PRESS BRIEFING
TUESDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 2001
MARGARET NOVICKI - CHIEF, PUBLIC INFORMATION SECTION
AND MAJOR M. M. YERIMA - MILITARY SPOKESMAN

LIBERIA ENDORSES UNHCR EFFORTS

UNHCR has received the crucial endorsement of Liberian President Charles Taylor for the agency's efforts to provide safe access and passage for West African refugees, a spokesman for the organization said on Friday, 16 February, in Geneva. "President Taylor has now joined his counterparts in Guinea and Sierra Leone in endorsing the absolute priority for safe access to and safe passage for refugees," UNHCR spokesman Kris Janowski told the press.

According to a joint statement issued on Friday by UNHCR and the Government of Liberia, President Taylor and the UN High Commissioner, Rudd Lubbers, agreed on three major principles to help alleviate the refugee crisis in the border region, including safe access to, and safe passage for the refugees, as well as condemnation of "any acts that would obstruct or hinder these principles."

President Taylor also offered to open the Liberian border region to refugees currently trapped in the Parrot's Beak region of Guinea. Mr. Lubbers thanked him for the offer, but said UNHCR preferred first to provide humanitarian access and safe passage within Guinea itself.

Noting that he did not seek President Taylor's assistance as a go-between with Sierra Leone's RUF, Mr. Lubbers said UNHCR would rather deal directly with the RUF through a contact group of UNAMSIL. "UNHCR hopes the contact with the RUF can be made as soon as possible," the spokesman said, adding that the discussions would include the issue of a border opening between Forecariah, Guinea, through the Kambia region of Sierra Leone.

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS

On the 18th of February, the visiting Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Mr. Don C. Mackinnon, accompanied by his senior staff, including the Special Adviser for African Affairs, the Director for Information and Public Affairs Division, the Special Assistant, as well as the Sierra Leone High Commissioner to the UK and senior representatives of the Ministries of Planning and Development, and Foreign Affairs, called on the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) to acquaint themselves with the overall political, security and humanitarian situation in the country and the prospects for the advancement of the Sierra Leone peace process.

The DSRSG highlighted the main developments, namely the relative peace prevailing in the country; the growing impatience of the people of Sierra Leone vis-à-vis what they perceive as a standstill or slowness in the peace process; the apparent commitment of the RUF to the ceasefire agreement; the manpower constraints faced by UNAMSIL in its efforts to deploy upcountry; and the prospects for mobilization of additional troops to beef up UNAMSIL operational capabilities. The Commonwealth Secretary-General sought information on the current status of the peace process and on what the Commonwealth could do to assist the Government of Sierra Leone.

CIVIL AFFAIRS

On the17th of February, unarmed SLA, CDF and UNAMSIL forces joined hands with the civil populace in the cleanup of Kenema town. This was the first environmental cleaning exercise organized by civil and military authorities in urban centers this year. A similar cleaning exercise for Freetown was organized on the 18th of February by the Freetown City Council in collaboration with the Department of Health of Defence Headquarters.

UNAMSIL - RUF MEETING AT LUNSAR

A meeting took place in Lunsar on Friday, 16th February between the Port Loko MILOBS Senior Team Leader, seven MILOBS and a company Commander of NIBATT 7 and other officers representing UNAMSIL, while the RUF delegation was led by Col M Kallon, Col Mohammed Koroma, Lt Col Alimammy Bangura, Maj Michael Sankoh and Capt Peter Tarawale. The main point of the discussion was the progress of repair work of the bridge at Kumrabai and the crater in the Rogberi Junction - Lunsar road. The RUF stated they have enough manpower ready to start the work at any time. The Senior Sector Team Leader pointed out that some NGOs had made an offer to provide food for labour and suggested that representatives from the NGOs would attend the next meeting on the 26th of February. Among other issues raised were:

1. Repair of the Lunsar - Kambia road and filling in of the crater.
2. UNAMSIL deployment in the Lunsar area. Col Kallon confirmed again that UNAMSIL was welcome to deploy there at any time.
3. The exhumation of the body of a Nigerian soldier who was buried in Lunsar during the May 2000 events.
4. It was agreed to hold another meeting on the 26th of February.

RUF PERSONNEL FROM MOBAI VISITED DARU WATER POINT

Six unarmed RUF cadres from 1st RUF Battlion located at Mobai arrived at Daru Water Point on the 17th of February. They stated that they had come to pay a courtesy visit on "their brothers at Daru."

Among them were the battalion's Second in Command, security officers and the Adjutant. They said Battalion Commander Lt Col Tiger would soon come to Daru to have a meeting with UNAMSIL and other factions. They were reported to have been friendly towards CDF personnel manning the checkpoint.

NGO's MEETING WITH RUF

There will be a meeting between NGOs and Gen Issa Sesay at Makeni on the 20th of February. The NGOs involved are MSF (B), MSF (H), ICRC and the Code of Conduct Committee. All of these agencies intend to travel to Makeni via Mile 91. MSF (B) has specifically requested that they be stopped at every UNAMSIL checkpoint and searched for contraband in order to display their neutrality.

UNAMSIL SENDS PATROL

In continuation of the confidence-building measures between UNAMSIL and the RUF, NIBATT-7 will patrol today to Lunsar and Makeni, while BANBATT-2 will patrol between Mile-91, Magburaka and Makeni.

UNAMSIL MEETING WITH RUF

Today, the Force Commander will meet General Issa Sesay, the RUF interim leader, in Makeni. It is a continuation of the last meeting they had on the 12th of February.

