UNAMSIL Press Briefing - Wednesday, 21 June 2000

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of a briefing with UNAMSIL Spokesperson Hirut Befecadu and Military Spokesman, Lt. Commander Patrick Coker

Hirut Befecadu: The overall situation in the country remains calm.

In the Freetown area, UNAMSIL and government forces continue their joint patrols and searches at certain checkpoints at random. This is to show that both sides (government and UNAMSIL) are very much concerned about the peace in Freetown and declaring Freetown a weapons-free city.

The government has been approached by UNAMSIL again to instruct soldiers that they should not be wearing arms unless they are deployed on duty. This has been taken favourably by government.

Port Loko and Lungi areas remain calm. People are seen moving in that area. Of course there are checkpoints to still disarm people who might be carrying weapons and also at times I.D.Cards will also be checked.

A senior Jordanian military delegation will arrive today and will have contacts with UNAMSIL and government.

That's all the information I have for you this morning.

Another delegation from Kenya is also expected maybe in a day or two. Details will be provided to you as and when they do come.

We have also been informed that situations in Kailahun and Daru is also calm.

Around Mile 91, we have received report that there has been an attack on a small village around 15-20Km from Mile 91. As soon as we get confirmation again, we will be informing you on details.

On the Human Rights side, we have a senior legal adviser from the UN Department of Legal Affairs in New York who has arrived to make an assessment regarding the issue of the international tribunal. I cannot give you much details as to what this lady will be doing but I shall be in contact with her and as soon as I have something on her activities, I shall also be informing you.

There is however another point I'd like to bring up to you honourable pressmen and women. It is honestly to my disappointment, when I read this morning in one of the daily papers, because I had specifically stated here that a report on the attack on Masiaka was untrue. And then I read here "from UN sources." Quoting UN sources makes it very difficult to create positive reaction with the Press. Because as far as the UN here is concerned, UN source is for the moment, myself and Patrick. Please refrain from such untrue, unfactual reports.

Questions and answers

Q: Are you contending the report?

A: Hirut Befecadu: I did report at the Press Conference the other day that it's not true.

Q: What's the name of this lady?

A: Hirut Befecadu: Her name is Ms. Daphna Shraga. She is a Senior Legal Adviser from the UN Department of Legal Affairs.

Q: I guess you are referring to the request from the Sierra Leone Government in the setting up of this special tribunal?

A: Yes.

Q: In other words are you saying that this is the official response from the UN Security Council?

A: We cannot actually call it a response. We are still in the studying stage. A Resolution would come out from the Security Council as to what the UN's position will be.

Q: This attack on the small village 15Km from Mile 91, did you get the report only this morning or when?

A: Commander Patrick Coker: We got this report this morning but it happened on the 18th of June and the name of the village is Measseama.

Q: This morning I saw in one of our local newspaper that Lunsar is in the hands of the RUF?

ACommander Patrick Coker:The information we have is that Lunsar is under the control of RUF. That is to say you may be right.

Q:As a follow-up, it stands to reason that Lunsar must have been taken off from the government forces because there was a time when Lunsar was declared to be "a no-man's land" and later on we got reports that government forces were in control of Lunsar, then all of a sudden you are now telling us that Lunsar is in the hands of the RUF. I want to know whether there was any fire fighting or something that made the government forces to loose Lunsar to the RUF?

A:Commander Patrick Coker: We do not have details of what happened at Lunsar so I cannot tell you whether there was any fighting or otherwise.

Q: I think it's now confirmed from the UNAMSIL end that Lunsar is in the hands of the rebels once again. And this also indicates that (one wants to believe that there was nothing like fighting there), because of what happened a few days ago when there was a fracas, people fled from that area, are we saying because of that incident the rebels just came in and took over?

A: Hirut Befecadu:We are not reporting what the rebels did or what the government forces are doing. We shall be reporting what UNAMSIL is doing and the report is that we do not have any information as regards what you just mentioned of activities that happened a few days ago, which activities you are mentioning, I am not very certain about.

Q: Now that we were referred to our good friend here as a military man, obviously we knew how much government forces fought to recapture Lunsar, the RUF attacked their position and as it is always logical for tactical reason, they made a tactical withdrawal?

