UNAMSIL PRESS BRIEFING
WEDNESDAY, 16 MAY 2001
(Near Verbatim)
MARGARET NOVICKI- SPOKESMAN

SIERRA LEONE GOVERNMENT AND REVOLUTIONARY UNITED FRONT AGREE ON TIMETABLE FOR DISARMAMENT

The Government of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) yesterday agreed on an immediate recommencement of the disarmament process in a meeting held at UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) Headquarters in Freetown. Agreement was also reached on the release of all child combatants and abductees starting on 25 May 2001.

The meeting examined the key issues relating to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programme. The two parties reached agreement on the timetable and modalities for the simultaneous disarmament of Civil Defence Force (CDF) and RUF combatants, which will begin on 18 May in the Kambia and Port Loko districts. By the end of May, recommendations will be made by a joint committee on the next locations by district for the country-wide implementation of the DDR programme.

According to the communiqué released at the end of the meeting, which was chaired by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji, the CDF and RUF will be required to disclose, by location, the number of combatants and weapons in their possession and to communicate the information to UNAMSIL. The National Commission for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (NCDDR) will draw up the criteria for combatants' eligibility for the DDR programme.

The two sides also agreed to consider, as a matter of urgency, the establishment of DDR camps in Lunsar, Makeni, Kamakwie, Masingbi, Koidu, Kailahun, Alikalia, Pujehun and Bonthe, in addition to the existing facilities in Port Loko, Bo, Moyamba, Kenema and Daru. Both the CDF and the RUF will be involved in the planning and implementation of the entire DDR programme. After the established period for disarmament has expired, the principle of cordon and search will be applied.

The Government and RUF also proposed the establishment of a Trust Fund, with the assistance of the international community, to support the reintegration of ex-combatants. They agreed to open access to all identifiable Government positions, including Sierra Leone Army and the Sierra Leone Police, for those eligible for recruitment.

The two parties further agreed to use the Ad-hoc DDR Committee, comprising the Government of Sierra Leone, RUF, UNAMSIL and the Commission for the Consolidation of Peace (CCP), to monitor the overall implementation of the DDR programme. Representatives of both the RUF and CDF will be included in NCDDR regional structures to monitor implementation of the programme in the various regions.

The Government and the RUF also agreed to form joint sensitization teams to visit various parts of the country to educate the combatants about the decisions taken by the two sides and to arrange for visits of joint teams to witness the disarmament process, starting in Kambia and Port Loko districts. Agreement was reached to promote country-wide community reconciliation.

During the meeting, the RUF requested the release of its members currently detained by the Government as a confidence-building measure. The Government reaffirmed its commitment to consider the release of RUF detainees, especially in the light of progress being made in the peace process.

In connection with the RUF's request for Government assistance in the provision of public buildings in Freetown and in the provinces for party offices, the Government invited the RUF to identify such premises and to bring the information to Government's attention.

Earlier during the day, the CDF and the RUF committed themselves in a communiqué to cease all hostilities and to instruct all of their combatants to desist from any hostile activity. They also agreed to allow UNAMSIL to "immediately ensure the observance of this undertaking as well as the unimpeded movement of persons, goods and services throughout the country."

The government delegation, headed by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Solomon Berewa, was composed of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Ramadan Dumbuya; the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Charles Margai; the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. J.B. Dauda; the Deputy Minister of Defence, Mr. Hinga Norman, retired Brigadier Kelly Conteh, head of the National Security Service; the Executive Secretary of the National Commission on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration, Mr. Francis Kaikai; and the Chief of Defence Staff, Brig. Tom Carew.

The RUF delegation was led by Mr. Omrie Golley, chairman of the Political and Peace Council, and included Col. Ben Kenneh and Col. Dennis Lansana, the RUF's disarmament specialists; Mr. Andrew Kanu, a member of the Political and Peace Council, Col. Jonathan Kposowa, chief of RUF administration; Mr. Gibril Massaquoi, RUF spokesman; Col. Augustine Gbao, RUF security commander; and Col. Patrick Beinda, political adviser to the RUF interim chairman, Gen. Issa Sesay.

Welcoming the delegations to UNAMSIL's Mammy Yoko Headquarters, Ambassador Adeniji noted that "major strides in the peace process" had been made since the Abuja ceasefire was signed in November. He appealed to the Government and RUF to "keep up the momentum" created by the May Abuja II meeting "to make even faster progress," because the people's expectations for peace have been raised.

He said that decisions reached at Abuja should therefore be implemented in the earliest possible time.

