UNAMSIL Press Briefing - Friday, 12 January 2001

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of a briefing with
Force Commander Lieutenant General Daniel Opande

Ladies and Gentlemen, Colleagues,

It is a great pleasure for me to be here today with you and to share with you some of our views and what we have been doing and hope to do towards the peace process.

Firstly, I would like to introduce the newly appointed military spokesman, Major M. M. Yerima who will be in constant touch with you. He takes over from Lt. Commander Patrick Coker on the expiration of his term of office. Lt. Commander Patrick Coker will be returning home to continue his military career. Major Yerima has been in the military section of UNAMSIL for quite sometime and I think he is au fait in his function.

I would like to state clearly that the mandate of UNAMSIL is that of a peacekeeping force. After the May crisis last year there was a lot of talk as to whether the mandate should be that of a peacekeeping force or peace enforcement. During consultations with the troop-contributing countries in New York, certain countries came up strongly against their troops being deployed on the mandate of peace enforcement rather they would withdraw their troops from Sierra Leone. It was then decided that UNAMSIL still maintains the mandate of peacekeeping.

UNAMSIL remains committed towards the attainment of peace in Sierra Leone by working with all parties to the conflict including the Government of Sierra Leone in achieving this goal. Our present preoccupation is to put the peace process back on track through the Abuja Ceasefire Agreement as the driving force. As you realized after May last year, there was a breakdown of law and order, and for quite sometime nothing was happening. There was no peace and progress. UNAMSIL worked very hard with ECOWAS countries and the people of Sierra Leone towards peace and progress. We do believe in realizing our goals as set up by the Abuja Ceasefire Agreement and we are working very hard to ensure its success.

So far the following are some of the objectives that we have realized. Since the signing of the Abuja Ceasefire Agreement there has been no violations of the ceasefire agreement. Although it was only for 30 days, two months have passed and it is still holding. During that time and now, we have entered into discussions with the RUF as regards the return of all UNAMSIL's weapons, which was one of the undertaking to be implemented by the RUF within 30 days of the Abuja Ceasefire Agreement. This has not been easy. Although the RUF returned some of the APCs, all of them were vandalized and are unserviceable. The RUF has not returned any of the weapons but we will continue to demand the return of all UNAMSIL's weapons.

During our discussions with them they have indicated that certain roads will be opened in the RUF areas. Generally, Mile-91-Magburaka, Kenema-Daru and the Lunsar-Makeni road have been opened. We have gone on these roads to verify the free movement of civilian traffic. The RUF has also indicated that they will open other roads, which will include Daru-Kailahun road, Makeni-Kabala and Bumbuna, Rogberi-Lunsar road and up to Mange Bridge. The Mange Bridge requires some repairs to make it roadworthy. The RUF has also invited UNAMSIL to deploy in Kambia District. Deployment to these areas will be according to our assessment.

We believe that as a result of our intensive patrols in areas of our deployment, and RUF areas, we have created a sense of security to the people of Sierra Leone and we will continue. According to reports, the last Christmas and New Year festivities especially in the Lungi-Peninsula has been the quietest for many years in the past. And this is a sign of security, which is as a result of the efforts of UNAMSIL and the Government and people of Sierra Leone. I believe that we are hinging ahead towards the realization of our goal, which is durable peace for this country.

We have continued to carry out disarmament despite the fact that this process was abandoned after the May crisis. We continue to receive a reasonable number of combatants who are no longer willing to continue to fight for a cause, which I believe is a lost cause. So we continue to open certain disarmament centres.

I know that the people of Sierra Leone would like to ask the question -- How soon are you going to deploy in RUF areas? My answer is very simply. I would have liked us to deploy immediately on my arrival on the 17th of November if it was possible for me to have issued the operational order for my troops to go and deploy. I would have been too happy to do that. But as you know since May last year we have had to go through the overall operation in Sierra Leone. We have lost a good number of troops who have gone back home. Two very major contingents have gone back home. The Indians and Jordanians have almost completed their departure. We have only received two battalions from Bangladesh whilst the Indians had more than 3 battalions and equally the Jordanians. In fact, we are exactly half the strength that is required for us to carry out our mandate. This is not unusual, as it has happened in other missions whereby the troop-contributing countries are not too enthusiastic to send their men and women to go into a mission that where perhaps they do not have any national interest or they don't believe that peace is already there so that it can be kept. As I had said earlier on we looked at the possibility of enforcing peace and the international community said that UNAMSIL remains a peacekeeping and not peace enforcement mission. So we have had difficulties in filling the gap but UN headquarters in New York is working round the clock to find the equipment and troops who are well trained and capable to be deployed in Sierra Leone. I am hopeful that New York will be able to realize the target.

