| |
PRESS BRIEFING
TUESDAY, 10 APRIL 2001
MS. MARGARET NOVICKI - SPOKESMAN
AND MAJOR M. M. YERIMA - MILITARY SPOKESMAN
WOMEN OF SIERRA LEONE RALLY FOR PEACE
The women of Sierra Leone have expressed their deep yearning for peace by joining in a nation-wide march and rally for peace on Saturday, 7 April. The event was organized by the UN Mission in Sierra Leone's Public Information Section, in collaboration with the Human Rights and Civil Affairs Sections of UNAMSIL and civil society organizations, including the Campaign for Good Governance, the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), the Market Women's Association, and the Women's Forum.
A march through the streets of the capital, Freetown, culminated in a prayer rally attended by over 1,500 women at the National Stadium, which was opened by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji. Muslim and Christian prayers for peace were offered by women leaders during the ceremony, which featured the delivery of a peace message in English, Temne, Mende, Limba and Krio--the main languages of Sierra Leone--by school-children.
Participants in the Freetown march and rally included over 20 women's associations, representing market women, cookery workers, petty traders, police women, nurses, and students. Also present were women's activists, judges, religious leaders, educationists, the Minister for Development and former women ministers.
Similar events were held around the country in Bo, Moyamba, Kenema, Daru, Lunsar, and Tongo. In the Revolutionary United Front (RUF)-held town of Tongo, the headquarters of RUF 5th Brigade, a group of about 200 women marched through the streets, singing, "We want peace." Women in Lunsar, where UNAMSIL has recently deployed, also marched through the town and held a rally.
In Bo, internally displaced women from the four camps in the Bo area-most of whom are from the Kono district, joined market women and others to march and hear the peace message, which was also read in the Kono language.
A statement was read by the President of the Women's Forum calling on the RUF to lay down its arms and join the peace process. The women then dropped white handkerchiefs at the foot of UNAMSIL troops and officials at the ceremony and cried for peace.
Over 1,000 women also gathered at the Football Field in Kenema and then took to the streets jogging and singing in a rally typical of the Mende tradition. Moderated by the FAWE President, the rally heard leaders of different women's associations call for everlasting peace. They appealed to the women to tell their husbands, brothers, sons, and sisters still in the bush to hand over their weapons to UNAMSIL and join the disarmament programme.
UNAMSIL-GOVERNMENT MEETING ON DDR
On Monday, 9 April, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Governance and Stabilization, Mr. Alan Doss, chaired a meeting of the joint UNAMSIL/GOSL ad hoc committee charged with accelerating the DDR programme. The committee agreed on a series of steps to be presented to President Kabbah and the SRSG for consideration. UNICEF, the NCDDR Executive Secretary and a representative from Defence HQ also attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Disarmament and Demobilisation Sub-Committee under the joint chairmanship of the Commanding Officer of Nigerian Battalion 7 and the RUF's Col Kallon held its first meeting in Lunsar yesterday to examine the possibilities of setting up a DDR camp in Lunsar.
UNAMSIL STATEMENT ON ARTICLE IN SALONE TIMES
UNAMSIL wishes to correct the misrepresentations and inaccuracies contained in a story in today's Salone Times, headlined, "Why UNAMSIL Can't Deploy in Makeni." We wish to categorically state that there is no "misunderstanding between the UNAMSIL high command and the Bangladeshi troops" regarding deployment to Makeni and there is no "unavailability of vehicles which has delayed the movement of Bangladeshi peacekeepers into Makeni," as the story stated. Nor has the Bangladeshi contingent been ordered to deploy to the central area around Makeni. The statements contained in the newspaper article are completely false.
Any deployment dates that may have been set are target dates that can be changed according to our own assessments. Deployment to any given area is based on our assessment of a variety of factors on the ground. Our deployment into RUF-held territory is progressing smoothly in accordance with our Concept of Operations.
UNAMSIL PATROLS TO TONGO
On Saturday, 7 April, about 100 peacekeepers from the Zambian battalion conducted a long-range patrol to Tongo, where a member of the Eastern Province Contact Group met for the first time with the RUF 5th Brigade stationed there. The UNAMSIL team called on the RUF to cooperate with UNAMSIL's future deployment there and to join the disarmament programme. The RUF representative, Col. K.S. Banya, called on NGOs to come to Tongo and to allow the children to partake in the polio immunization exercise. UNAMSIL emphasized that once it deployed there, the fears of NGO personnel would be allayed.
RUF ATTENDS DDR WORKSHOP IN LUNSAR
A sensitization workshop on the DDR process was organized in Lunsar on Saturday, 7 April, by UNAMSIL, the NCDDR and UNICEF, for RUF commanders mainly from the 4th Brigade. Some 36 RUF combatants attended, led by Col. Mohamed Kallon. Among the topics discussed was an overview of the DDR programme and the demobilization of child soldiers. The RUF noted the need for improvement in the conditions of the reception centers and for provisions to be made for dependants. A disarmament and demobilization committee under the chairmanship of the Commanding Officer of Nigerian Battalion 7 was set up.
UNAMSIL PATROLS TO KAILAHUN, MANGE AND LUNSAR
Robust patrolling by UNAMSIL's peacekeepers continued over the weekend. On Saturday, the Ghana Battalion and Daru MILOB team patrolled to Kailahun and held a meeting with local RUF commanders. Nigerian Battalion 8 and Port Loko MILOBs also conducted a patrol to Mange where they met with local RUF commanders. And on Monday, Port Loko MILOBs and NIBATT-8 conducted a joint patrol to Lunsar to attend a regional Contact Group meeting. The confirmation of the removal of the checkpoints was discussed, as was the need for food and supplies to reach Lunsar.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q : Would you please tell the press what has caused the delay of UNAMSIL deployment in Makeni?
