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PRESS BRIEFING
3 JULY 2001
(Near Verbatim)
MS. MARGARET NOVICKI- SPOKESMAN AND
MAJOR MOHAMMED YERIMA- MILITARY SPOKESMAN
KOFI A. ANNAN UNANIMOUSLY APPOINTED TO SECOND TERM AS UN SECRETARY-GENERAL
Six months before the end of his current mandate, Kofi Annan, a native of Ghana, was unanimously appointed on Friday, 29 June, by the General Assembly for a second five-year term as Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Saying he was "deeply honoured" by the re-appointment, Mr. Annan pledged to bring the United Nations closer to the peoples who it was founded to serve, so that five years from now, they will feel that it is "working better to fulfil their needs, and putting their individual welfare at the centre of everything it does."
"Only if their confidence in the United Nations has been strengthened will your confidence in me have been justified," he added.
Friday's move by the Assembly, the UN's main legislative body, followed a similarly unanimous decision by the UN Security Council on Wednesday. Introducing Friday morning a draft resolution recommending Mr. Annan's appointment, which was sponsored by all 15 members of the Security Council, the body's President, Anwarul K. Chowdhury, the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh, said Mr. Annan had exceeded all expectations that surrounded his initial appointment five years ago. "He has excelled in his office, delivering under trying circumstances," he said.
Ambassador Chowdhury lauded Mr. Annan's reform efforts, saying the Secretary-General had "made the United Nations more relevant in today's world, broadening its support base by developing partnerships with civil society and the private sector in particular." The Council President also paid tribute to Mr. Annan's strong support for development, which "has positively impacted on the lives of people all over the world." In addition, Ambassador Chowdhury said the Secretary-General had "made a difference by advocating reason and hope" in response to conflict situations around the world.
The General Assembly President, Harri Holkeri of Finland, said Friday's decision was testimony to the trust that the Member States place in Mr. Annan. Stressing the need for the UN to become "more relevant to the world outside," the President welcomed Mr. Annan's initiatives to build partnerships with others both nationally and internationally. "I should like to assure you of the support of the Member States as you guide this Organization during the next five years," Mr. Holkeri said.
In his remarks to the General Assembly, the Secretary-General promised to work towards the fulfilment of the "marching orders" set out last year by Heads of State and government at the UN Millennium Summit.
Addressing a capacity audience in the Assembly Hall, Mr. Annan said he laboured "under a constant sense of obligation - to you, the Members of the Organization; to all the world's peoples, whom you represent; and in particular to my fellow Africans, whom you have honoured in my person today."
At the same time, he paid tribute to those who carried out the noble and often dangerous work in the service of the UN in peacekeeping operations, in refugee camps, and in countless other missions of mercy and of hope. "Wherever I have travelled in these past four years, and whatever issues I have tackled, I have been inspired by the sacrifices that the staff of the United Nations make, every day, on behalf of the peoples we serve."
The Secretary-General said he has worked to equip the UN to be able to adjust to new challenges and serve the world more effectively, while turning an unflinching eye on the Organization's failures. "I have sought to speak out in defence of those who cannot speak for themselves - for the right of the poorest to development, and the right of the weakest and most vulnerable to protection," he said. "And I have sought to make universal human rights the touchstone of my work, in all their aspects, because I believe they belong to every faith, every culture, and every people."
"Whether, or how far, I have succeeded in these aims is not for me to judge," he said. "I do know, however, that the task is far from done."
In comments to reporters after the election, Mr. Annan pledged to further the UN's goals by continuing to work closely with other members of the international community. "I will reach out and work much more effectively with the private sector, with civil society and foundations because this is an area of partnership and the UN can only be able to expand its capacity and achieve its goals by working in partnership with others," he said.
Following the General Assembly's unanimous action, representatives of various regional groups at the world body voiced their strong support for the UN leader, praising his personal integrity and dedication, as well as his professional qualities of a consummate negotiator and reform-minded manager.
"We in the African Group are proud of this great son of Africa," said Ambassador Arthur C.I. Mbanefo of Nigeria, speaking on behalf of the continent's States following Mr. Annan's re-election by acclamation in the General Assembly.
Ambassador Mbanefo stressed that the world looked to the Secretary-General with renewed hope that, calling on his unique qualities, Mr. Annan would excel in tackling the difficult and complex issues ahead. Ambassador Mbanefo stressed the need for Member States to continue to provide the Secretary-General with full support to enable the UN to play the role envisaged for it in world affairs.
At a press conference which followed the Assembly's meeting, Ambassador Roble Olhaye of Djibouti, who chaired a task force of African Ambassadors which monitored developments related to the candidacy of the Secretary-General, said that the African Group had urged Kofi Annan to consider serving another term "given the overwhelming goodwill and trust this gentle, calm, soft-spoken and unassuming individual has generated over the last five years of his leadership."
