-K, attempted to arrest him forcibly. They were attacked by General Johnson's forces, supported by fighters from AFL.

The fighting was accompanied by the complete breakdown of law and order in Monrovia. Fighters from all factions systematically looted the commercial district as well as United Nations offices and warehouses. Houses were broken into, buildings were set on fire and vehicles were commandeered.

Civilians were caught in the crossfire. More than half of Monrovia's 1.3 million citizens were displaced, with many thousands concentrated in several locations in an attempt to escape the fighting. Thousands of others sought refuge in neighbouring countries.

UNOMIL and the United Nations agencies were forced to relocate all non-essential personnel to neighbouring countries or to repatriate them. Eighty-eight of UNOMIL's 93 military observers were relocated to Freetown and Dakar, with the assistance of the United States Government. Subsequently, most of these observers were repatriated. However, the Special Representative and five military observers, among them the Chief Military Observer, and essential civilian staff remained in Monrovia to support the political efforts aimed at peacefully resolving the crisis. Ten UNOMIL military observers remained on standby in Freetown.

In accordance with the ceasefire arrangements that went into effect on 19 April, ECOMOG deployed in central Monrovia establishing check-points and undertaking patrols, as fighters started to withdraw from the city. UNOMIL also patrolled the city. In addition, UNOMIL monitored military developments, convened meetings of the Ceasefire Violations Committee and organized security escorts for faction representatives participating in consultations to resolve the crisis.

Fighters continued to move freely, however, and when the ceasefire broke down on 29 April, ECOMOG withdrew to specific locations in sufficient numbers to deter attack from the factions.

UNOMIL'S MANDATE RENEWED, MAY 1996

Reporting to the Security Council on 21 May, the Secretary-General observed that in the insecure and unstable conditions that prevailed in Monrovia and throughout Liberia, there was little that UNOMIL could accomplish with respect to implementing its original mandate. At the same time, through the use of its good offices, UNOMIL continued to play an important role in supporting the efforts of ECOWAS to facilitate the resumption of the peace process. The Secretary-General, therefore, recommended that the Council extend the mandate of UNOMIL for three months, until 31 August. During that period, UNOMIL's strength would remain at the level of approximately 25 civilian and military personnel. At the same time, the Secretary-General indicated that following the ECOWAS Summit, he would submit to the Council recommendations on the role, if any, that UNOMIL could play after 31 August. These recommendations would depend on the ECOWAS decisions regarding its own role in Liberia.

The Security Council, in its resolution 1059 (1996), agreed with the Secretary-General's recommendation and called upon the Liberian parties to implement fully and expeditiously all the agreements and commitments they had already entered into, in particular the Abuja Agreement. The Council demanded that the parties restore an effective and comprehensive ceasefire, withdraw all fighters and arms from Monrovia, allow the deployment of ECOMOG, and restore Monrovia as a safe haven.

CEASEFIRE RESTORED

The diplomatic initiatives taken by ECOWAS led to the restoration of a ceasefire in Monrovia on 26 May. By the end of May, ECOMOG reported that 70 to 80 per cent of NPFL and ULIMO-K fighters had left the city, although many remained it its outskirts. ULIMO-J and LPC fighters contended that their strongholds in Tubmanburg, Todee, Kakata and Bong Mines, to which they were to withdraw, were insecure. On 11 June, however, a number of these fighters gave up their arms to ECOMOG. Most of them reportedly remained in Monrovia, albeit unarmed, while others moved towards Grand Cape county.

MANDATE RENEWED, AUGUST 1996

As the date neared for the renewal of UNOMIL's mandate, the Secretary-General reported to the Security Council that 5 additional military observers had been redeployed to Monrovia, bringing total strength in Liberia to 10 military observers as at 21 August 1996. The observers on standby in Freetown had been repatriated.

He also reported that UNOMIL had increased the frequency and areas covered by its patrols. By August, regular patrols included Kakata and Buchanan; UNOMIL had gone as far north as Gbarnga. Efforts to reach Tubmanburg had failed, however, owing to continued insecurity and lack of cooperation from the factions. In light of the factions' commitments at the meetings of the ECOWAS Heads of State, the Secretary-General stated his intention to immediately deploy an additional 24 military observers. However, this deployment was delayed as progress lagged in the implementation of the Abuja Agreement.

On 30 August 1996, the Security Council, in its resolution 1071 (1996), extended UNOMIL's mandate until 30 November, as recommended by the Secretary-General. The Council decided to maintain UNOMIL deployment at an appropriate level and requested the Secretary-General to take into account the need to ensure the security of UNOMIL personnel. The Council also requested him to report on proposals for assistance which UNOMIL or other United Nations agencies could provide in support of the Liberian peace process.

CLIMATE OF MISTRUST

On 3 September 1996, Ms. Perry was inducted into office, becoming the first woman Head of State in Africa. On 10 September, the Council of State met for the first time since the outbreak of hostilities in April. A decision was taken to establish a number of committees to assist in the implementation of the Abuja Agreement, including in regard to elections and the restructuring of the joint security, police and other paramilitary structures. A committee of all the signatories to the Agreement was also established to monitor implementation of the peace process.

Despite efforts to establish a cohesive Council of State, the faction leaders on the Council remained deeply mistrustful of one another.

The climate worsened on 31 October when, in an apparent assassination attempt on Councilman Charles Taylor, five persons, including a close personal aide to Mr. Taylor, were killed at the Executive Mansion. As a result of the deep divisions which resurfaced within the Council of State following this incident, the Council did not meet again until 16 January 1997. A joint investigation of the incident was undertaken by the Ministry of Justice, UNOMIL and ECOMOG.

PROPOSALS TO SUPPORT PEACE PROCESS

In its resolution 1071 (1996) of 30 August, the Security Council had requested the Secretary-General to submit proposals for assistance which UNOMIL or other United Nations agencies could contribute in support of the Liberian peace process. With this in mind, the Secretary-General dispatched a technical team to Liberia, which was led by his Deputy Military Adviser.

In making his proposals to the Security Council, the Secretary-General estimated that the required strength of UNOMIL's military component, in accordance with the mandate as set out in Security Council resolution 1020 (1995) and ECOMOG's revised concept of operations, would not exceed 92 military observers, or some 68 fewer than authorized under resolution 1020 (1995). These would include monitoring/verification teams at each disarmament/demobilization centre and mobile teams to continue monitoring and observing, in conjunction with ECOMOG, the implementation of the ceasefire, the disengagement of forces, the collection of weapons at areas other than the disarmament and demobilization sites, and compliance by the factions with the other military provisions of the Abuja Agreement, including the arms embargo. Staff at UNOMIL's military headquarters in Monrovia would include the Chief Military Observer and his immediate staff, an operations cell, an ECOMOG liaison cell, a logistic cell and a medical unit.