Finally, I would like to appeal to members of the press for your understanding and patience because as much as we would like to accomplish our duties within a very short time, there are serious constraints that we must first address. I believe that we are addressing these constraints. I believe that we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. I also believe that with the cooperation of every individual in this country, we will get there.

I thank you.

Questions and answers

Q: The Lomé Peace Agreement makes provision for the creation of a Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC), which is not forthcoming. Is the contact group of UNAMSIL a replacement of the JMC, and what is the composition?

A: As you know UNAMSIL and RUF agreed at last week's meeting in Magburaka to establish a contact group to facilitate the implementation of the Abuja Ceasefire Agreement and not the Lomé Peace Agreement. The composition of the contact group on UNAMSIL side will be senior military and civilian officers who will be in a position to discuss and make recommendations for the advancement of the peace process.

Q: It is understood that former Deputy Force Commander, Brigadier General M. A. Garba has been replaced by Major General Martin Luther Agwai. Why are you now referring to him as the Nigerian contingent commander?

A: The Nigerian contingent is in the process of rotation. Brigadier General Garba has been assigned the contingent commander by the Nigerian Government for the smooth transition between the outgoing and incoming Nigerian contingents. The Deputy Force Commander for UNAMSIL is Major General Agwai.

Q: Who replaces the Chief, Public Information Section, Maurice Odine and the military spokesman, Commander Patrick Coker?

A: The new UNAMSIL military spokesman has recently been appointed. He is Major Yerima who is presently in Port Loko and will be joining us as soon as possible. I have been appointed the Officer-in-Charge of Public Information Section.

Q: Have you been to the Provinces since your appointment as UNAMSIL spokesman?

A: I have been to all areas where UNAMSIL is deployed.

Q: The disarmament process has been slow because only trickles of combatants come in to join the DDR programme since the Abuja Ceasefire Agreement. When will disarmament officially recommence?

A: A contact group was established to facilitate the implementation of the Abuja Ceasefire Agreement, which talks about the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programme as well as the return of UNAMSIL's weapons and vehicle. Disarmament is the basis of the Lomé Peace Agreement. Before we get to the Lomé Peace Agreement, however, we have to be able to actually facilitate the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. The return of UNAMSIL's weapons and equipment is one step forward towards disarmament. The ex-combatants who come in trickles to join the DDR programme should be appreciated. The information from these combatants is encouraging because they constantly tell us that other combatants are also looking forward to joining the DDR programme.

Q: Will UNAMSIL provide a patrol team to accompany civilians who might wish to travel on these roads which have recently been opened?

A: When I informed that a joint patrol of the Ghana Battalion, the military observers, etc. was carried out at Kuiva, it was to assess the feasibility of these roads whilst at the same time portray UNAMSIL's presence.

Q: Is the road between Lunsar and Makeni opened?

A: Yes.

Q: Will UNAMSIL take any action against the Government of Sierra Leone or the RUF for any violation of the ceasefire agreement?

A: When the Abuja ceasefire agreement was agreed upon, UNAMSIL's role as assigned by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was to monitor and report. UNAMSIL has played its role and since there has been no ceasefire violation, UNAMSIL will report back.

Q: Can you give us an update on the position regarding the contribution of troops to UNAMSIL?

A: The Bangladeshi and Ukrainian troops have come and we are expecting some other countries. We are slowly but surely replacing the departure of the Indians and Jordanians contingents. .

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For additional information, contact UNAMSIL Public Information Office: UNAMSIL Headquarters, Mammy Yoko, P. O. Box 5, Freetown, Sierra Leone Tel: 232-22-273-183/4/5 Fax: 232-22-273-189