The United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) was established under Security Council resolution 856 (1993) of 10 August 1993 to work with the Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the implementation of the Cotonou Peace Agreement signed between the Liberian parties on 25 July 1993. However, delays and obstacles created by different Liberian factions with respect to the Agreement necessitated a range of subsequent agreements between the factions, and the work of UNOMIL had to continue far beyond the original time-frame of the Security Council resolution.
Initial progress was made under the Cotonou Peace Agreement and this encouraged the Security Council, by its resolution 911 (1994) of 21 April 1994, to extend the mandate of UNOMIL until 22 October 1994, with the expectation that the Mission would be terminated in December 1994. Subsequently, the situation in Liberia took a negative turn as fighting intensified between factions and the whole peace process came to a standstill.
My Special Envoy, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, visited Liberia from 16 to 26 August 1994 in order to assist me in determining options for the United Nations in facilitating the peace process. Shortly thereafter, the Chairman of ECOWAS, President Jerry Rawlings of Ghana, convened a meeting of the factions at Akosombo, Ghana, on 7 September to review the delays in implementing the peace process. This meeting resulted in the signing at Akosombo, on 12 September, of a supplementary agreement to the Cotonou Peace Agreement.
The conclusion of the Akosombo Agreement coincided with an upsurge of fighting in Liberia and, on 9 September, 43 unarmed United Nations military observers and six non-governmental organization personnel were detained. By 18 September, they had all been released or otherwise found their way to safety. In September 1994, with the breakdown in the cease-fire, and the fact that the security of unarmed military observers could not be assured, I restricted UNOMIL military operations to the greater Monrovia area and reduced the Mission's military component from its authorized strength of 368 to approximately 90 observers.
In mid-November, I sent a high-level mission, led by the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, to the region to consult with the Chairman of ECOWAS and the heads of ECOWAS States on how best to revive the peace process. Soon thereafter, the Chairman of ECOWAS carried out further consultations with the Liberian parties and interest groups, which led to the signing of a further agreement at Accra on 21 December 1994.
The Accra Agreement, unlike the Akosombo Agreement, was signed by all the Liberian factions and attempted to clarify the Akosombo Agreement. Other than a new cease-fire which came into effect on 28 December 1994, the factions failed to implement all the other major elements of the Accra Agreement, including the decision to form a new Council of State. The cease-fire, while re-established on 28 December, again broke down in early February 1995.
On 28 December, my new Special Representative for Liberia, Mr. Anthony Nyakyi (United Republic of Tanzania), took up his office in Monrovia. Since then Mr. Nyakyi has been consulting the Liberian factions, the Chairman of ECOWAS, as well as the Heads of State of ECOWAS, with a view to facilitating the search for a peaceful solution to the continuing hostilities.
In its resolution 972 (1995) of 13 January 1995, the Security Council expressed deep concern over the Liberian situation. It also expressed the hope that a summit of the ECOWAS States would be convened to harmonize their policies on Liberia, in particular the application of the arms embargo imposed by the Security Council in resolution 788 (1992). On 11 March 1995, President Rawlings of Ghana and I agreed at a meeting in Copenhagen that, subject to the concurrence of the Nigerian Head of State, a summit of the ECOWAS Committee of Nine would be held at Abuja.
In my ninth progress report to the Security Council of 24 February 1995 (S/1995/158), I conveyed specific options to the Council, including the provision of necessary resources to ECOMOG if the Liberian factions would demonstrate readiness to implement the Accra Agreement. I express my appreciation to the countries contributing troops to ECOMOG; they have made enormous sacrifices since the operation was launched in 1990.
