PRESS BRIEFING
02 NOVEMBER 2001
(Near Verbatim)
MS. MARGARET NOVICKI - UNAMSIL SPOKESMAN AND
MAJ. MOHAMMED YERIMA- UNAMSIL MILITARY SPOKESMAN

SECURITY COUNCIL REAFFIRMS ITS SUPPORT FOR BOOSTING WOMEN'S ROLE IN PEACEMAKING

One year after adopting its first resolution promoting an increased role for women in peacemaking, the UN Security Council has reaffirmed its strong support for boosting women's contributions to conflict prevention and resolution.

In a presidential statement read out on 31 October in a formal meeting by Brian Cowan, the Foreign Minister of Ireland, which holds the presidency of the 15-member body for the month of October, the Council renewed its call on States to include women in the negotiations and implementation of peace accords, constitutions, and strategies for resettlement and rebuilding, and to take measures to support local women's groups and indigenous processes for conflict resolution.

In that context, the Council recognized the efforts of the Mano River Women's Peace Network in facilitating peace and dialogue in the Mano River Union region, which comprises Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. It was also encouraged by the inclusion of women in the political decision-making bodies in Burundi, Somalia and East Timor.

The Council underscored the importance of including a gender perspective in all policies and programmes addressing armed conflicts and called for the inclusion of gender components in peacekeeping operations. It also renewed its support for gender-sensitive training guidelines and material on the protection, rights and particular needs of women, and on the importance of involving women in all peacekeeping and peace-building measures. It called on troop-contributing countries to include these elements in their national training programmes for peacekeepers.

EXPERT PANEL SAYS UN SECURITY COUNCIL SHOULD EXTEND ARMS EMBARGO AGAINST LIBERIA

An independent panel dealing with Liberia sanctions has recommended that the Security Council extend the arms embargo and rough diamond sanctions on the country.

In its report released on 30 October at UN Headquarters, the panel chaired by Martin Chungong Ayafor of Cameroon, said that despite some progress, a steady flow of new weapons had continued to enter into Liberia in violation of UN sanctions.

Timber production - an important source of revenue for the Government - had also been a source of financing for sanctions-busting, the panel said, recommending that the UN impose a ban on all round log exports from Liberia starting from July 2002.

The group also said that Liberia's maritime registry had generated funds for opaque off-budget expenditures, including sanctions-busting, and suggested that the Security Council's sanctions committee for Liberia set up an escrow account as the ultimate destination for all revenues generated from the country's shipping and corporate registry.

Finally, the panel members said the Security Council may consider lifting its order to ground Liberian aircraft because the Monrovia Government had made progress in addressing irregularities among its registered aircraft.

DEPUTY SPECIAL REPRESENATIVE VISITS MOYAMBA

The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Governance and Stabilization, Mr. Alan Doss, on 30 October toured the southern district town of Moyamba to assess progress in the restoration of Government authority in the area.

Upon arrival in Moyamba, Mr. Doss and his delegation were briefed on the security situation in the district by UNAMSIL military observers and Guinean Battalion peacekeepers deployed there. He learned that security in the district was calm and stable.

The Deputy Special Representative then visited the Moyamba District Office where he urged the local authorities to work through the newly established District Recovery Committee mechanism in identifying civic institutions that needed to be rehabilitated. He also advised them to start preparations for the pending visit to the area by a needs assessment team comprising members from the Government, UNAMSIL and non-governmental organizations. The District Officer appealed for more assistance with humanitarian aid from non-governmental organizations particularly in addressing the welfare of returnees from Guinea.

From the district office, Mr. Doss toured the local prison complex and the Moyamba Government Hospital. Later, he visited the CDF District Headquarters where he appealed to the CDF ex-combatants who are still in possession of mortar bombs, grenades, and other types of ammunition to hand them over to the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) peacekeepers.

At the recently rehabilitated community court, the Deputy Special Representative told the gathering that with the end of the war, it was time to begin to focus on the rehabilitation of schools and hospitals. "With peace," he said, "everybody will have the opportunity to express themselves through the ballot box" in May next year not through the barrel of a gun. He expressed the hope that the elections would be peaceful and without intimidation.

The Chief of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Mr. Dennis Johnson, UNAMSIL's Police Adviser, Deputy Commissioner Joseph Dankwa, and other senior UNAMSIL officials accompanied Mr. Doss on his visit.

UNAMSIL FORCE COMMANDER VISITS DISARMAMENT CAMPS IN PUJEHUN AND MAGBURAKA

The Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), Lt. Gen. Daniel Ishmael Opande, visited the towns of Makeni, Magburaka and Pujehun in the north-eastern and southern part of Sierra Leone on 31 October to assess progress in the construction of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration camps.

Upon arrival in Pujehun, Lt. Gen. Opande was received by officers of Guinean Battalion deployed in the area and the Battalion commander of the Civil Defence Force (CDF), Hassan Fika, and the camp site supervisor, Bockarie Kpaka.

Mr. Kpaka assured the Force Commander that construction of the camp would be completed within three weeks. Gen. Opande expressed concern over the completion schedule because Tonkolili and Pujehun District are supposed to complete disarmament within two weeks starting from 1 November. He informed the CDF combatants that he would give them a new date for disarmament in the district after consultations with National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (NCDDR).

In Magburaka, Sector 4 Commander Brig. Gen. Ali Hassan took the Force Commander around the demobilization camp at Mathora Government Girls Secondary School. Later in the day, the Force Commander visited a company of Kenyan Battalion 6 deployed in Tonkolili.

At a brief meeting with the Force Commander, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) interim leader, Gen. Issa Sesay, reiterated the RUF's commitment to start disarming in Tonkolili and Kailahun districts as scheduled.

UNAMSIL HUMAN RIGHTS TRAINING FOR RELIGIOUS LEADERS

A two-week training workshop for religious leaders opened yesterday in Freetown. The workshop, which is being organized by UNAMSIL's Human Rights Section and the World Council on Religion and Peace, will focuses on human rights, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the provisions of the Lome Peace Agreement. It will examine traditional human rights values in Sierra Leone and the role of communities in the evolution of human rights.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q: Is it true that there are no UNAMSIL Military Observers in Pujehun to receive CDF combatants who want to disarm?

Major Mohammed Yerima: The DDR camp in Pujehun is not yet ready and it is expected to be complete in the next three weeks. There is a UNAMSIL Guinean company already deployed in the area to provide security for the disarmament camp. Our Military Observers will deploy in this area as soon as possible.

Ms. Margaret Novicki: To add to that, an agreement has been reached for the CDF to start disarmament before the completion of the DDR camp. The Executive Secretary of the National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (NCDDR), Dr. Francis Kai Kai, was in Pujehun yesterday to discuss these issues and disarmament is expected to start in Pujehun on Monday [5 November 2001].

Q: What is the latest on disarmament in the Western Area?

Ms. Novicki: It is beginning today. Four sites have been earmarked in the Western Area for the disarmament exercise.

Q: Can you give us details on disarmament in the Tonkolili District?

Ms. Novicki: Disarmament started in Tonkolili District yesterday. A total of 113 combatants disarmed yesterday. This includes 87 RUF and 26 CDF.

Q: What are the final figures for disarmament for the whole country?

Ms. Novicki: These figures are from May 18 through to yesterday. The total number of disarmed combatants is 25,494 of which 9,499 are RUF and 15,995 are CDF. Bombali District: from 24 September through 1 November, 3,136 combatants have disarmed, of which 2,690 are RUF and 446 are CDF. Bo District since 24 September: 3,156 combatants have disarmed, of which 5 are RUF and 3,151 are CDF.

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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