The meeting, Ambassador Adeniji noted, was concerned essentially with the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process (DDR), one of "the most crucial elements in this peace process." Without DDR, he said, the ordinary people will not feel secure, and ex-combatants will become "a problem for us all."

"So it is essential both in the interests of overall peace in Sierra Leone and in the interests of the peace and security of individuals, that we get the process right," the SRSG stressed. Those who are going to support the programme with funding must ensure that disarmament is situated "in the overall context of a political settlement for the country."

In his opening remarks, Attorney-General Berewa formally welcomed the RUF delegates to Freetown and noted that they were free to come any time they wished. "We are all citizens of Sierra Leone," he said. The Attorney-General added that it is only Sierra Leoneans who will bring peace to the country. With UNAMSIL's assistance, he expressed confidence that peace will be attained

On behalf of the RUF, Mr. Golley thanked UNAMSIL for providing the RUF and Government with the opportunity to come together to work out modalities for the implementation of the DDR programme. He expressed the hope that the meeting would reach "practical agreement on the issues of disarmament which lie at the center of this peace process."

"We on our side," he said, "believe the fighting is over and we should bring peace now to our people and move forward to reconstruct and rehabilitate our country." He reported, however, that "regrettably, attacks are still continuing on RUF positions" in the eastern part of the country, which, if not ceased, will pose difficulties in the disarmament process. Appealing to the meeting to address "these violations," Mr. Golley said they were"inconsistent" with the process being undertaken to disarm combatants.

SECRETARY-GENERAL ADDRESSES UN CONFERENCE ON LDCs

As a major United Nations conference on the plight of world's poorest countries got under way on Monday in Brussels, Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged forum participants to focus on concrete actions to overcome the problems of poverty and underdevelopment.

"This Conference must be different than those which preceded it," the Secretary-General told the inaugural ceremony of the Third UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs). He said the gathering must produce an agreement not only on goals to be attained but also on the mechanisms needed to reach them, and to measure progress along the way.

Later, opening a special event focused on the challenge of eradicating poverty for sustainable development, Mr. Annan stressed the role of trade in achieving this end. He pointed out that "more than any other group of countries, the Least Developed need open markets in which their goods can compete."

The Secretary-General emphasized that the benefits of open markets would accrue to all States, not only the poorest ones. Consumers in more fortunate countries would benefit from wider choices and lower prices, while industries would benefit from competition, he noted.

Lauding Europe's "everything but arms" initiative -- which will give full duty and quota-free access to the continent's markets for all products from the least developed States, other than weapons -- the Secretary-General urged other countries to follow suit. He called for a new "development round" of trade negotiations which would aim to eliminate all tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade in agricultural goods, textiles and other products of special interest to the LDCs.

In addition to trade measures, the Secretary-General also advocated debt relief, while urging developed countries to meet their stated target of devoting 0.7 per cent of gross national product to development aid.

SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON SITUATION IN WEST AFRICA

The United Nations Security Council on Monday heard in-depth briefings by the UN Secretariat on the political and humanitarian situation in West Africa - particularly Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau - and on ways of calming tensions in the region.

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean Marie Guéhenno drew the Council's attention to the 10 May meeting in Abuja of delegations from the Sierra Leone Government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which he called a "first step" towards building confidence between the parties. "If properly implemented by both sides in good faith, it has the potential to create the confidence needed to make further progress," he said.

Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Carolyn McAskie then informed the Council of her recent visit to West Africa, where she travelled to assess the humanitarian situation in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. According to Ms. McAskie, Guinea is facing "a humanitarian crisis of its own," with 200,000-300,000 internally displaced persons. "The deterioration of the situation in Liberia may well add to this number," she warned. On Sierra Leone, the Relief Coordinator said the return of refugees and the resettlement of displaced people were the main priorities.

She also said that in meetings with interim RUF leader Issa Sesay she had requested to release the child soldiers, particularly girls, that the rebel group had abducted.

In a third briefing, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahima Fall presented the report of the Inter-Agency Mission to West Africa from 7 to 27 March, which warned that the impact of the conflicts in West Africa on the Mano River Union States and Côte d'Ivoire required immediate action, and called for the UN to cooperate with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to develop a joint plan of action for dealing with the matter. Another priority was to provide both Guinea-Bissau and Côte d'Ivoire with urgent financial assistance in order to prevent a recurrence of internal strife in those countries.

In the exchange of views that followed the Secretariat briefing, Council members agreed on the need for an integrated, regional approach to problems, and on many of the recommendations of the inter-agency report, including the establishment of a United Nations office in West Africa and measures to strengthen the ECOWAS role in the region, which had been extremely beneficial to date.

