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

SECRETARY-GENERAL AND UNITED NATIONS WIN NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the United Nations have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The following is the text of the award, announced this morning:

"The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2001, in two equal portions, to the United Nations (UN) and to its Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world.

For one hundred years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to strengthen organized cooperation between states. The end of the Cold War has at last made it possible for the UN to perform more fully the part it was originally intended to play.

Today the organization is at the forefront of efforts to achieve peace and security in the world, and of the international mobilization aimed at meeting the world's economic, social and environmental challenges. Kofi Annan has devoted almost his entire working life to the UN. As Secretary-General, he has been preeminent in bringing new life to the organization.

While clearly underlining the UN's traditional responsibility for peace and security, he has also emphasized its obligations with regard to human rights. He has risen to such new challenges as HIV/AIDS and international terrorism, and brought about more efficient utilization of the UN's modest resources.

In an organization that can hardly become more than its members permit, he has made clear that sovereignty cannot be a shield behind which member states conceal their violations.

The UN has in its history achieved many successes, and suffered many setbacks. Through this first Peace Prize to the UN as such the Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes in its centenary year to proclaim that the only negotiable route to global peace and cooperation goes by way of the United Nations.''

Awakened early this morning to hear he and the United Nations had won the Nobel peace prize, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said it was "wonderful" and a great recognition for the world body.

"It's a wonderful feeling and a great encouragement for us and the organization, for the work we have done until now," he said. "It's a great recognition for the staff."

Referring to the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, Annan said, "At the same time it is a great responsibility at such difficult moment but reinforces us in pursuing the search for peace."

With more than 50,000 employees, half a dozen regional branches and scores of field offices around the world, the United Nations was founded in 1945, on the ashes of World War Two. It now has 189 governments as members.

SIERRA LEONE GOVERNMENT AND RUF AGREE TO ACCELERATE DISARMAMENT

The Government of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), meeting yesterday under the chairmanship of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), re-affirmed their commitment to the peace process and agreed "to implement in good faith" all the decisions agreed in prior meetings. They also drew up a timetable for the completion of disarmament in the remaining districts of the country.

The sixth meeting of the Joint Committee on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR), comprising representatives of the Government, UNAMSIL and the RUF and held at UNAMSIL's Freetown Headquarters, was chaired by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Solomon Berewa, and Mr. Omrie Golley, chairman of the RUF's Political and Peace Council, the parties agreed to complete disarmament in Koinadugu and Moyamba districts by 22 October, and in Bo and Bombali districts by 31 October.

They also agreed to an accelerated schedule for the remainder of the DDR process, with disarmament of the Western Area from 1-7 November; Tonkolili and Pujehun districts from 1-14 November; and Kenema and Kailahun districts from 15-30 November.

Addressing the issue of shotguns that are not covered by the DDR programme, the Government agreed to announce as soon as possible a programme to collect all such weapons with the collaboration of UNAMSIL. The weapons collected by the Government will be kept by UNAMSIL in safe custody.

The parties also agreed that commanders of the RUF and the Civil Defence Force (CDF) would disarm along with combatants in their respective districts and that the previously established criteria for group disarmament would be applied uniformly. Leaders from both parties undertook to inform their combatants clearly on the agreed criteria.

The meeting welcomed the announcement by the National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (NCDDR) that it had started payment of reinsertion benefits for ex-combatants and encouraged the NCDDR to accelerate the payment process.

The meeting was held "in a remarkable atmosphere of cordiality and constructive dialogue," according to the communiqué. The next meeting of the Joint Committee will be held in Freetown on 8 November.

TIGHTENING SANCTIONS AGAINST LIBERIA WOULD HURT POPULATION, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN

Tightening the sanctions against Liberia would further weaken the economy and negatively affect the most vulnerable people there, Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in a new report to the Security Council, issued yesterday in New York.

