PRESS BRIEFING
15 February 2002
(Near Verbatim)
MS. MARGARET NOVICKI - UNAMSIL SPOKESMAN AND
MS. MAYA AMERATUNGA - OIC, UNHCR

SECURITY COUNCIL DEPLORES VIOLENCE IN LIBERIA

After receiving a briefing on the situation in Liberia, members of the United Nations Security Council on 13 February deplored the recent upsurge of violence and voiced their concern over the humanitarian and social conditions in the country.

In a press statement by Council President Adolfo Aguilar Zinser on Mexico, members of the Council demanded that governments in the region take action to prevent armed groups from using their territory to attack neighbouring countries.

Council members urged the Liberian Government to take action to respect human rights and the safety of civilians, and to secure access to those in need for relief workers and humanitarian agencies. Likewise, armed insurgents were called on to respect human life, "particularly the lives of those trapped by the conflict."

The statement called on Liberian President Charles Taylor to honour his pledge not to use his recent declaration of a state of emergency to curtail civil liberties in the country.

Endorsing Secretary-General Kofi Annan's 11 February appeal to Liberians to resolve their differences through dialogue, Council members also welcomed early reports of a possible meeting among the Presidents of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Thousands of panicked refugees have crossed from Liberia into neighbouring Sierra Leone after fighting broke out last week between Liberian rebels and government forces, the United Nations refugee agency said on 12 February.

A spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that by Monday the agency had registered the arrival of more than 3,000 Liberian nationals and about 2,000 Sierra Leoneans in the border town of Jendema, Sierra Leone. Most of the Sierra Leoneans, who have been living in Liberia as refugees, came from the Sinje camp, located around 20 kilometres from the scenes of the latest fighting. Spokesman Ron Redmond told a press briefing in Geneva that UNHCR staff had registered an additional 1,000 people on 12 February and were expecting the arrival of more refugees.

UNHCR has deployed trucks to relocate the Liberian refugees to the Jimmi Bargbo camp situated a further 350 kilometres into Sierra Leone, he said. The returning Sierra Leone nationals, who mostly come from the north-east of the country, will be transported to their home areas.

UNHCR was also sending trucks to two camps located outside Monrovia, the Liberian capital. Around 6,500 Sierra Leonean refugees, who had volunteered to return home before the recent outbreak of violence, were waiting to be transported back to their country.

"We believe that the current instability in Liberia may push more Sierra Leoneans to sign up for the trip," Mr. Redmond said.

In a related development, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on 12 February it was preparing food distribution to persons displaced by the renewed fighting in Liberia.

UN OFFICIALS HAIL ENTRY INTO FORCE OF 'MILESTONE' ACCORD ON CHILD SOLDIERS

The entry into force of a new international legal instrument banning the use of children as soldiers was hailed as a milestone on 12 February by two senior United Nations officials concerned with children's rights -- Olara Otunnu, Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, and Carol Bellamy, the Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, which became law on Tuesday, 12 February, prohibits States parties from sending children under the age of 18 into combat, and from recruiting children under the age of 16 into armed forces.

"This marks a new and much higher threshold for the protection of children in situations of conflict," Mr. Otunnu told a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York. "It provides us with the opportunity to monitor much more effectively and report on the conduct of parties to conflict relative to the recruitment and use of children in conflict."

He appealed to all countries to mobilize their influence to end the recruitment and use of children in war. "We must use the tools of naming and shaming, of isolation, of denial of legitimacy," he said.

The UN estimates that over 300,000 boys and girls are serving in government or rebel forces in over 30 armed conflicts in the world - as soldiers, runners guards, sex slaves, cooks or spies. Frequently abducted from their homes, schools, or refugee camps and forced into combat, these children are beaten or killed if they attempt to escape. Girls are especially vulnerable, because they are often sexually exploited.

"The universal ratification and implementation of the Protocol should remain a pressing priority for the international community," said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy. Children, she said, belonged in schools and with their families. "This is their right," she said, adding, "It is our responsibility to ensure that they are protected from the horrors of warfare."

For her part, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson called on States not only to ratify the treaty, but to make binding declarations ending all forms of military recruitment and participation of children under 18 years of age.