ASG HÉDI ANNABI CONCLUDES VISIT TO SIERRA LEONE

The Assistant Secretary-General in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Hédi Annabi, ended his week-long working visit to Sierra Leone yesterday with a meeting with President Kabbah. Their discussion focused on how to advance the peace process, in particular through the implementation of the Abuja decisions. Mr. Annabi emphasized the need for a well-coordinated approach by all stakeholders, the restoration of civil authority in areas where UNAMSIL has deployed and adequate funding for the DDR programme. During his stay, Mr. Annabi also met with the new Commander of the UK forces in Sierra Leone, the British High Commissioner and the Inspector-General of Police. They jointly underlined the need for continued coordination especially between the UK forces and UNAMSIL. Mr. Annabi also met during his stay with senior UNAMSIL staff, Government ministers, and officials of NCDDR, NCRRR, CCP and local and international non-governmental organizations. He also visited several areas where UNAMSIL has deployed including Port Loko, Lunsar, Makeni, Magburaka, Kenema and Daru. On Friday, 12 May, Mr. Annabi joined the SRSG, Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji, in a meeting with the RUF leadership in Magburaka.

DESTRUCTION OF RECOVERED DDR WEAPONS BEGINS

The process of destroying and recycling close to 10,000 weapons that have been recovered through the National Commission on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (NCDDR) and under UNAMSIL custody began on Monday, 14 May, in Freetown. This project is being undertaken with the assistance and support of GTZ and MAPCO.

The weapons are being destroyed by machine-powered cutting. The cut pieces will then be converted into an estimated 4,000 productive tools, including hoes, sickles, cutlasses, shovels, axes, and garden implements, with the participation of ex-combatant trainees from the GTZ and MAPCO skills training centres. The tools will be distributed to beneficiaries of NCDDR's reintegration schemes.

UNAMSIL is supervising the weapons destruction project, which will continue through 18 June in Lungi, Moyamba, Bo, Kenema, Daru, Mile 91 and Port Loko, with approximately 450 weapons destroyed per day.

NATIONAL PRIMARY SCHOOL EXAMS HELD

The first National Primary School Examinations since the RUF occupied Makeni and Magburaka in 1999 were conducted by the Ministry of Education on 11 May. UNAMSIL also facilitated the examinations in Kabala and Bumbuna. Thirty-four officials of the Ministry of Education were transported and escorted to these towns by UNAMSIL contingents of Nigerian Battalion 7 and Bangladeshi Battalion 3 who also ensured the safety of examination materials and security at the examination locations.

UNAMSIL MARKS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FAMILIES

UNAMSIL yesterday marked the International Day of Families with three live panel discussions on Radio UNAMSIL involving UN volunteers and Sierra Leoneans. The programmes began with the reading of the UN Secretary-General's message to mark the day, followed by three panel discussions broadcast at intervals. The first panel discussion was on the theme, "The Role of Volunteers in Building Social Cohesion," and included as panelists Sierra Leoneans and UN Volunteers from different sections of UNAMSIL. The second panel discussion, under the theme, "Domestic Violence in Families," focused on the problems and strategies to reduce the rate of domestic violence in Sierra Leonean families. "The Role of Families in Building Social Cohesion" was the theme for the final segment of the programme and featured as panelists members of various Sierra Leonean families. The focus of discussion was on how the concept of the family can be revitalized in a country that has experienced years of conflict.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q: Why were local journalists who wanted to cover the meeting between the Government and the RUF not allowed to do so?

A: I was only in one part of the meeting myself. The Government and the RUF had some serious issues to discuss and as I explained to you before, it's not every meeting that the media is allowed into. There are reasons why meetings must be held in confidentiality; why the parties would like a confidential atmosphere so that they can have an honest exchange of views. There are things they would not say in public, things they would never say in front of the media, but they will say if they have an atmosphere, which is conducive to an honest and frank exchange of views.

Q: Did the meeting end in chaos? Was there an exchange of words between the RUF and the CDF?

A: I did not see any exchange of words. I was there for the closing of the meeting; there was no exchange of words. I don't know where you are getting your stories.

Q: Did the RUF submit a list of detainees at the meeting?

A: There was no specific list of detainees supplied. They requested the release of RUF detainees, but not with a list enumerated by person.

Q: Is true that Omrie Golley made a request that unless Faday Sankoh is released the RUF will continue fighting? And the RUF will return fire-for-fire with the CDF?

A: I can tell you that neither statement was made. As I read in the press release, the RUF at the opening of the meeting, raised concerns about ongoing violations of the ceasefire agreement on the part of the CDF. But it was not in the way that you put it. Secondly, they asked that this issue be discussed and resolved as part of the discussions yesterday. And, in fact, it was discussed and it was resolved; you heard me outline the communiqué that was signed by the CDF and the RUF committing themselves to an immediate cessation of hostilities.