"The Liberian economy is highly dependent on the export of traditional primary products and continues to be highly vulnerable to ongoing political and economic instability," the Secretary-General writes. "Any restrictions imposed on this already weakened economy would probably have negative impacts on employment, social services and government revenues."

The report estimates that, if a ban were imposed on Liberian timber exports, it would probably cause the loss of up to 10,000 relatively well-paid jobs, and hurt an industry that accounts for about 9 per cent of the national budget. Any international sanctions on Liberian rubber would affect even more people, potentially leading to the unemployment of the more than 20,000 people employed by that industry.

According to Mr. Annan, a tightening of the existing sanctions regime would also have repercussions on the financial environment, with worsening exchange rates, increasing prices for essential commodities, decreased savings and more capital flight. These additional aggravating factors and their implications, he says, would particularly affect Liberia's poorest people, whose "resilience and coping capacities are next to exhausted," he says.

The Secretary-General recommends that, if the Council decides to establish additional sanctions, it might want to consider setting up a mechanism to review their impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in Liberia. This, he says, would enable the Council to avoid unintended negative effects on Liberia's population and help counter public misrepresentations of the sanctions regime and its objectives.

The Council had established sanctions against Liberia in March, in response to evidence that Monrovia was actively supporting the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone, and that diamonds leaving Sierra Leone through Liberia were a major source of income for the RUF. In its sanctions, the Council had prohibited the sale or supply of arms to the country, banned the import of all rough diamonds from Liberia whether or not such diamonds originated there, and prohibited travel abroad by senior members of the Liberian Government, its armed forces and their spouses.

SRSG RECEIVES EU DELEGATION

On 10 October, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji, received the European Union delegation to the Mano River Union countries led by the Swedish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Hans Dahlgren. The aim of the visit was to explore areas of possible EU assistance as part of the EU's continued commitment to lasting peace and security in the region.

The SRSG briefed the delegation on recent developments in the country and noted that Sierra Leone requires all possible assistance to enable its return to normalcy. He drew attention to the lack of infrastructure and stressed that rebuilding of the road network would greatly facilitate reconstruction efforts, while at the same time providing employment, especially for ex-combatants. The SRSG also suggested that the EU consider assisting the Government to quickly restore civil authority through the rehabilitation of schools and hospitals as well as provision of resources for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The Deputy Special Representative for Governance and Stabilization, Mr. Alan Doss, who was also present in the meeting, stressed the need to address the root causes of the conflict in the process of rehabilitation and reconstruction. The envoy commended the progress made in the peace process and stressed the importance of paying attention to the sub-regional dimension to enhance lasting peace and security.

UNAMSIL FORCE COMMANDER VISITS KABALA

On 10 October, the Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), Lt. Gen. Daniel I. Opande, visited the northern town of Kabala in Koinadugu District to assess the current situation following the completion of disarmament in the area.

Upon arrival, the Commanding Officer of Bangladeshi Battalion 2 in Kabala, Col. Noros Sama, briefed the Force Commander on the security situation in the area, describing it as calm and stable. Lt. Gen. Opande urged representatives of the Civil Defence Force (CDF) and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) to set a Joint Security Committee comprising the two sides as well as representatives from the local communities, a mechanism that had worked well in settling disputes in Koidu, Kono District.

The local district officer in Kabala informed the Force Commander that plans were under way for the return of all paramount chiefs who fled during the war.

Later during the day, Lt. Gen. Opande left for Bombali District where he inspected the new camp for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of RUF combatants in Makeni. He was assured by the contractor that renovation work on the camp would be completed by the end of the coming weekend. The Force Commander expressed satisfaction with the quality and pace of work.

UNAMSIL FORCE COMMANDER VISITS THE EASTERN REGION

The Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), Lt. Gen. Daniel I. Opande, on 9 October paid a working visit to the new deployments of Pakistani and Zambian battalions in the Eastern districts of Kono and Kenema, respectively.