"We are urging all governments and armed groups to end the military recruitment of children under 18 and to release and rehabilitate those children already in service", she said in a statement. "There can no longer be any excuses for using children for war".

Adopted by the General Assembly in May 2000, the Optional Protocol has been signed by 96 countries to date. It has 14 parties: Canada, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Andorra, Panama, Iceland, Viet Nam, Democratic Republic of the Congo, New Zealand, Monaco, Kenya, Czech Republic and Romania, as well as the Holy See.

REVOLUTIONARY UNITED FRONT PARTY LEADERS MEET WITH UNAMSIL DEPUTY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE

A delegation from the Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP) yesterday met with Mr. Behrooz Sadry, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Operations and Management in Sierra Leone, to discuss a number of political issues affecting the party.

The RUFP's Secretary-General, Mr. Pallo Bangura, and Mr. Mike Lamin requested the United Nations, through the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), to lift the travel ban on the party's leaders. According to Mr. Bangura, the travel ban was hindering the activities of the RUFP as the country moves closer to the presidential and parliamentary elections set for 14 May 2002. He said the ban was putting the RUFP at a disadvantage since other political parties in Sierra Leone do not face similar travel restrictions.

Of immediate concern to the RUFP was a temporary lifting of the ban to enable its chief of administration, Mr. Jonathan Kposowa, and Mr. Lamin to travel to Senegal to meet with the chairman of the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) on party business.

Mr. Bangura also explained that the Lomé Peace Agreement of 1999 provides for the Government of Sierra Leone to facilitate the transformation of the RUF into a political party and for the establishment of a trust fund to this end. He therefore presented Mr. Sadry with a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan requesting the lifting of the travel ban and the establishment of the trust fund. He also disclosed that the RUFP now has offices in Kenema, Bo and Makeni, and will be presenting its documents for formal registration within the coming week.

Mr. Sadry responded that as long as the envisaged travel of the RUFP leaders was to further the peace process, he did not foresee any difficulties in the UN granting them an exemption. He also pledged to discuss the issue of the trust fund with the Government of Sierra Leone. Other issues raised by the RUFP leaders included the lifting of the state of emergency in order to create a level playing field, and the release of RUF leaders still in prison.

ACTING SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE ATTENDS BANGLADESHI CULTURAL SHOW IN LUNSAR

The Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Sierra Leone, Mr. Behrooz Sadry, yesterday appealed to the people of Lunsar to demonstrate their love for each other if peace is to be sustained in Sierra Leone.

Speaking at a colourful cultural show organized by the local community and Bangladeshi Artillery 1 Battalion (BANARTY 1) deployed in the town of Lunsar in Port Loko District, Mr. Sadry observed that as the day was being celebrated worldwide as St. Valentine's Day, it was also befitting that the peacekeepers and locals were demonstrating love for each other as a sign of peace.

The show, which featured dances and songs performed jointly by Bangladeshi peacekeepers and Sierra Leoneans, received thunderous applause from the audience, as the peacekeepers danced to and sang Sierra Leonean songs in local languages. The Bangladeshis in turn had taught Sierra Leoneans their songs and dances. Local performing artists also treated the audience to several skits. The cultural show was part of farewell activities to mark the end of the Battalion's tour of duty with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).

In his welcome remarks, the Commanding Officer of BANARTY 1, Col. Wali Ullah, said when they were first deployed in the area, Lunsar then looked like a ghost town. He said as the Battalion completed it tour of duty, the people of Sierra Leone were best placed to judge whether it had succeeded in carrying out its tasks.

DEPUTY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OPENS NEW POLICE STATION IN KONO DISTRICT

The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Governance and Stabilization, Mr. Alan Doss, on Tuesday, 12 February called on the Sierra Leone Police to help consolidate peace and restore democracy in the country.

Delivering the keynote address at the official opening of the recently rehabilitated Tankoro Police Station in the town of Koidu in Kono District, Mr. Doss said the police had "an extremely important responsibility to help consolidate peace and restore democracy especially as we go towards elections."

"We want a police force that doesn't repress people, a police force that works with people and assists them," he said, adding that the presence of the police station was "a powerful symbol of the restoration of Government authority" in the district. Mr. Doss, however, emphasized that it was not just police stations that needed to be rehabilitated but also schools, clinics, and local Government offices. He urged the people of Kono district, particularly its leadership, to work with the police and to hand over shotguns that the Government is collecting under the Community Arms Collection and Destruction programme.