The Secretary-General also proposed that, after the completion of disarmament and demobilization, UNOMIL's military component would maintain a presence in Liberia to continue monitoring the implementation of the military provisions of the Abuja Agreement. It would thus help to build the confidence necessary for the electoral period. UNOMIL's military component would start drawing down after the elections, scheduled to take place by 30 May 1997.

On 8 November 1996, the Council addressed a letter to the Secretary-General welcoming his proposals. The members of the Council were concerned, however, that conditions in Liberia were not right for their implementation at that time. It was the Council's understanding that the Secretary-General would not deploy the additional personnel and logistic resources unless the factions took the concrete steps required to fulfil their commitments under the revised timetable of the Abuja Agreement.

NOVEMBER MANDATE RENEWAL

On 19 November, as the mandate period drew to a close, the Secretary-General reported to the Security Council that despite the shooting incident at the Executive Mansion on 31 October 1996, there had been some relatively encouraging developments during the previous three months. ECOMOG had acted quickly and decisively to respond to events. ECOWAS countries had reiterated their determination to increase the force level of ECOMOG, subject to the provision of logistic and financial resources. The code of conduct for the Council of State, adopted by the ECOWAS Committee of Nine at its meeting on 8 and 9 November, had been accepted by all members of the Council. Furthermore, the first assessment meeting had taken place on 16 and 17 October.

As at 15 November, the military strength of UNOMIL stood at 23 observers. The activities of UNOMIL and ECOMOG at that time included preparing for disarmament and undertaking joint patrols in the west, in Grand Cape Mount and Bomi counties, and in the north in Bong and Nimba counties, in order to monitor the ceasefire and the other military aspects of the Abuja Agreement.

The Secretary-General expected that, in conjunction with the deployment of ECOMOG and the commencement of disarmament, an additional 11 military observers would be deployed to Liberia in the coming weeks, bringing the strength of UNOMIL's military component to 34 observers. The deployment of any additional military observers to Liberia would depend on progress in the peace process, particularly with regard to disarmament and demobilization.

The Secretary-General recommended that the Security Council extend the mandate of UNOMIL for a further period of four months, until 31 March 1997. By its resolution 1083 (1996), the Council agreed with this recommendation and decided to maintain UNOMIL deployment at an appropriate level. The Council called upon the factions to cease hostilities and to implement their commitments, especially the timetable for the implementation of the Abuja Agreement, and urged them to complete on time the disarmament process. It condemned in the strongest possible terms the practice of recruiting, training and deploying children for combat. It also emphasized the human rights aspect of UNOMIL's mandate.

DISARMAMENT/DEMOBILIZATION PROCESS

UNOMIL had undertaken intensive preparations for the disarmament and reintegration process. However, following the outbreak of hostilities on 6 April and the looting which ensued, all resources pre-positioned for this process were lost and all relevant staff were repatriated. Subsequently, as prospects for peace improved, HACO reactivated its Demobilization and Reintegration Unit. The Unit's purpose was to coordinate and manage the provision of food, health services, locally produced shelter, water and basic sanitation for the disarmament/demobilization centres and coordinate bridging activities with local authorities, United Nations agencies and international and local NGOs.

In early September, the Task Force on Demobilization and Reintegration was reactivated. This was a coordinating body chaired by HACO and comprising UNOMIL, United Nations agencies, ECOMOG, the Liberian National Disarmament and Demobilization Commission (the transitional government agency charged with responsibility for coordinating disarmament activities with the factions) and representatives of the European Union, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and international and national NGOs. The Task Force revised the previously adopted demobilization and reintegration plans to suit the new schedule of implementation of the Abuja Agreement. It also established two subcommittees to draw up revised plans for child soldiers and resettlement.

In accordance with the revised timetable, disarmament and demobilization were scheduled to commence on 22 November 1996. On 19 November, the Secretary-General reported to the Security Council that the ECOMOG Force Commander had indicated his intention to deploy ECOMOG troops on 20 November to the following disarmament sites: Voinjama, Bo Waterside, Camp Nama, SOS Village, Zwedru and Tubmanburg. Disarmament would also take place in Monrovia, at Camp Schiefflin, and in Greenville. UNOMIL military observers were to be co-deployed with ECOMOG at the disarmament sites.

The disarmament/demobilization process began as scheduled. According to the two-stage plan developed by HACO and UNOMIL in consultation with ECOMOG, the transitional government and the factions, the combatants were to be disarmed, registered, interviewed and receive some counselling and a medical examination. Thereafter, those with no immediate means of livelihood were to be absorbed into "bridging activities" -- work and training projects to help ensure they were productively engaged -- in order to bridge the gap between disarmament and longer-term reintegration programmes. The ex-combatants were to be provided with food assistance for the duration of the bridging activities and such tools and equipment as deemed appropriate.

Under General Assembly resolution 50/210 of 23 December 1995, the costs of the demobilization programme, including bridging activities, had been included in the assessed budget of UNOMIL. The reintegration programmes, which were being planned by donors, were not expected to be operational until some months after the start of the disarmament process.

REVIEW OF OTHER HUMANITARIAN ASPECTS

By January 1996, the opening of some highways had permitted the provision of assistance to populations that had been cut off for nearly three years. Relief convoys were generally escorted by unarmed factional representatives. However, relief activities were impeded by poor communications between faction leaders and their fighters in the hinterland. In an effort to ensure the security of relief convoys and personnel, the Special Representative and the Humanitarian Coordinator worked closely with the transitional government in this regard.

Progress by the humanitarian community in reaching inaccessible communities could not be sustained, however, because of increased insecurity. As a result, populations in need could not be reached by relief organizations. Humanitarian workers in all parts of the country were harassed by fighters, their convoys held up and supplies looted. Some non-governmental organizations suspended all but emergency operations during four days in February. Relief convoys to the south-east were suspended, and previously accessible areas, such as Tubmanburg, Bomi County and Grand Cape Mount County also became inaccessible. Lofa County had been virtually inaccessible to the humanitarian community since December 1995, except for the cross-border activities of non-governmental organizations.

The fighting in Monrovia in April and May severely affected the humanitarian situation and humanitarian operations. The Ministry of Health estimated that 3,000 persons had died in the fighting. HACO subsequently confirmed that approximately 50 per cent of the city's population had fled their homes. Of these, 30 per cent moved to shelters in the city, while 17 per cent fled Monrovia, some seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. Countries in the subregion, however, were reluctant to accept additional refugees. In Monrovia, overcrowding in safer parts of the city led to a deterioration of sanitary conditions and increased vulnerability of the population to epidemic diseases, including cholera.