Q: One of the commanders that were at the meeting said you gave us edited versions of what transpired at the meeting. Is this true?

A: This document, which you are receiving now, is the official document. And as you can see, there are signatures appended to this. If you want to verify this with anybody within this meeting yesterday, be my guest. Honestly speaking ladies and gentlemen of the press, something very significant happened for the future of this country yesterday. Rather than trying to stir up issues that do not exist, you should focus on what happened and the way forward.

Q: Have all RUF checkpoints been removed? Are there refugees coming through Daru? Are they refugees or are they internally displaced persons?

A: There are certainly refugees who are coming from Liberia. The last time I heard a number floated, it was that over 5,000 have come through Daru. UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies are looking at ways that these people can be assisted because the UNHCR camp is actually in Kenema. There are a lot of refugees, if you go to Daru you can meet them, you can see them. Regarding the checkpoints - the last time I drove I did not see any checkpoints and that was this past Friday. And many of these RUF and CDF checkpoints are tollgates. What they are in some cases are a piece of string across the road manned by a young boy collecting tolls.

Q: Why did you say that the RUF would not make statements in public?

A: I didn't say there are statements the RUF would not make in public. I said when people are negotiating very important political issues, they need a frank and open atmosphere in which to exchange views. I think you know that anywhere in the world that there are things that people are prepared to say to the public and things that people negotiate and discuss behind close doors - anywhere.

Q: Was that up to the RUF?

A: Like I said, this was a confidential meeting between the Government and the RUF facilitated by UNAMSIL.

Q: On the issue of the Sierra Leone Army (SLA) deployment in Kambia, how come nothing was discussed about the deployment of the SLA in the earlier communiqué?

A: The meeting was really focusing on the disarmament process. The deployment of the SLA has already been agreed to in the Abuja II Agreement. The meeting was called specifically for an examination of disarmament, at setting up the modalities and timetable of disarmament, which is the first step before the SLA deploys in Kambia.

Q: To what extent did the CDF owned-up to the Agreement?

A: The CDF and the RUF both signed an agreement undertaking to ensure a cessation of all hostilities. I think this is rather clear.

Q: Do you think the CDF violated the Abuja Ceasefire Agreement?

A: I think that the evidence UNAMSIL gathered which has been presented to all the parties to the conflict has indicated that it is the CDF.

Q: Did the RUF Spokesman, Gibril Massaquoi walk out of the meeting just about the time the communiqué was about to be signed? Do you think they signed for the sake of signing?

A: I don't think that you have discussion from 10 in the morning until 10 at night over a very detailed programme for disarmament and a very honest exchange of views on both sides, and each clause in the Agreement being looked at by both sides, signed by both sides presenting their views and then say that somebody signed it just for the sake of signing it. I think this was a carefully negotiated document. Both sides showed an extreme amount of goodwill towards the other side and a willingness to discuss honestly and frankly their concerns. Both sides did it in a positive and constructive spirit. There was no stamping of feet, running out of the room, none of that -- -- it did not happen. Everybody left the room for obvious reasons -- -- of a personal variety. I am not aware of any incidents taking place. They were all in this room up until 10 p.m. and everybody left in a friendly mood.

Q: Is UNAMSIL prepared for the influx of combatants from the CDF and the RUF?

A: We are working out the modalities now. That was what this Agreement was about. We're not the only actors in this disarmament process. The National Commission for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (NCDDR) has a very important role to play, but we all are working together. The thrust of this agreement shows that all the concerned stakeholders in the disarmament process are going to be working together. It's not a simple process by any means and it's going to require a lot of work in the coming weeks.

Q: How soon will the 5,000 troops arrive, and are they needed to beef up the deployment process in Sierra Leone?

A: We have an authorized troop level of 17,500. As our mandate indicates, this is to assist in the disarmament process as well as to ensure security on the ground. The troops we're expecting from Pakistan and Nepal are expected, I can't tell you exactly when, but within the next month or two they should be on the ground.

Q: In the communiqué there was no mention of the release of detainees. Why?

A: One specific communiqué was on the immediate cessation of hostilities. The main document is on disarmament. It is at the end in paragraph 11.

Q: The RUF and the Government have signed the agreement. Between man and God, how would you describe it?

A: As I said before, this agreement is a very detailed agreement with deadlines, with very specific measures to be undertaken. I believe that both parties worked on this agreement in good faith and they both showed a very strong desire to move the peace process forward.

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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