Recently demobilized ex-combatants rehabilitated the Tankoro Police Station with funds from the Japanese Government contributed through the Trust Fund for Sierra Leone. The Fund, which is administered by the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), has already sponsored several projects for the rehabilitation of several police stations in that capital, Freetown. One of the implementing partners, the National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (NCDDR), mobilized and paid the ex-combatants while the British Department for International Development is rehabilitating police barracks just outside the police station.

"I don't thank the ex-combatants for burning it [the police station] down, but I do thank them for rebuilding it," Mr. Doss told hundreds of people, including local chiefs and and Government officials, who had gathered to witness the ceremony. He said the police station was "a good example that we can all come together to rebuild Sierra Leone."

In his remarks, the Inspector-General of the Sierra Leone Police, Keith Biddle, reiterated the need for people to hand over to the police shotguns that were not covered under the recently completed disarmament process. He observed that the Community Arms Collection and Destruction programme has received positive response throughout the country so far but had started on a slow note in Kono. He appealed to the local leaders to encourage people to hand in their weapons. He thanked the more than 200 police officers now deployed in Koidu for their hard work in a difficult environment. The Acting Paramount Chief of Tankoro Chiefdom, Edward T. Nyandebo, called on his people to respect the police, and for the Government to deploy more police officers in the area.

The head of UNAMSIL Civilian Police, Commissioner Joseph Dankwa, told the police officers that the best honour they will have bestowed to the new police station was to make the place where freedom, law and order will rein supreme and a place where those in trouble will come to seek refuge.

GHANA'S MINISTER OF DEFENSE CALLS ON UNAMSIL LEADERSHIP

The Ghanaian Minister of Defense, Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor, paid a courtesy call on Mr. Behrooz Sadry, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Operations and Management, as well as Force Commander Lt. Gen. Daniel Opande and Deputy Force Commander Maj. Gen. Martin Agwai, on 12 February, at the end of his visit to the Ghanaian contingent of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), based in Kenema.

Thanking Dr. Addo-Kufuor for the contributions made by the Ghana government and its armed forces to the Sierra Leone peace process, including the excellent operation of the Level Two hospital in Kenema, Mr. Sadry praised the country's consistent support for UN peacekeeping, dating back to 1960 in the Congo.

The DSRSG also briefed the minister and his delegation on the role of UNAMSIL in Sierra Leone's upcoming elections, the security needs of the country in the coming months, as well as the sub-regional context in light of the recent instability in Liberia.

Dr. Addo-Kufuor noted that his mandate in Sierra Leone was to visit his troops and boost their morale. He stated, however, that he wanted to "highly commend" UNAMSIL for bringing peace and stability to Sierra Leone, which had entailed "immense" sacrifices.

"Our forces are excellent ambassadors for the country," the Defense Minister said, accepting the thanks of the Force Commander for having given UNAMSIL "such fine men and women."

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER CONGRATULATES UNAMSIL DURING VISIT TO SIERRA LEONE

During his visit to Sierra Leone on Saturday, 9 February, the British Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, held a meeting with Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), and other senior UNAMSIL officials, in which he congratulated the peacekeeping mission for its accomplishments in restoring peace to the country.

According to Mr. Behrooz Sadry, UNAMSIL Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General, who also participated in the meeting held at Lungi Airport, the Special Representative briefed the Prime Minister on developments in the peace process, emphasizing the need for re-integration of ex-combatants, reconstruction of communities and extension of Government authority throughout the country.

Ambassador Adeniji also briefed Mr. Blair on the status of the voter registration process and the technical, logistical and security support UNAMSIL was providing to the National Electoral Commission leading up to elections in May. He also emphasized the need for a continuing commitment to Sierra Leone on the part of the international community after elections and appealed to the British Government to take the lead in encouraging other donors to contribute to Sierra Leone's reconstruction.

The British Prime Minister replied that his nation's commitment to Sierra Leone, as well as to the rest of the African continent, was long-term, and that Ms. Clare Short, Secretary of State for International Development, who accompanied him on his African tour, would be paying a follow-up visit in the coming weeks.