A: Hirut Befecadu: Excuse me Sir, again I think there are press conferences/briefings that are being given by the government side, I don't think it is up to UNAMSIL information to tell what you are talking about. He (the representative from Defence Headquarters) is here as a journalist and not as a spokesperson.

Q: In that case I want to believe that the Indians are still at Rogberi Junction?

A: UNAMSIL is deployed at Rogberi Junction.

Q: So any indication that our men (the government forces) are with the Indians at Rogberi Junction?

A: The deployment of government forces is not for us to disclose. This is what I am trying to say.

Q: Lt. Commander Patrick Coker, can you just give us a little more details about Measseama?

A: Commander Patrick Coker: We do not have the details. We just have the report that the village was attacked and this report came through our unit at Mile 91.
Hirut Befecadu: As I have indicated, I shall report as soon as we get details.

Q: Is this village between Mile 91 and Masiaka?

A: Hirut Befecadu: 15 miles from Mile 91.

Q: Is it 15 miles towards Freetown or Masiaka?

A: Lt. Commander Patrick Coker: One or two things we will do after this briefing is we will get a map and I will point out Measseama to you.

Q: For a long time now we have not heard what is happening to your troops held by the RUF?

A: Hirut Befecadu: The situation has not changed much. Negotiations are still going on.

Q:With President Charles Taylor?

A: Yes. President Charles Taylor is involved, the ECOWAS is involved and we are involved of course. The 21 in Pendembu are still there and the ones in Kailahun are still there - free movement, they are allowed within their camp.

Q: Now that a UN Legal Adviser is in town, can you please tell us what her visit will entail and what do you envisage her assessment to be like?

A: I said, when I mentioned that she had come, that as soon as we get details from her on her programme and what she is likely to be doing, then we will pass it on to you.

Q: Daphna Shraga is somebody the Press will be interested in talking to, would UNAMSIL arrange for her to talk to the Press?

A: I'll try if that's within her programme.

Q: Yesterday, Mr. David Wimhurst went on the air to talk about a ship that was intercepted and was found to be carrying weapons but you have not said anything about that?

A: It was a small boat that apparently came from Guinea and was trying to enter Freetown.We have passed the case over to the civilian police. I would like to add here that our CIVPOL group is working closely with the Sierra Leonean police. They are establishing joint efforts not only in Freetown but they have CIVPOLs in Bo, Kenema and other places in Lungi for example, where they are working with the national police on issues like that one.

Q: If you only look at the safety of Sierra Leone from the Freetown angle, then you will be missing the point altogether because we have a lot of porous points along the borders and other places, in Bo, Kenema where people can penetrate into the country with weapons. I just wanted to know what steps you have taken to ensure that whatever you are doing here in terms of controlling the inflow of illegal weapons is being carried out in the Provinces?

A: In as much as is possible, we have continued reporting that UNAMSIL forces are deployed in various spots all over the country where they would be most useful. We have our military observers also deployed in various areas so we are doing our best according to programmes that we actually set.

Q: I'd like to ask Lt. Commander Patrick Coker a question and that is, who is patrolling our territorial waters because the Police has given us information about smugglers being caught during the course of the week?

A: Lt. Commander Patrick Coker: At the moment, we have some of our UNAMSIL troops deployed around some Islands and they have the capabilities to carry out inshore patrols along the coast. This much I can tell you, so if there are any arrests like UNAMSIL did over the weekend, it was with the assistance of the boat they had.

Q: This question goes to Lt. Commander Patrick Coker. Last Monday I asked about your soldiers at the Sierra Leone Broacasting Services ( SLBS) whom I was made to understand fled that ground and I was corrected here at the press briefing that day that they were there. Unfortunately, little did I know that it vexed somebody, a UNAMSIL (Nigerian) personnel and when we were going back they almost apprehended me. My question is, what have you done to see that journalists are well respected and we are not faced with embarrassment when efforts are being made to mirror these stark realities of our society?

A: Hirut Befecadu: Allow me to answer. We have our checkpoints, we have deployed forces at checkpoints. It is possible that at a certain time an individual might take it upon himself not to be civil to journalists. We are following it up and we shall continue indicating to our commanders to indicate to the forces we deploy at the checkpoints, that respect to civilians is their utmost duty.