Provision of assistance was constrained by continued insecurity, the systematic looting of equipment and the evacuation of the majority of international relief personnel. Despite these conditions, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator and other essential staff remained in Monrovia to assess humanitarian needs and arrange the delivery of relief and assistance. WFP, UNDP, WHO, UNICEF and UNHCR also maintained skeleton staffs in Monrovia.

The outbreak of fighting on 6 April also shattered prospects for the imminent repatriation of more than 750,000 Liberian refugees, many of whom had been living in exile for more than six years. Planning for the return had been extensive and included a regional conference held by UNHCR in December 1995, an agreement establishing the national framework for repatriation and reintegration concluded on 3 January between the transitional government and UNHCR, and a $60 million appeal issued by UNHCR for this purpose.

According to the new timetable for the implementation of the Abuja Agreement, the repatriation of refugees was scheduled to take place from 22 November 1996 to 31 January 1997. However, in light of the continuing insecurity outside Monrovia, UNHCR could not reactivate its voluntary repatriation plan until there were clear indications that peace and security had been restored on a durable basis in the major areas of return.

Continued insecurity also prevented UNHCR from assisting the majority of Sierra Leonean refugees living in rural areas of Liberia, although at year's end UNHCR and its partners continued to extend protection and support to some 30,000 Sierra Leonean refugees in the Monrovia area.

HUMAN RIGHTS ASPECTS

The conflict in Liberia has been characterized by a tendency on the part of all factions to commit human rights violations against innocent civilians. When UNOMIL was established under resolution 866 (1993), it was mandated to report to the Secretary-General on any major violations of humanitarian law. In its resolution 1020 (1995) of 10 November 1995, the Security Council stressed the importance of respect of human rights in Liberia and, as indicated above, adjusted UNOMIL's mandate to include, among other things, investigating and reporting to the Secretary-General on violations of human rights. UNOMIL was also mandated to assist local human rights groups, as appropriate, in raising voluntary contributions for training and logistic support.

A human rights officer was assigned to UNOMIL to assist the Special Representative in carrying out this aspect of the mandate.

Following the adjustment of the mandate, and during the course of 1996, UNOMIL continued its activities relating to the investigation of reports of violence resulting in civilian casualties. These included the incident in late September 1995 in Tapeta, in which several civilians were killed by armed NPFL fighters. With regard to this and other violations committed in areas under factional control, the question of whether the accused were to be held and tried under national or factional jurisdiction remained unresolved.

UNOMIL also investigated reported executions by the LPC High Command of LPC combatants accused of indiscipline and harassment of civilians in Grand Bassa and River Cess counties. In another investigation, UNOMIL confirmed that, on 30 December 1995 in Tubmanburg, ULIMO-J fighters had used civilians as human shields and generally prevented civilians from fleeing the town; in addition, a mortar had landed at the government hospital, killing several civilians and injuring many more.

There were numerous reports of human rights abuses perpetrated by LPC fighters against civilian populations throughout the south-east, including reports of forced labour, robbery, beatings and killings.

The massacre at Sinje on 28 September was a particularly shocking example of the violation of human rights and harassment of innocent civilians. UNOMIL, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, ECOMOG and national human rights groups, investigated the incident. It was determined that the civilians suffered decapitation, castration and blunt object trauma, in addition to gunshot wounds. The Human Rights officer also conducted a parallel inquiry to ascertain the whereabouts of persons who were abducted. The Ceasefire Violations Committee, in its investigation into the ceasefire violation aspects of the massacre, subsequently determined that the massacre appeared to be the work of some ULIMO fighters acting on their own. No evidence of the involvement of the ULIMO High Military Command could be established.

Following the Sinje massacre, UNOMIL also received reports of other violations and massacres in which civilians lost their lives.

Among its other human rights related activities, UNOMIL maintained regular contact with ICRC, the Liberian factions, ECOMOG and the Disarmament Committee to monitor the status of prisoners of war. UNOMIL also monitored the status and condition of civilian detainees, and worked with the Liberian Ministry of Justice, UNDP and the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch of the United Nations Secretariat in Vienna to examine ways in which the international community could strengthen the Liberian justice system. UNOMIL also facilitated discussions on the evacuation of wounded, exchange of prisoners and release of the bodies of soldiers killed in fighting.

UNICEF took the lead in addressing the issue of child soldiers. The Fund reported that all the factions recruited and deployed children for direct combat and related military tasks, often under duress and sometimes through peer pressure or manipulation. At one time, some 15,000 to 20,000 child soldiers were estimated to be under the control of the six major warring factions. UNICEF's programme for war-affected children, implemented through international and local NGOs, included support for the establishment of community centres for vocational and literacy training and the provision of shelters, transit-homes and trauma counselling for children. The programme was progressively re-established following the disruption caused by the 6 April hostilities.

FIGHTERS DISARMED AND DEMOBILIZED

In its resolution 1083 (1996) of 27 November 1996, the Security Council had requested the Secretary-General to keep the Council informed of the situation in Liberia, especially on the progress of demobilization and disarmament. On 29 January 1997, Secretary-General Kofi Annan reported that, during the first week of the process (22-28 November), the factions' fighters had shown remarkable enthusiasm to disarm and had turned out in large numbers. During the second week, the pace had started to slow, later to gather speed once again. As of 26 January 1997, a total of 12,510 fighters had been disarmed and a total of 4,428 serviceable and 1,103 unserviceable weapons surrendered, as well as more than 500,000 pieces of ammunition. In order to lend credibility to the exercise, a fixed food ration, provided by WFP, was given only in exchange for a serviceable weapon or 100 rounds of ammunition.

When the disarmament and demobilization exercise began, UNOMIL and HACO were operating with the curtailed level of resources requested following the aftermath of the April 1996 crisis. Despite these constraints, however, UNOMIL was able to deploy two military observers to each of the designated sites at the Barclay Training Center, Camp Schiefflin, Tubmanburg, Bo Waterside, Kakata, Voinjama, Buchanan, Camp Nama and Zwedru on 22 November. HACO also deployed demobilization teams to all active sites. Additional sites were subsequently designated by the ECOMOG Force Commander at Tapeta, Greenville and Harper. UNOMIL deployed military observers to Tapeta and Greenville on 19 and 27 December respectively, followed by HACO demobilization teams. Military observers and HACO demobilization personnel were subsequently deployed to Harper. By the end of January 1997, UNOMIL's military strength stood at 78 observers. ECOMOG force strength remained at 7,500.