Prime Minister Blair stopped over in Sierra Leone during his tour of West Africa, which included visits to Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal. He was welcomed on arrival at Lungi International Airport, by President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, after which he inspected a regimental guard of honor mounted by Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) personnel.

The Prime Minister was later conducted on a tour by Brig. Gen. Tom Carew, RSLAF Chief of Staff, of the RSLAF 5th Garrison Battalion at Lungi, which included a display by newly recruited ex-combatants being trained to join the RSLAF as part of the restructuring of the military.

Mr. Blair also attended a reception organized by Paramount Chief Kom Kanda of Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom in Mahera. In his welcome address, the Paramount Chief observed that the Prime Minister's visit signified "British confidence in the people of Sierra Leone," and thanked him for the role he played in ending the decade-long conflict. "Through our ancestors, we bless you and your entourage. Bravo for this historic visit," he said.

In his speech, Mr. Blair thanked the people of Sierra Leone for their warm welcome. He observed that based on the country's history before the conflict, Sierra Leoneans were peaceful people. "It is an aberration and not true that they are a violent people, which shows that there are prospects for changing the country for the better," he said.

The international community, including Britain, had played a vital role to prevent Sierra Leone from a "descent into chaos and calamity" and with the prevailing peace, Mr. Blair expressed his best wishes for the future of sustainable democracy in Sierra Leone. He noted that the task ahead should be nation-building for future generations and in doing this, "we shall be with you and assist you."

The Prime Minister also met with representatives of Government of Sierra Leone, and delegates from opposition parties and the civil society movement.

DONOR TEAM CONCLUDES ASSESSMENT MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE

A team of representatives from 12 donor countries and international institutions on 8 February concluded a week-long assessment mission in Sierra Leone, declaring that even though peace has come, the problems and needs facing the country were "enormous."

Addressing a press conference in Freetown at the end of visit that took the team throughout the country, a representative from The Netherlands said he was "shocked by the amount of devastation and huge humanitarian needs" in areas the team visited, adding that the international community was ready to support Sierra Leone. Another representative from Sweden said there was no more important challenge than to create a peaceful environment so people could go back to their villages and live normal lives.

The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Governance and Stabilization, Mr. Alan Doss, who is also the United Nations Coordinator in Sierra Leone, told the press conference that the response from donors has been "extremely positive" as Sierra Leone moves from emergency relief to the reconstruction phase. "There was no indication of donor fatigue but a real willingness to assist," he said.

In response to questions from reporters, Mr. Doss explained that the purpose of the team's visit was not to make financial pledges but to discuss with the Government the prospects and priorities for reintegration and recovery. In November 2001, the UN launched an Interagency Consolidated Appeal of $88.6 million to address relief requirements, for which funds are being sought.

Several donor representatives expressed satisfaction with the peaceful and secure environment that has been established by the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). They also said they were encouraged by the presence of the Sierra Leone Police in all the districts they visited and the deployment of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces along the borders with Guinea and Liberia. During their stay in the country, the representatives toured Kambia, Kono, Kailahun and Pujehun districts.

While in Sierra Leone, the team, comprising representatives from Canada, The Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, and representatives from the European Union and the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO), also held discussions with UNAMSIL officials and representatives of several national and international NGOs.

STATEMENT BY OIC UNHCR, MS. MAYA AMERATUNGA

REPATRIATION FROM LIBERIA

UNHCR announces the beginning of repatriation from Liberia of Sierra Leoneans refugees.

Since 8 February, when a state of emergency was declared in Liberia there has been a large spontaneous movement of Sierra Leoneans returning home, due to the renewed fighting in Liberia. Between 8 and 12 of February, 5,000 Sierra Leoneans arrived in the border town of Jendema. As most of them originate from Pujehun district, they have returned to their respective home areas. About 2,000 others remain in Jendema awaiting onward transportation. UNHCR is transporting them initially to Blama Camp, from where they are assisted to go to their various destinations. Those who do not yet wish to return to their respective home areas for safety reasons are provided accommodation in temporary settlements and host communities.

As soon as UNHCR-Liberia managed to get access to Sinje refugee camp, the UNHCR-organized repatriation operation started from Liberia on 13 February. The first convoy of 243 reached Blama Camp on 14 February. Another convoy with about 400 Sierra Leonean will be leaving Sinje today, 15 February. From now on, UNHCR will organize facilitated returns of 300-400 persons initially, on alternate days amounting to about 1,200 Sierra Leoneans returning home every week.

