PRESS BRIEFING HIGHLITES
26 APRIL 2001



UNAMSIL FASCILITATES RESTORATION OF CIVIL AUTHORITY

On 25 April, the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) participated in a meeting of the Task Force for the Restoration of Civil Authority. The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Governance and Stabilization, Alan Doss, reported that Civil Affairs officers deployed in Lunsar were working closely with non-governmental organizations to facilitate their return to the area, and that UNAMSIL's Civilian Police would be deployed shortly in Lunsar to pave the way for the Sierra Leone Police. A representative from the Ministry of Education informed the meeting that learning materials had been sent to Lunsar and that a one-month programme for sensitization of school authorities in Lunsar had been drawn up with Civil Affairs Section of UNAMSIL. He also told the meeting that the ministry planned to hold this year's National Primary School Examination (NPSE) in Makeni and Magburaka on 11 May 2001.

UNAMSIL MEETS WITH GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE

The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and Government of Sierra Leone met on 24 April at the Presidential Lodge for their regular forthnightly coordination meeting. The meeting discussed the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration; the recent clashes between Civil Defence Forces (CDF) and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Tongo; and the forthcoming meeting to review the implementation of the Abuja Ceasefire Agreement.

ACTING FORCE COMMANDER VISITS KONO DISTRICT

The Acting Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), Maj.Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, yesterday visited Kono District for the first time since the inception of the Mission. He was accompanied by Deputy Chief Military Observer Col. Charles Mankatah; Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics, Col. Kofi Yaboh; the Force Engineer Commander, Lt. Col. Mobiz; the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Dennis Johnson; and other staff officers from the Force Headquarters.

Upon his arrival in the district town of Koidu, Gen. Agwai was received by the Sector 4 Commander, Brig. Gen. Hassan, and the top officials of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) who included its leader, Gen. Issa Sesay; Col. Jonathan Kposowa, the Director of Administration; Col. Abdulrasak, Chairman of the RUF Contact Group; Col. Fenbeh and Col. Base Marine, the Commander of the 5th RUF Brigade at Magburaka, as well as Philip John Kanu, the President of the National Student of Sierra Leone.

Gen. Agwai told the RUF officials that his team had come to Kono District to see and assess the situation on the ground following complaints by the RUF of incessant attacks from Guinea and the Civil Defence Forces. UNAMSIL is yet to deploy in Kono District. The Acting Force Commander stressed that UNAMSIL, being a neutral body, would continue with its policy of impartiality.

In response, Gen. Issa Sesay welcomed the Acting Force Commander and his team to the area before taking them to see the extent of damage Gen. Sesay claimed to have been inflicted by the Guineans and CDF. The RUF leader also accompanied Gen. Agwai to Kono Hospital and visited people who were wounded during the border fight with Guinean troops. Gen. Agwai later visited the camps for the internally displaced persons in Kono where Mr. Johnson from OCHA reiterated the need for the RUF to release child soldiers and abducted women. Mr. Johnson also promised to arrange for humanitarian organizations to visit Kono in order to assess the situation and determine the needs of the local people. The Acting Force Commander promised the RUF that UNAMSIL would visit the villages RUF claimed were damaged as a result of the attack. Gen. Agwai was not able to inspect the attack due to time constraints.

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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

 

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