On 31 January, the disarmament and demobilization process was extended for an additional seven days. At its end, on 7 February, 20,332 fighters had disarmed and demobilized, including 4,306 children and 250 adult female fighters. There had ultimately been 15 disarmament/demobilization sites, where UNOMIL and ECOMOG were co-located. Mobile disarmament teams were also set up to reach fighters in remote areas.

A limited number of bridging activities also got under way. In addition to UNOMIL's $1.7 million financial commitment authority for this purpose, funds were also provided by the European Union and USAID as well as by United Nations agencies, particularly WFP and UNDP. FAO provided basic agricultural inputs and technical support.

THE ELECTORAL PROCESS

In late October 1996, the United Nations had received a formal request from the Council of State for assistance in developing a suitable electoral framework for the holding of elections. Following discussions with ECOWAS, a United Nations technical survey team arrived in Monrovia on 8 December 1996 and conducted consultations with a wide range of interested parties. The team focused its attention on what steps would be needed to create a viable and credible framework for free and fair elections by the end of May 1997. It identified three key conditions for success: a fair and credible political framework; an efficient and well-planned electoral operation; and adequate support from the international community. Draft recommendations were then prepared.

On 14 January, the Secretary-General dispatched Mr. Lansana Kouyaté, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, as Special Envoy to the region for consultations on the draft recommendations. It was proposed to the Chairman of ECOWAS, and accepted by him, that a "provisional electoral package" for the forthcoming elections should be enacted at a special meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of Nine with the Liberian parties and become an integral part of the Abuja Agreement. The package would not seek to replace or reform the existing Liberian electoral system, nor to change the country's Constitution, but would serve as a provisional mechanism that would permit the installation of a government of national unity and pave the way for a return to constitutional order.

On 20 November 1992, the Secretary-General appointed Mr. Trevor Livingston Gordon-Somers (Jamaica) as his Special Representative for Liberia. When UNOMIL was established on 22 September 1993, Mr. Gordon-Somers, as Special Representative, also served as head of mission. He was succeeded as Special Representative and head of mission by Mr. Anthony B. Nyakyi (United Republic of Tanzania) on 28 December 1994.

Major-General Daniel Ishmael Opande (Kenya) served as Chief Military Observer of UNOMIL from October 1993 until 30 May 1995, when he completed his tour of duty. On 16 November 1995, the Secretary-General informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Major-General Mahmoud Talha (Egypt) as the new Chief Military Observer of UNOMIL. General Talha returned to his national service on 30 June 1996. Pending an increase in the strength of the Mission, the military component was headed by an Acting Chief Military Observer, Colonel David Magomere (Kenya). Subsequently, on 25 November 1996, the Secretary-General informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Major-General Sikander Shami (Pakistan) as Chief Military Observer of UNOMIL. General Shami assumed his functions on 16 December.

When UNOMIL was established, the authorized strength of the Mission was 303 military observers, 20 military medical personnel and 45 military engineers. UNOMIL reached full strength in January 1994. In October 1994, given the deteriorating circumstances in Liberia, the Secretary-General decided to reduce UNOMIL's strength to some 90 military personnel. He further reduced the strength by 20 in May 1995 and again in July 1995, when 17 observers were redeployed to the United Nations operation in Rwanda.

After the signing of the Abuja Agreement, the Secretary-General stated his intention to increase UNOMIL's strength. On 23 October 1995, he informed the Council that approximately 160 military observers would be needed in connection with UNOMIL's new mandate and concept of operations. They would be deployed to Liberia in accordance with operational requirements, with maximum strength reached during the period of disarmament and demobilization scheduled for December 1995 and January 1996. Strength at 31 December 1995 was 68 observers and 8 medical staff.

As of 5 April 1996, the strength of the UNOMIL's military component stood at 93 observers. Following the outbreak of fighting on 6 April, the number of observers was reduced to 15, ten of whom were on stand-by in Freetown and five, including the Chief Military Observer, remained in Monrovia. As at 15 May, those in Monrovia were provided by Egypt (2) and India (3). The observers on stand-by in Freetown were contributed by Bangladesh (3), India (2), Kenya (1), Malaysia (2) and Pakistan (2).

In November 1996, in accordance with UNOMIL's mandate as set out in Security Council resolution 1020 (1995) and ECOMOG's revised concept of operations, the Secretary-General estimated that the required strength of UNOMIL's military component would not exceed 92 military observers. At that time, there were 23 observers deployed in Liberia. By the end of January 1997, UNOMIL's military strength stood at 78 observers.

The following countries have provided military personnel, as of 31 January 1997: Austria (September 1993-November 1994), Bangladesh (September 1993 to date), Belgium (September-November 1993), Brazil (September-November 1993), China (October 1993 to date), Congo (September 1993-February 1994), Czech Republic (December 1993 to date), Egypt (December 1993 to date), Guinea-Bissau (September 1993-April 1996), Hungary (September 1993-January 1994), India (February 1994 to date), Jordan (October 1993-May 1996), Kenya (October 1993 to date), Malaysia (September 1993 to date), Nepal (November 1996 to date), Netherlands (November-December 1993), Pakistan (September 1993 to date), Poland (September 1993-April 1994), Russian Federation (September-November 1993), Slovak Republic (November 1993-October 1994), Sweden (September-November 1993) and Uruguay (September 1993 to date).

There was also a provision for 89 civilian international personnel, 58 United Nations Volunteers and 136 local staff. Budget estimates for the period mid-1995 through December 1995 included provision for 54 international staff, 110 locally recruited staff, and 7 United Nations Volunteers. In connection with the expansion of the mandate in October 1995, the Secretary-General increased those estimates by 51 international civilian staff, 442 local staff and 103 United Nations Volunteers.

For the period from 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997, the Secretary-General requested provision for 43 international civilian staff and 47 local staff. On 22 October 1996, when he submitted his proposals for the expansion of UNOMIL, he recommended an increase in civilian personnel by 54 international staff, 613 local staff and 28 United Nations Volunteers. Of the additional staffing, 494 local staff and 15 United Nations Volunteers would be for the three-month disarmament and demobilization programme.

The costs of UNOMIL are met by assessed contributions from United Nations Member States. Estimated expenditures from the inception of UNOMIL through 30 June 1997, as at 31 December 1996, amounted to $81,488,600.

Contributions to the Trust Fund for the Implementation of the Cotonou Agreement in Liberia amounted to $24.7 million as of 31 December 1996.