Commenting on Friday's re-election, Ambassador Olhaye said, "we are extremely elated." He added that the world was fortunate to Mr. Annan's "continued stewardship at this time of great change."
DISARMAMENT BEGINS IN KONO AND BONTHE DISTRICTS
The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) yesterday witnessed the disarmament of 38 combatants of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and the Civil Defence Force (CDF) at the official opening of the Yengema Disarmament Centre, near Koidu, in the diamond-rich Kono district.
Thirty combatants from the RUF and eight from the CDF disarmed at a ceremony presided over by the UNAMSIL Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Operations and Management, Mr. Behrooz Sadry. The event was also witnessed by the RUF's Brig. Gen. Morris Kallon, Mr. John Kabbah of the CDF, UNAMSIL's Acting Force Commander, Brig. Gen. Tony Faith, and other senior UNAMSIL officials. The weapons that were destroyed at the site included AK-47s, FN rifles and small arms and ammunitions.
Mr. Sadry expressed his appreciation for the manner in which the exercise was conducted, despite a few logistical problems that were encountered during preparations. Later during the day, the delegation toured the Yengema DDR centre to inspect the progress made thus far by the National Commission for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration in constructing the site.
In Bonthe Island, where the DDR programme also started yesterday, nine CDF combatants disarmed at a reception centre.
UNAMSIL'S GHANA BATTALION 3 RECEIVES UN MEDALS
Over 750 officers, men and women of UNAMSIL's Ghana Battalion 3 (GHANBATT ) received UN Medals on Friday in a ceremony held at Moa Barracks in Daru. Attending the day-long event were the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Behrooz Sadry, a delegation from Ghana Armed Forces led by the Army Commander,
Brig.Gen. Clayton B. Yaache; and the Ghana Contingent Commander, Brig. Gen. Samuel Odotei. Also in attendance were Ghana's Electoral Commissioner, Dr. K. Afari-Djan, and Acting High Commissioner to Sierra Leone Mr. Addy.
The ceremony began with a parade of four Ghanaian contingents led by the GHANBATT band and the Parade Commander, Lt. Col. Samuel Odei, Commanding Officer of GHANBATT 3. The UN Medals, awarded to military personnel who complete 90 days in the Mission without committing an offence, were presented to GHANBATT 3 by the DSRSG, the Ghana Army Commander and the Contingent Commander.
Mr. Sadry, the guest of honour, then addressed the peacekeepers, congratulating them "for the professional and relentless manner" in which they have conducted operations in their area of responsibility. "Your robust long-range patrols, sometimes in very difficult and remote areas," the DSRSG noted, "have no doubt significantly contributed to the peace process." He also commended the Ghanaian troops for their successful evacuation of child ex-combatants and Guinean and Liberian refugees from Kailahun to Daru. Their efforts, he said, had enabled them to win "the hearts and minds"of the citizens of the district.
As part of the day's celebrations, the Ghanaian peacekeepers put on a gymnastic display, followed by an exhibition of Ghanaian culture, featuring drumming and dancing from five different regions of the country. Traditional leaders and the local population attended in force to cheer and show their support for GHANBATT. GHANBATT 3 has been in Sierra Leone since February.
HUMAN RIGHTS TRAINING BEGINS AT LUNSAR DDR CAMP
The Chief of UNAMSIL's Human Rights Section and two human rights officers inaugurated the human rights and Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) awareness training sessions at the DDR center in Lunsar on 28 June. The activity follows an agreement with the information and sensitization unit of NCDDR to have UNAMSIL participate in NCDDR's pre-discharge orientation programme. Approximately 70 CDF and RUF ex-combatants participated in the lively 90-minute session. The Lunsar DDR camp manager, who attended the session, asked UNAMSIL to return to conduct a second session with a different group.
Also on 28 June, the human rights officer in Kenema held a human rights training session with the Sierra Leone Police at the police training center in Kenema, focusing on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the relevant chapter of the Sierra Leone Constitution.
The forum provided 20 members of the police and UNAMSIL's human rights officer with an opportunity to share common practical experiences on the subject.
DISARMAMENT FIGURES
The total number of combatants disarmed from 18 May 2001 until today are as follows: RUF - 2,081 CDF - 4,280 EX-SLA/AFRC - 134
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Q: If I heard you right, I heard you say about 38 RUF disarmed at the inauguration in Kono.
A: I said 30 RUF and 8 CDF.
Q: I understand there are over 4,000 fighters in the Kono district. Do you see it as encouraging at this initial stage on the side of the RUF and the CDF? Secondly, at the end of the day are we hoping to see Kono being handed over back to the SLAs to take charge as it is in Kambia?