This organized repatriation is all the more welcome since it comes at a time when fighting is reportedly flaring up again in Liberia causing concern among Sierra Leonean refugees and prompting a spate of spontaneous returns since December last year.

UNHCR policy is to facilitate the repatriation of Sierra Leonean refugees who have made the decision to return home.

REPATRIATION FROM GUINEA

The facilitated repatriation of Sierra Leoneans from Guinea, which started in December 2000, is also continuing with an average of 500 persons weekly. This is expected to increase to 1,500 persons every week by the middle of March.

LIBERIAN REFUGEES

In addition to Sierra Leoneans returning home, there are also Liberian refugees fleeing war in Liberia who are seeking asylum in Sierra Leone. Local authorities in the Jendema area have registered about 6,000 Liberian refugees. In the Kailahun district about 1,600 refugees have arrived since the end of January, adding to an existing refugee population of thousands who had fled from Lofa County in 2001.

UNHCR has set up a refugee camp in Jimi Bagbo. Refugees in Jendema and in Kailahun are been given the option of relocation to this camp where they will receive food, shelter and other relief assistance. Over 4,000 refugees are currently assisted by UNHCR in camps.

Sierra Leone is a party to the United Nations and OAU Conventions on Refugees and as such has legal obligations to provide asylum to refugees fleeing war and persecution. UNHCR will continue to support the government of Sierra Leone in this endeavor.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q: What was Mr. Sadry's response to RUFP's concerns about the UN travel ban and the setting up of a trust fund for their party?

Ms. Margaret Novicki: Mr. Sadry responded that as long as the envisaged travel of the RUFP leaders was to further the peace process, he did not foresee any difficulties in the UN granting them an exemption. He also pledged to discuss the issue of the trust fund with the Government of Sierra Leone.

Q: Don't you think the large number of Liberian refugees coming into Sierra Leone can create some security problems on the Sierra Leone-Liberia border?

Ms. Maya Ameratunga: I will ask that you do not confuse the victims of war and the perpetrators of armed conflict. Make a distinction between rebels or combatants and refugees, because refugees are civilians. What we are doing with regard to Liberian refugees is that we are helping the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) with screening procedures to make sure that the people that we transport out of Jendema into Jimi Bagbo are indeed civilians. The Sierra Leone Army (SLA) and Sierra Leone Police (SLP) are doing a screening process at all the border areas with regard to Liberian refugees. We will make sure that the people who are assisted as refugees are indeed civilians and nobody else.

Q: What is UNHCR doing to help the Sierra Leonean refugees come back to Pujehun district?

Ms. Ameratunga: We are going to be making available individual resettlement packages. But at this stage the ones who have gone spontaneously before UNHCR could transport them will benefit from the community-based assistance, which UNHCR is doing in the districts.

Q: What is number of refugees now in Liberia after the escalation of fighting?

Ms. Ameratunga: Sinje Camp has approximately 15,000 refugees. About 5,000 have spontaneously returned to Sierra Leone. In all the six camps in Liberia, we had about 35,000 refugees before this movement.

Q: How many Sierra Leonean refugees do you have in Guinea and The Gambia?

Ms. Ameratunga: In Guinea we have approximately 55,000 registered in the camps and in The Gambia we have 8,000 Sierra Leonean refugees.

Q: What are the conditions of the Sierra Leonean refugees fleeing from the recent fighting in Liberia?

Ms. Ameratunga: The reports we are getting from our staff on the ground in Jendema are that the people are in a very bad condition. They've been on the road for in some cases for one week and they are arriving in a very haggard condition. Malnutrition is highly rampant.

Q: Are there cases of wounds or mutilations among the refugees?

Ms. Ameratunga: We are not receiving those reports. But we have had only one case of a six-year old boy who had bullet wounds sustained in a gun battle in Liberia. His mother died in the attack.

Q: What role is UNAMSIL playing in this refugee crisis?

Ms. Novicki: We are following the situation. We are also concerned about a potential humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region. Therefore, we are meeting with UNHCR early next week to explore areas of intervention.

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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