INTRODUCTION

Under the United Nations Charter, the Security Council has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. All United Nations Member States have agreed to accept and carry out the Council's decisions in accordance with the Charter. The Council is composed of 15 members. Five are permanent: China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America. The 10 non-permanent members are elected by the General Assembly to serve two-year terms. Since 1991, non-permanent members of the Security Council were as follows:

1991: Austria, Belgium, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Ecuador, India, Romania, Yemen, Zaire and Zimbabwe

1992: Austria, Belgium, Cape Verde, Ecuador, Hungary, India, Japan, Morocco, Venezuela and Zimbabwe

1993: Brazil, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Hungary, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, Spain and Venezuela

1994: Argentina, Brazil, Czech Republic, Djibouti, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Rwanda and Spain

1995 = Argentina, Botswana, Czech Republic, Germany, Honduras, Indonesia, Italy, Nigeria, Oman and Rwanda

1996: Botswana, Chile, Egypt, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Indonesia, Italy, Poland and Republic of Korea

1997: Chile, Costa Rica, Egypt, Guinea-Bissau, Japan, Kenya, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea and Sweden

Each member of the Security Council has one vote. Decisions on substantive matters require nine affirmative votes including the concurring votes of all five permanent members. The permanent members may abstain or not participate at all in the voting, and still satisfy the stipulation of their concurrence in the affirmative vote. A negative vote by any permanent member means the rejection of the draft resolution or proposal.

SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS AND STATEMENTS
CONCERNING LIBERIA

Between 22 January 1991 and 27 November 1996, the Council adopted 15 resolutions directly relating to the situation in Liberia. In addition, the President of the Security Council issued 9 statements in this connection. The full text of those resolutions and statements is reproduced as follows:

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
22 January 1991 (S/22133)

Following consultations of the Security Council, the President made the following statement, on behalf of the Council, at its 2974th meeting on 22 January 1991, in connection with the Council's consideration of the item entitled "The situation in Liberia":

The members of the Security Council took note of the final communiqué of the first extraordinary session of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued in Bamako, Mali, on 28 November 1990.

The members of the Security Council commend the efforts made by the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government to promote peace and normalcy in Liberia.

The members of the Security Council call upon the parties to the conflict in Liberia to continue to respect the ceasefire agreement which they have signed and to cooperate fully with the ECOWAS to restore peace and normalcy in Liberia.

The members of the Security Council express appreciation to the Member States, the Secretary-General and humanitarian organizations for the humanitarian assistance to Liberia and call for additional assistance. In this connection the Council welcomes the resumption of the United Nations emergency programme in Liberia following the acceptance of a general ceasefire.

The members of the Security Council support the appeal launched by the ECOWAS Summit to the international community for increased humanitarian assistance to the people of Liberia.

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
7 May 1992 (S/23886)

Following consultations of the Security Council, the President made the following statement, on behalf of the Council, at its 3071st meeting on 7 May 1992, in connection with the Council's consideration of the item entitled "The situation in Liberia":

The members of the Security Council recalled the statement made by the President of the Council on behalf of the Council on 22 January 1991 concerning the situation in Liberia (S/22133).

The members of the Security Council noted with appreciation the final communiqué of the Informal Consultative Group Meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Committee of Five on Liberia issued at Geneva on 7 April 1992 (S/23863).

The members of the Security Council commend ECOWAS and its various organs, in particular the Committee of Five, for their untiring efforts to bring the Liberian conflict to a speedy conclusion.

In this connection the members of the Security Council believe that the Yamoussoukro Accord of 30 October 1991 offers the best possible framework for a peaceful resolution of the Liberian conflict by creating the necessary conditions for free and fair elections in Liberia.

The members of the Security Council renew their call to all parties to the conflict in Liberia to respect and implement the various accords of the peace process in the framework of the ECOWAS Committee of Five, including refraining from actions which endanger the security of neighbouring States.

The members of the Security Council commend the efforts of the Members States, the Secretary-General and humanitarian organizations in providing humanitarian assistance to the victims of the civil war in Liberia and in this regard reaffirm their support for increased assistance.

RESOLUTION 788 (1992)
19 November 1992

Adopted by unanimous vote. Prepared in the course of the Council's consultations.

The Security Council,

Recalling the statements by the President of the Council on its behalf on 22 January 1991 (S/22133) and 7 May 1992 (S/23886) on the situation in Liberia,

Reaffirming its belief that the Yamoussoukro IV Accord of 30 October 1991 (S/24815) offers the best possible framework for a peaceful resolution of the Liberian conflict by creating the necessary conditions for free and fair elections in Liberia,

Taking into account the decision of the Joint Meeting of the Standing Mediation Committee and the Committee of Five of 20 October 1992 held at Cotonou, Benin (S/24735) and the Final Communiqué of the First Meeting of the Monitoring Committee of Nine on the Liberian conflict issued at Abuja, Nigeria on 7 November 1992 (S/24812, annex),

Regretting that parties to the conflict in Liberia have not respected or implemented the various accords to date, especially the Yamoussoukro IV Accord (S/24815),

Determining that the deterioration of the situation in Liberia constitutes a threat to international peace and security, particularly in West Africa as a whole,

Recalling the provisions of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations,

Noting that the deterioration of the situation hinders the creation of conditions conducive to the holding of free and fair elections in accordance with the Yamoussoukro IV Accord,

Welcoming the continued commitment of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to and the efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the Liberian conflict,

Further welcoming the endorsement and support by the Organization of African Unity of these efforts,

Noting the request of 29 July 1992 from ECOWAS for the United Nations to dispatch an observer group to Liberia to verify and monitor the electoral process,

Taking note of the invitation of ECOWAS of 20 October 1992, in Cotonou, Benin, for the Secretary-General to consider, if necessary, the dispatch of a group to observe the encampment and disarmament of the warring parties,

Recognizing the need for increased humanitarian assistance,

Taking into account the request made by the Permanent Representative of Benin on behalf of ECOWAS (S/24735),

Taking also into account the letter of the Foreign Minister of Liberia endorsing the request made by the Permanent Representative of Benin on behalf of ECOWAS (S/24825),

Convinced that it is vital to find a peaceful, just and lasting solution to the conflict in Liberia,

1. Commends ECOWAS for its efforts to restore peace, security and stability in Liberia; 2. Reaffirms its belief that the Yamoussoukro IV Accord offers the best possible framework for a peaceful resolution of the Liberian conflict by creating the necessary conditions for free and fair elections in Liberia, and calls upon ECOWAS to continue its efforts to assist in the peaceful implementation of this Accord;