Questions and answers

Q: Are you going to send some observers to monitor the NGOs who are traveling to Makeni today for a meeting with the RUF interim leader, General Issa?

A: The NGOs that are going to the meeting today have expressed the wish to have their vehicles searched to see that there is nothing onboard. We have to take that measure in good faith and UNAMSIL will do that.

Q: Don't you think that the RUF should hasten the disarmament process instead of you making the familiarization tours, which I think they are enjoying and encouraging them not to disarm?

A: One of the subjects that is always raised in our discussions with the RUF is the disarmament process. That is always on the agenda of our discussions.

Q: Don't you think that primarily your discussions with the RUF should have been on disarmament instead of the opening of roads?

A: We have meetings with the RUF at many different levels. At individual and local levels, specific issues have to be resolved such as the repair of roads, etc. Other important issues are also raised at some of these meetings and the Force Commander himself is going today to meet with General Issa Sesay, which I believe is his fifth meeting since the beginning of this year with him to discuss various issues.

Q: What is preventing the RUF interim leader from coming to Freetown as part of confidence building to Sierra Leoneans?

A: During one of the meetings, a journalist asked the RUF interim leader when is he coming to Freetown and his response was, "when the situation improves."

Q: Why is the UN Security Council being slow in the deployment of the ECOWAS troops along the Sierra Leone-Guinea-Liberia border?

A: I don't think it's a question of the UN Security Council being slow in the deployment of the ECOWAS forces. There are lot of issues that have to be resolved, one of which is the Status of Forces Agreement with Guinea and Liberia. The Security Council has requested details from ECOWAS on this Force, which will be looked at carefully. It is not a question of the UN holding it up.

Q: Why don't you divide the troops that you have in areas that have no presence of the RUF (for example, Freetown, Bo and Kenema) into RUF-held areas? How soon will you deploy in Makeni and Kono or do you want the SLA to deploy in those areas?

A: I don't think that we should pull our troops out from all the places around the country that we have them, including Freetown. For example if Port Loko was free, why were they attacked 17 times? The SLA has the right to deploy in any area, and we do not determine where and how they deploy.

Q: You have just stated that the SLA has the right to deploy. What will be the reaction of UNAMSIL if in the event of SLA's deployment, the RUF decides to be hostile to them?

A: They should be aware that there is the Abuja Ceasefire Agreement and UNAMSIL undertakes to take care of certain aspects of the agreement, but if they decide to jump the gun because UNAMSIL is slow and they are capable enough to do it, then UNAMSIL would not have been here in the first instance. We do not determine where and how they do it, but we have our plans and when the time comes for our deployment, you will be informed.

Q: Have you received any press release from the RUF stating that the RUF interim leader, General Issa Sesay will have to be guarded by a battalion of professionally trained personal security sharpshooters and a bombproof personnel carrier if he is to visit Freetown?

A: We have not received that press release. We have discussed at length with the RUF and they have assured UNAMSIL that there is nothing like that coming up.

Q: Has UNAMSIL made a contact with the RUF on behalf of the UNHCR for the RUF to guarantee safe access and passage for the Sierra Leonean refugees in Guinea?

A: I do not have any details at the moment.

Q: What is the reaction of the UN to the holding up of the sanctions on President Taylor for a two-month period?

A: You are aware that it was ECOWAS that has requested the two-month extension before sanctions are put in place against President Charles Taylor. It was not the UN that requested the extension, the draft Resolution called for immediate sanctions to be implemented. The Agreement as it now stands is where sanctions will be postponed for two months. It is incumbent on ECOWAS to spell out how they think they are going to measure President Taylor's compliance during that two-month period.

Q: What developments have UNAMSIL made during their visits to the RUF by the former Deputy Force Commander, Major General Mohamed Garba and up to this present moment?

A: During the time of Maj. General Garba as Deputy Force Commander and later as Acting Force Commander, there were contacts between himself and the RUF that led to the retrieving of some of our weapons and equipment, and that was a development. UNAMSIL is trying as much as possible to bring peace to Sierra Leone. In solving a crisis there are mechanisms and modus operandi in securing peace in any peacekeeping mission in the world. We have established contact groups with the RUF high command at senior and lower levels, and we shall continue. We are here to assist the Government and people of Sierra Leone to bring about a solution to a crisis, which has been going on for over a decade. We appreciate your concern and hopefully we hope to resolve the situation positively and amicably.

Q: How do you expect to complement the Government of Sierra Leone in accomplishing their goals within the six-month period of extension?

A: The Government of Sierra Leone has its goals, and UNAMSIL has its own goals. We are here to assist the Government and people of Sierra Leone in the peace process. Their timeframe is not necessarily our timeframe.

Q: During a discussion programme in the local radio station--FM98.1, the military spokesman said, "UNAMSIL's deployment will not be affected by political considerations." Can you clarify this statement?

A: I meant that if the Constitution of Sierra Leone says they can extend the leadership of President Kabbah to another six months that cannot be binding on us to accelerate our deployment plans before six months.

Q: When the peacekeepers were held as hostages some time ago, President Charles Taylor was looked upon as a credible interlocutor for their release, but during the visit of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Ruud Lubbers to Liberia, he decided talking directly to the RUF instead of President Charles Taylor. Has President Taylor been ostracized by the UN?

A: Obviously we had to utilize whatever means we could to get our hostages released and President Taylor was involved in that process. We thanked him for that. But I think the entire international community as represented by the United Nations has chosen to ostracize President Charles Taylor. The proposed sanctions on President Taylor are a perfect example on that.

***********

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