A: There is no delay in deployment of UNAMSIL in Makeni. First of all, the deployment dates that we establish are target dates. In every deployment that we make, we have to assess the situation on the ground at any given moment and see to it that all the conditions are right. We will be deploying in the coming week.
Q : It is noted that UNAMSIL has no business with the upcoming general elections in Sierra Leone, but it is also the concern of Sierra Leoneans to have UNAMSIL deployed throughout the country. Now that it is clear that we are expecting a team of Pakistani and the Nepalese, how soon should we expect them? Do you think they will be here before six months for the next general elections?
A: They will definitely be here before the end of the six months, but we don't have details as of yet as to when they will arrive.
Q: Yes, can you briefly tell us the series of steps agreed upon to accelerate the DDR programme because since, as you know the disarmament is the key to the success to the Theme, the Peace Accord?
A: No, I can't tell you the series of steps because those steps have to be discussed first with President Kabbah and with the SRSG. These steps are the panel's recommendations that will be discussed.
Q: There are reports of fighting going on in Kailahun, and it may be clear that you took a trip to Kailahun where you met with the commander. Can you just confirm whether there is anything like fighting going on in Kailahun?
A: Actually, if there is any fighting, we would have reported that, but we patrol to Kailahun and there is no any evidence of any fighting between any group in Kailahun.
Q: Would you confirm whether you are deployed in Tongo or was it simply a patrol?
A: No, we have not deployed in Tongo, we just went on patrol.
Q: So where are you now presently deployed, what are your new deployments, Lunsar and where?
A: The additional new deployments are Lunsar and Mange at the moment.
Q: Last Friday we were at Lunsar and while we were there one fact came out very clearly that people are suffering from malnutrition. What is UNAMSIL doing to alleviate the extent of the suffering on people of Lunsar, and secondly, the issue of civil authority, is the RUF prepared to get UNAMSIL to establish government civil authority in Lunsar?
A: We only recently deployed in Lunsar and we were told when were there that when UNAMSIL deployed initially, there were only about 500 residents of Lunsar and the number increased to over a thousand in a very short period.
What UNAMSIL does when we deploy anywhere is to provide security so that non-governmental Organisations, UN Agencies, can come in and assist the population. We expect that will happen in the near future. As you rightly pointed out, the people of Lunsar expressed their needs and they have suffered for very long time and we want to do all what we can to help them.
As to your second question, the point of UNAMSIL deployment anywhere in the country is to assist the government to move into those areas and re-establish its authority. That is the point we have made over and over again. That is why we are deploying in different places, to assist the government to get back on its feet, to re-established basic government structures that the population requires. There is a Task Force that has been set up which is chaired by the Vice President, which is meeting regularly and UNAMSIL is part of that Task Force, to re-establish civil authority, so we expect that will take place.
Q: I just want to know, during the time of the United Nations Deputy Secretary visit to Lunsar she met with different groups of the RUF that were present in Lunsar. I just want to know that if there was any message sent by the RUF high command, General Issa Sesay, in support of the visit.
A: Are you referring to whether General Issa was at the meeting at Lunsar? He wasn't there at the meeting. But Gibril Massaquoi, Col. Kposowa and a number of the RUF high command were and the message that they indicated to the Deputy Secretary General was that they were interested and committed to the peace process.
Q: Would you agree with me that when UNAMSIL deployed in Lunsar, the about five hundred people who were there are mostly relatives and friends of the RUF?
A: Well, I wouldn't know.
Q: The RUF held a meeting in Lunsar to examine the possibility of setting up a DDR camp in Lunsar, have they actually agreed on setting up this DDR camp?
A: Actually they requested for the establishment of the DDR camp in Lunsar, rather than going to Port Loko.
Q: It is confirmed by our source in Lunsar that the three checkpoints that were manned by RUF have been opened to civilians plying their ways to and from Makeni and Lunsar, I want to know whether it's due to the appeal made by the Deputy Secretary General or whether they did it just because they thought it was the right time for them to open it.
A: UNAMSIL has been discussing with the RUF since we deployed in Lunsar that those checkpoints had to be removed. The RUF promised us on several occasions that those checkpoints would be removed. When the Deputy Secretary General went to Lunsar and discussed with the RUF she brought it up again and she emphasized to the RUF that it is not enough just to talk about peace and their commitment to the peace process, that they need to show in deeds that they are committed to the peace process, and among those things they could do immediately was to remove those checkpoints. Those checkpoints have been removed.
Q: Talking about this question of government establishing its authority particularly when you have deployed in an area, is it possible for government troops to also get into deployed areas of UNAMSIL?
A: For government to tell it troops to go to Lunsar is just like if there is no established law and order or any UNAMSIL deployment there. As long as UNAMSIL is there I don't think it is warranted for the government to say that they should send their forces to Lunsar. The UNAMSIL presence is taking care of security.
Q: If the government decides now to go at war, what will be the position of UNAMSIL?
A: The Government and the RUF signed the ceasefire agreement. Clearly if either the government or the RUF should decide to go on the offensive, and violate the ceasefire agreement it would mean that the ceasefire is no longer in effect. What UNAMSIL is doing at this point in time is trying to assist both the government and the RUF to adhere to the terms of the ceasefire agreement. If either sides decides to break the ceasefire agreement, that would be very unfortunate.
*********** 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
| Main Page | UN Home Page | Not an official document of the United Nations. Maintained by the Peace and Security Section of the Department of Public Information in cooperation with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. (c) United Nations 2001 |