A: On your first question, the process has just begun in Kono and Bonthe districts, and while the initial number of people coming out may be small it is just the beginning. It just began yesterday. We've had some difficulties in getting the camps up and running in time, but now they are opened and we expect that both the RUF and the CDF will, as they agreed to do, disarm in those districts.
Q: In the event that you disarm the rebels in Kono, do you hope to hand over the district to the Sierra Leone Army to deploy fully? You went to Abuja to sign a communiqué with the RUF which states among other things that the SLA should take over Kambia district which is a border town with Guinea. Do we hope to see SLA's deploy in Kono because it is the responsibility of the Government to take over Kono after the rebels would have disarmed do we hope to see SLA taking over Kono?
A: I would say that it is UNAMSIL's task here to assist in the peace process in order for the government of Sierra Leone to be able to re-establish state authority throughout the country. And that's what we are here to help the government do.
Q: What is happening to Bombali and Tonkolili districts now that the disarmament has like jumped from Kambia and Port Loko to Kono? And we know very well that Bombali is the headquarters of the RUF. What's happening about Bombali and Tonkolili districts?
A: In the meeting on May 15th in Freetown, the Government and the RUF agreed that simultaneous disarmament of the RUF and CDF would be done district by district and that meetings would be held, for them to decide which districts would follow after the initial Port Loko and Kambia districts. The tripartite meeting of the Government, UNAMSIL and the RUF was held on the 2nd of June in Magburaka and there they agreed that the next two districts to disarm would be Kono and Bonthe. The next meeting is going to be held very shortly, probably sometime next week, to decide on the next districts. And I think they will probably map out district by district for the rest of the process. But it is up to that committee to decide.
Q: I was in Mange on a tour with the Inspector General and I heard interview with some people in the town about the disarmament. They told me that the only fear they got now is some ex-combatants did not submit all their weapons to UNAMSIL. What mechanism are you going to put in place so that all these weapons are retrieved?
A: As far as we are concerned, at the moment, we assume that all the combatants have disarmed to UNAMSIL, but if it is not so, then cordon and search might be carried out in the area. But we have not received any official report that there are weapons still around in that district.
Q: You stated that the disarmament in Kono, Mr Sadry was happy with the manner in which the disarmament exercise itself took off, but he expressed concern about a few logistical problems and I think this one does not augur well with the program, because disarmament does not just stop at putting the ex-combatant in the camps. There are a lot of other things to be done to make them comfortable and to stay there peacefully. And we have been having report of ex-combatants going on a rampage, even beating up officers at the camp. Don't you think that whatever problems in terms of logistics should be looked into first before you bring the ex-combatants into the camps?
A: I think everybody is working towards that. And as you know, the National Commission on Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration (NCDDR) is responsible for setting up the camps, and ensuring that the camps are equipped with everything that is required for the ex-combatants when they are demobilized. And they have been working to the best of their ability with some limited resources to try to see to it that everything is in place. As I said we had some difficulties in Yengema. There was no camp there before. We had to set up a disarmament center there and we were all hoping that disarmament would begin as expected on the 1 or 2 of July, which it did, but nonetheless there were few hitches that had to be ironed out.
We in UNAMSIL are not responsible for the camps themselves in terms of the things that are provided to the ex-combatants. We are trying to help NCDDR in whatever measure possible so that these problems don't arise. I think we are all working towards the same goal here.
Q: We heard that RUF is building-up at Kamakwie. What about that?
A: Our troops have carried patrols up to Kamakwie, NIBATT 7, and we have not received any report of such nature, of RUF or CDF building-up.
Q: Recently the RUF Brigade Commander ordered all RUF combatants in Lunsar to vacate houses they currently occupy and return to their rightful owners. What's your comment?
A: It is in the right direction because the houses don't belong to them If he feels it is important at this juncture to hand over the houses, I think it is a welcome development.
Q: Can you confirm whether the officer involved in the alleged assault of the MP has been removed from State house?
A: I don't think there is anybody that has been removed. He is performing his own duty and he has been directed to do so and he is there.
Q: The Status of Forces Agreement between UNAMSIL and the Government of Sierra Leone section 4 stipulates among other things that UNAMSIL should respect all the local laws of this country and that in recent weeks UNAMSIL had a bad press with regard to this particular incident at the State House. We want to know whether this matter has been investigated, the outcome of it and if possible make it public.
A: I think you weren't here at the last briefing because everybody has been briefed on that so you can get the last briefing notes. Let me tell you that first of all UNAMSIL does respect all the laws in this country and it is rather some citizens who feel that they are above the law who are not respecting the law.
*********** 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
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