In Koidu, Kono District, the Force Commander was received by the Sector 5 Commander, Brig. Gen. Pasha, and briefed by the Commanding Officer of Pakistani Battalion 1, Lt. Col. Javed Tariq, on the situation in the area. He learned that although the security situation was relatively calm, there were problems associated with ongoing mining activities, indiscriminate possession of shotguns by the Civil Defence Force (CDF) and an inflow of returnees from neighbouring Guinea.

In his response, the Force Commander explained that it was the responsibility of the Government of Sierra Leone, and not in UNAMSIL's mandate, to curtail mining in the area. Lt. Gen. Opande said the Government of Sierra Leone, with the assistance of UNAMSIL, would soon embark on a programme to collect all shotguns in the area. He also disclosed that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) would soon open an office in Koidu to address the inflow of returnees in the area. Later, the Force Commander presented to the Sector 5 Commander cartons of drugs donated by World Vision to treat the population in Kono.

Following his briefing, Gen. Opande met with members of the Kono District Joint Security Committee, comprising representatives of the warring factions, and commended them for their initiative in forming the committee. He also met with interim leader of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), Gen. Issa Sesay, who expressed his concern over the possession of shotguns by the CDF. The RUF leader noted that the weapons might be used to intimidate and harass RUF supporters. He however assured the Force Commander that that disarmament in Bombali District would resume today.

Lt. Gen. Opande stated that the Government would soon announce a date for the collection of shotguns, while the National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilization Reintegration (NCDDR) would soon start payment of reinsertion allowances to ex-combatants.

The Force Commander also visited Zambian Battalion 2's new deployment in and around Tongo, where he learned from Commanding Officer Lt. Col. James Chikumbi that combatants were no longer carrying weapons in public. The RUF 5th Brigade Commander, Col. Sama Banya, assured the Force Commander that he would continue sensitizing his men on the pending disarmament exercise in the area.

Later during the day, Lt. Gen. Opande visited Daru to inspect the new deployment of Pakistani Battalion 3. The Pakistanis took over from Ghanaian Battalion 3, which completed its tour of duty last month. At Gondama DDR Camp in Bo District, the Force Commander urged the ex-combatants to be patient with the payment of their reinsertion allowances, as the NCDDR was still finalizing the payment system.

UNAMSIL's Chief Military Observer, Maj. Gen. Syed Athar Ali, and other senior military officers accompanied the Force Commander on his visit.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q: Are you aware of a quarrel amongst a group of paramount chiefs from the Kono District? If you are aware, what is your organization doing to solve the problem?

Margaret Novicki: I'm not aware of that.

Q: Can you please give us the updates on DDR?

Ms. Novicki: As you know, Gen. Issa Sesay has reaffirmed RUF's commitment to the disarmament process. In fact yesterday, 37 RUF disarmed in the Bombali District and in the Bo District, 188 CDF disarmed. So I think this shows that the process has really got back on track. Again with yesterday's Tripartite Meeting and with all the outstanding issues that have now been cleared, we expected that the process will move in a very positive direction. The total disarmament for Bombali District since 24 September is 61 RUF and in Bo District is 1, 254 CDF.

Q: Can you confirm reports that some ex-combatants in the Kambia District are still carrying weapons?

Maj. Mohammed Yerima: We have not received any such reports from the Kambia District.

Q: What is the latest on the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) deployment in the Kono District?

Ms. Novicki: The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) will deploy in the Kono district next week.

Q: Are you going to conduct cordon and search operations to recover weapons after the disarmament deadline for all combatants?

Maj. Yerima: We will not do random cordon and search operations. UN peacekeepers will only embark on such operations when there are intelligence reports indicating that arms and ammunition are hidden in a particular location. Such operations would be undertaken by the SLP whilst UNAMSIL would provide security.

Q: When will the Nepalese troops join UNAMSIL?

Ms. Novicki: The Nepalese troops will join UNAMSIL in early November.

Q: What is UNAMSIL doing to rehabilitate the Masingbe-Kono highway?

Ms. Novicki: UNAMSIL engineers are currently work on this highway.

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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