3. Condemns the violation of the ceasefire of 28 November 1990 by any party to the conflict;

4. Condemns the continuing armed attacks against the peacekeeping forces of ECOWAS in Liberia by one of the parties to the conflict;

5. Calls upon all parties to the conflict and all others concerned to respect strictly the provisions of international humanitarian law; 6. Calls upon all parties to the conflict to respect and implement the ceasefire and the various accords of the peace process, including the Yamoussoukro IV Accord of 30 October 1991, and the Final Communiqué of the Informal Consultative Group Meeting of ECOWAS Committee of Five on Liberia, issued at Geneva on 7 April 1992, to which they themselves have agreed;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to dispatch urgently a Special Representative to Liberia to evaluate the situation, and to report to the Security Council as soon as possible with any recommendations he may wish to make;

8. Decides, under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, that all States shall, for the purposes of establishing peace and stability in Liberia, immediately implement a general and complete embargo on all deliveries of weapons and military equipment to Liberia until the Security Council decides otherwise;

9. Decides within the same framework that the embargo imposed by paragraph 8 shall not apply to weapons and military equipment destined for the sole use of the peacekeeping forces of ECOWAS in Liberia, subject to any review that may be required in conformity with the report of the Secretary-General;

10. Requests all States to respect the measures established by ECOWAS to bring about a peaceful solution to the conflict in Liberia;

11. Calls on Member States to exercise self-restraint in their relations with all parties to the Liberian conflict and to refrain from taking any action that would be inimical to the peace process;

12. Commends the efforts of Member States, the United Nations system and humanitarian organizations in providing humanitarian assistance to the victims of the conflict in Liberia, and in this regard reaffirms its support for increased humanitarian assistance;

13. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report on the implementation of this resolution as soon as possible;

14. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

RESOLUTION 813 (1993)
26 March 1993

Adopted, as orally revised in its provisional form, by unanimous vote.<R>Prepared in the course of the Council's consultations.

The Security Council, Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the question of Liberia (S/25402),

Recalling its resolution 788 (1992) of 19 November 1992,

Further recalling

the statements by the President of the Council on its behalf on 22 January 1991 (S/22133) and 7 May 1992 (S/23886) on the situation in Liberia,

Reaffirming its belief that the Yamoussoukro IV Accord of 30 October 1991 (S/24815) offers the best possible framework for a peaceful resolution of the Liberian conflict by creating the necessary climate and conditions for free and fair elections in Liberia,

Deploring that parties to the conflict in Liberia have not respected or implemented the various accords to date, especially the Yamoussoukro IV Accord,

Noting that the continuing breach of earlier accords hinders the creation of a climate and conditions conducive to the holding of free and fair elections in accordance with the Yamoussoukro IV Accord,

Recognizing the need for increased humanitarian assistance,

Welcoming the continued commitment of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to and the efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the Liberian conflict,

Further welcoming the endorsement and support by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) of these efforts,

Recalling the provisions of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations,

Determining that the deterioration of the situation in Liberia constitutes a threat to international peace and security, particularly in this region of West Africa,

1. Approves the report of the Secretary-General on the question of Liberia (S/25402);

2. Commends ECOWAS for its efforts to restore peace, security and stability in Liberia;

3. Commends the OAU for its efforts in support of the peace process in Liberia;

4. Reaffirms its belief that the Yamoussoukro IV Accord offers the best possible framework for a peaceful resolution of the Liberian conflict by creating the necessary conditions for free and fair elections in Liberia, and encourages ECOWAS to continue its efforts to assist in the peaceful implementation of this Accord;

5. Condemns the violation of the ceasefire of 28 November 1990 by any party to the conflict;

6. Condemns the continuing armed attacks against the peacekeeping forces of ECOWAS in Liberia by one of the parties to the conflict;

7. Reiterates its call upon all parties to respect and implement the ceasefire and the various accords of the peace process, including the Yamoussoukro IV Accord of 30 October 1991, and the Final Communiqué of the Informal Consultative Group Meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of Five in Liberia, issued at Geneva on 7 April 1992, to which they themselves have agreed;

8. Welcomes the Secretary-General's appointment of Mr. Trevor Gordon-Somers as his Special Representative for Liberia;

9. Calls upon all States strictly to abide by and comply with the general and complete embargo on all deliveries of weapons and military equipment to Liberia imposed by resolution 788 (1992) under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter;

10. Demands that all parties fully cooperate with the Secretary-General of the United Nations and ECOWAS with a view to ensuring the full and prompt implementation of the Yamoussoukro IV Accord of 30 October 1991;

11. Declares its readiness to consider appropriate measures in support of ECOWAS if any party is unwilling to cooperate in implementation of the provisions of the Yamoussoukro Accords, in particular the encampment and disarmament provisions;

12. Reiterates its call on Member States to exercise self-restraint in their relations with all parties to the Liberian conflict, in particular to refrain from providing any military assistance to any of the parties and also to refrain from taking any action that would be inimical to the peace process;

13. Reaffirms that the embargo imposed by resolution 788 (1992) shall not apply to weapons, military equipment and military assistance destined for the sole use of the peacekeeping forces of ECOWAS in Liberia;

14. Further commends the efforts of Member States, the United Nations system and humanitarian organizations in providing humanitarian assistance to the victims of the conflict in Liberia, and in this regard reaffirms its support for increased humanitarian assistance;

15. Demands that the parties concerned refrain from any action that will impede or obstruct the delivery of humanitarian assistance and calls upon them to ensure the safety of all personnel involved in international humanitarian assistance;

16. Reiterates its call upon all parties to the conflict and all others concerned to respect strictly the provisions of international humanitarian law;

17. Requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with ECOWAS, to consider the possibility of convening a meeting of the President of the Interim Government of National Unity and the warring factions, after thorough and detailed groundwork, to restate their commitment to the implementation of the Yamoussoukro IV Accord within an agreed timetable;

18. Requests the Secretary-General to discuss with ECOWAS and the parties concerned the contribution which the United Nations could make in support of the implementation of the Yamoussoukro IV Accord, including the deployment of United Nations observers;

19. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report on the implementation of this resolution as soon as possible;

20. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
9 June 1993 (S/25918)

Following consultations with the members of the Security Council, the President of the Council made the following statement, on behalf of the Council, at its 3233rd meeting, on 9 June 1993, in connection with the Council's consideration of the item entitled "The situation in Liberia":

The Security Council is shocked and saddened by the senseless killing of innocent civilians which occurred near Harbel, Liberia, on the morning of 6 June 1993. It strongly condemns this massacre of innocent displaced persons, including women and children, which comes at a time when the Secretary-General's Special Representative is working diligently, in furtherance of the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on the basis of the Yamoussoukro IV Accord, to arrange a meeting of the warring factions in order to bring the three-year civil war to a peaceful end.

The Security Council urges all parties to the conflict to respect the rights of the civilian population and take all necessary measures to secure their safety.

The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to commence immediately a thorough and full investigation of the massacre, including any allegations as to the perpetrators whoever they may be, and report to it as soon as possible. It warns that those found responsible for such serious violations of international humanitarian law will be held accountable for such crimes and demands that the leaders of any faction responsible for such acts effectively control their forces and take decisive steps to ensure that such deplorable tragedies do not happen again.

The Council remains firmly supportive of the efforts of ECOWAS and the Secretary-General to bring peace to Liberia. It urges all Liberian factions and regional leaders to give their full cooperation to current efforts by Special Representative Trevor Gordon-Somers to assist in the implementation of the Yamoussoukro IV Accord calling, inter alia, for a ceasefire, encampment, disarmament and democratic elections.

RESOLUTION 856 (1993)
10 August 1993

Adopted by unanimous vote. Prepared in the course of the Council's consultations.

The Security Council,

Recalling its resolution 813 (1993) of 26 March 1993,

Welcoming the signing under the auspices of ECOWAS, on 25 July 1993, at Cotonou, Benin, of a Peace Agreement between the Interim Government of National Unity of Liberia (IGNU), the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) and the United Liberation Movement for Democracy (ULIMO) (S/26272),

Considering that the signing of the Peace Agreement constitutes a major achievement and an important contribution to the restoration of peace and security in Liberia and in this region of West Africa, and creates the opportunity to bring an end to the conflict,

Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General dated 3 August 1993 (S/26200),

1. Welcomes the decision of the Secretary-General to send a technical team to Liberia to gather and evaluate information relevant to the proposed establishment of a United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL);

2. Approves the dispatch to Liberia as soon as possible of an advance team of thirty military observers to participate in the work of the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee, including in particular to monitor, investigate and report ceasefire violations in conjunction with the said Committee, the mandate of said team to expire within three months;

3. Looks forward to the report of the Secretary-General on the proposed establishment of UNOMIL, including in particular a detailed estimate of the cost and scope of this operation, a time-frame for its implementation, the projected conclusion of this operation, how to ensure coordination between UNOMIL and the peacekeeping forces of ECOWAS and their respective roles and responsibilities;

4. Calls upon all parties to the conflict to respect and implement the ceasefire provided for in the Peace Agreement and to cooperate fully with the advance mission and ensure the safety of all United Nations personnel and all other peacekeeping and humanitarian personnel within Liberia;

5. Urges the conclusion at the earliest possible stage of a status of mission agreement;

6. Commends ECOWAS for its efforts to restore peace, security and stability in Liberia;

7. Commends the Organization of African Unity (OAU) for its efforts in support of the peace process in Liberia;

8. Decides to remain actively seized of this matter.

RESOLUTION 866 (1993)
22 September 1993

Adopted, as orally revised in its provisional form, by unanimous vote.<R>Prepared in the course of the Council's consultations.

The Security Council,

Recalling its resolutions 813 (1993) of 26 March 1993 and 856 (1993) of 10 August 1993,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General (S/26422 and Add.1) dated 9 September 1993 on the proposed establishment of the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL),

Noting that the Peace Agreement signed by the three Liberian parties in Cotonou on 25 July 1993 calls on the United Nations and the Military Observer Group (ECOMOG) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to assist in the implementation of the Agreement,

Emphasizing as noted in the Secretary-General's report of 4 August 1993 (S/26200), that the Peace Agreement assigns ECOMOG the primary responsibility of supervising the implementation of the military provisions of the Agreement and envisages that the United Nations role shall be to monitor and verify this process,

Noting that this would be the first peacekeeping mission undertaken by the United Nations in cooperation with a peacekeeping mission already set up by another organization, in this case ECOWAS,

Recognizing that United Nations involvement would contribute significantly to the effective implementation of the Peace Agreement and would serve to underline the international community's commitment to conflict resolution in Liberia,

Cyommending ECOWAS for its continuing efforts to restore peace, security and stability in Liberia,

Commending also the efforts of the Organization of African Unity in support of the peace process in Liberia,

Stressing the importance of full cooperation and close coordination between UNOMIL and ECOMOG in the implementation of their respective mandates,

Taking note of the deployment of an advance team of United Nations military observers to Liberia as authorized under resolution 856 (1993),

Welcoming the establishment of the Joint CeaseFire Monitoring Committee (JCMC) composed of the three Liberian parties, ECOMOG and the United Nations,

Welcoming also the formation in Cotonou on 27 August 1993 of the five-member Council of State representing all three Liberian parties, which, in accordance with the Peace Agreement, shall be installed concomitantly with the commencement of the disarmament process and shall be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the transitional government,

Noting that the Peace Agreement calls for legislative and presidential elections to take place approximately seven months after the signing of the Peace Agreement,

1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General dated 9 September 1993 (S/26422) on the proposed establishment of UNOMIL;

2. Decides to establish UNOMIL under its authority and under the direction of the Secretary-General through his Special Representative for a period of seven months, subject to the proviso that it will continue beyond 16 December 1993 only upon a review by the Council based on a report from the Secretary-General on whether or not substantive progress has been made towards the implementation of the Peace Agreement and other measures aimed at establishing a lasting peace;

3. Decides that UNOMIL shall comprise military observers as well as medical, engineering, communications, transportation and electoral components, in the numbers indicated in the Secretary-General's report, together with minimal staff necessary to support it, and shall have the following mandate:

(a) To receive and investigate all reports on alleged incidents of violations of the ceasefire agreement and, if the violation cannot be corrected, to report its findings to the Violations Committee established pursuant to the Peace Agreement and to the Secretary-General;

(b) To monitor compliance with other elements of the Peace Agreement, including at points on Liberia's borders with Sierra Leone and other neighbouring countries, and to verify its impartial application, and in particular to assist in the monitoring of compliance with the embargo on delivery of arms and military equipment to Liberia and the cantonment, disarmament and demobilization of combatants;

(c) To observe and verify the election process, including the legislative and presidential elections to be held in accordance with the provisions of the Peace Agreement;

(d) To assist, as appropriate, in the coordination of humanitarian assistance activities in the field in conjunction with the existing United Nations humanitarian relief operation;

(e) To develop a plan and assess financial requirements for the demobilization of combatants;

(f) To report on any major violations of international humanitarian law to the Secretary-General;

(g) To train ECOMOG engineers in mine clearance and, in cooperation with ECOMOG, coordinate the identification of mines and assist in the clearance of mines and unexploded bombs;

(h) Without participation in enforcement operations, to coordinate with ECOMOG in the discharge of ECOMOG's separate responsibilities both formally, through the Violations Committee, and informally;

4. Welcomes the Secretary-General's intention to conclude with the Chairman of ECOWAS an agreement defining, before deployment of UNOMIL, the roles and responsibilities of UNOMIL and ECOWAS in the implementation of the Peace Agreement, in accordance with the concept of operations outlined in Chapter IV of the Secretary-General's report (S/26422), and requests the Secretary-General to keep the Council informed on the progress and outcome of the negotiations leading thereto;

5. Encourages African States to provide the additional troops requested from them by ECOWAS for ECOMOG;

6. Welcomes the steps taken by the Secretary-General to establish a Trust Fund, which would facilitate the sending of reinforcements by African States to ECOMOG, assist in supporting troops of participating ECOMOG countries and also assist in mine-clearing, humanitarian and development activities, as well as the electoral process, and calls on Member States to support the peace process in Liberia by contributing to the Trust Fund;

7. Urges the Liberian parties to commence the encampment, disarmament and demobilization process without delay;

8. Welcomes the decision to establish the transitional government and urges also the Liberian parties to begin the exercise of that government's responsibilities concomitantly with the process described in paragraph 7 above and consistent with the Peace Agreement;

9. Calls on the transitional government to conclude expeditiously, and no later than 60 days after its installation, a Status of Mission Agreement with the United Nations to facilitate the full deployment of UNOMIL;

10. Urges the Liberian parties to finalize the composition of the Elections Commission so that it can promptly undertake the necessary preparations for legislative and presidential elections by March 1994, at the latest, in accordance with the timetable foreseen in the Peace Agreement;

11. Calls on the Liberian parties to cooperate fully in the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance to all parts of the country by the most direct routes, in accordance with the Peace Agreement;

12. Welcomes ECOMOG's stated commitment to ensure the safety of UNOMIL observers and civilian staff and urges the Liberian parties to take all necessary measures to ensure the security and safety of UNOMIL personnel, as well as of the personnel involved in relief operations, and strictly to abide by applicable rules of international humanitarian law;

13. Requests the Secretary-General to submit progress reports to the Council on the implementation of the present resolution by 16 December 1993 and by 16 February 1994;

14. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
25 February 1994 (S/PRST/1994/9)

At the 3339th meeting of the Security Council, held on 25 February 1994, in connection with the Council's consideration of the item "The situation in Liberia", the President of the Security Council made the following statement on behalf of the Council:

The Security Council takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Liberia (S/1994/168 and Add.1).

The Council welcomes the agreement reached at Monrovia contained in the communiqué of 15 February 1994 (S/1994/187, annex), in which the parties once again reaffirmed their commitment to the Cotonou Agreement as the basis for a lasting political settlement to the Liberian conflict.

The Council calls upon the parties to uphold strictly the timetable outlined in that communiqué: the commencement of disarmament and the installation of a transitional government on 7 March 1994, and the holding of free and fair general elections on 7 September 1994. The Council urges the parties to resolve quickly their differences on the disposition of the four remaining Cabinet posts.

The Council, however, wishes to express its concern about the recent upsurge in violence in Liberia and the related disruption of humanitarian relief shipments, to which the rise of new military groups and problems of military indiscipline among the existing factions have contributed. It deplores the consequent loss of life, destruction of property and the increased number of people that have since been displaced.

The Council calls on all Liberian parties to adhere strictly to the ceasefire agreement and to cooperate fully with the international relief efforts in order to put an end to the obstacles periodically impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The Council is gravely concerned at the delays in implementing the commitments entered into by the parties under the Cotonou Agreement, in particular the commencement of disarmament and the installation of the Liberian National Transitional Government.

The Council reminds the parties that they themselves bear ultimate responsibility for the successful implementation of the Cotonou Agreement. The Liberian parties should bear in mind that the support of the international community and of the Security Council will not continue in the absence of tangible progress towards full and prompt implementation of the Agreement, in particular, the revised timetable. These delays jeopardize both the viability of the Cotonou Agreement itself and the ability of UNOMIL to fulfil its mandate.

The Council looks forward to the proposed meeting of ECOWAS Foreign Ministers in March and to continued progress on the ground. The Council underlines the importance of adhering to the timetable and will review the situation again in March 1994 to evaluate what progress has been made.

The Council underlines the importance of disarmament to the successful implementation of the Cotonou Agreement and in this context, notes the central role in the disarmament process given to ECOMOG under the Agreement.

The Council, therefore, takes note of the Secretary-General's observation that the ECOMOG forces face considerable financial and logistical difficulties and strongly supports his call on Member States to assist the peace process by providing the necessary financial and logistical resources to ECOMOG to enable it to meet its obligations under the Cotonou Agreement.

The Council supports the Secretary-General's appeal to all Member States which have not already done so to contribute generously to the United Nations Trust Fund for Liberia. The Council concurs with the Secretary-General that UNOMIL's ability to carry out its mandate depends on the capacity of ECOMOG to discharge its responsibilities.

The Council commends ECOWAS and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) for their continued efforts to restore peace, security and stability in Liberia. The Council notes with appreciation that the ECOMOG force has now been expanded pursuant to resolution 866 (1993) and commends all countries which have contributed troops and resources to ECOMOG since its inception in 1990.

The Council commends also the efforts of Member States and humanitarian organizations in providing humanitarian assistance to the victims of the Liberian civil war. The anticipated reunification of the country by 7 March 1994 and the ensuring repatriation of Liberian refugees will accelerate the demand for additional humanitarian relief, and in this regard the Council urgently appeals to Member States and humanitarian organizations to increase their assistance to Liberia.

The Council reaffirms its appreciation for the tireless efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Representative towards the establishment of a lasting peace in Liberia.

RESOLUTION 911 (1994)
21 April 1994

Adopted, as orally revised in its provisional form, by unanimous vote. Prepared in the course of the Council's consultations.

The Security Council,

Recalling its resolutions 813 (1993) of 26 March 1993, 856 (1993) of 10 August 1993 and 866 (1993) of 22 September 1993,

Having considered the reports of the Secretary-General dated 16 December 1993 (S/26868), 16 February 1994 (S/1994/168) and 18 April 1994 (S/1994/463) on the activities of the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL),

Welcoming the progress made towards establishing the Liberian National Transitional Government but concerned about subsequent delays in implementing the Cotonou Peace Agreement,

Expre