On 13 April 1995, the Security Council adopted resolution 985 (1995) extending the mandate of UNOMIL until 30 June 1995. Following extensive consultations between the Chairman of ECOWAS and the West African Heads of State and several contacts between the Chairman and myself, the third meeting of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS Committee of Nine on Liberia was held at Abuja from 17 to 20 May 1995. The Heads of State of Côte d'Ivoire, the Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo attended the meeting. Burkina Faso and Guinea were represented by their Foreign Ministers. The Senior Minister at the Presidency for Governmental Affairs and National Defence of Benin and the Minister of African Economic Integration of Senegal also attended. My Special Envoy, Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky, and my Special Representative for Liberia, Mr. Anthony Nyakyi, were also present, as were the Eminent Person for Liberia of the Organization of African Unity, Reverend Canaan Banana, and the Special Envoy for Liberia of the United States of America, Mr. Dane Smith.
Delegations were sent by the following Liberian parties: the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), the Lofa Defense Force (LDF), the Liberia National Conference (LNC), the Liberian Peace Council (LPC), the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), the Central Revolutionary Council of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (CRC-NPFL), Alhaji Kromah's wing of the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO-K) and General Roosevelt Johnson's wing of ULIMO (ULIMO-J). Mr. David Kpomakpor, the current Chairman of the Council of State, participated in the meeting. Delegations of all the Liberian factions except NPFL were headed by their respective leaders. At the invitation of the Government of Nigeria, Mr. Charles Taylor, the leader of NPFL and the only Liberian faction leader who did not attend the ECOWAS summit, travelled to Abuja on 2 June for consultations with Nigerian officials. On 10 June 1995, I submitted my eleventh progress report on UNOMIL to the Security Council (S/1995/473). By unanimously adopting resolution 1001 (1995) on 30 June 1995, the Council extended the mandate of UNOMIL until 15 September 1995 and declared that unless serious and substantial progress was made towards a peaceful settlement, the Mission would not be renewed after that date. The Council urged the Liberian parties to use the Mission's extension to implement the peace process envisaged in the Akosombo and Accra agreements of 1994, particularly their provisions on the installation of the Council of State; the re-establishment of a comprehensive and effective cease-fire; the disengagement of all forces; and the creation of a timetable for the implementation of disarmament agreements.
My Special Representative conveyed to the Liberian factions the contents of Security Council resolution 1001 (1995) and urged them to abandon their selfish, narrow interests and agree on positive urgent steps to bring peace to their country. The Liberian factions also held a consultative meeting, with the exception of NPFL, on 19 July which was attended by my Special Representative and the representatives of OAU and ECOWAS.
The eighteenth summit meeting of ECOWAS was held at Accra on 28 and 29 July 1995, and was attended by the Heads of State of Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia and the Niger. In his report to the Committee of Nine, the Chairman of ECOWAS (the President of Ghana) pointed out that positive developments, which he characterized as confidence-building measures, had taken place since the last Abuja summit. He also referred to the recent Monrovia consultative meetings and deplored the fact that, despite all efforts made, some of the outstanding issues remained unresolved. He referred to Security Council resolution 1001 (1995) and explained the final deadline set by the Council. He called on the United Nations to continue assisting the peace process.
The Liberian factional leaders agreed on 19 August 1995 to end hostilities and to hold elections within a year. The cease-fire in Liberia came into force on 26 August 1995.
In the context of Security Council resolution 1001 (1995), if serious and substantial progress is achieved by 15 September, it was agreed that the Council would consider restoring UNOMIL to its full strength, with appropriate adjustment of its mandate and its relationship with ECOMOG, including matters relating to post-conflict peace-building in Liberia. In this regard, the swearing in of a Council of State for Liberia on 1 September 1995 gives rise to hopes for a new momentum for peace. The assistance of the international community will be crucial in this regard.
On 15 January 1995, I launched the United Nations consolidated inter-agency appeal for Liberia. The appeal sought $65 million required by United Nations agencies and programmes to meet the life-saving needs of the 1.8 million Liberians affected by the war. As at 10 August, the international donors' community had contributed 71 per cent of the funds requested.
United Nations humanitarian agencies and programmes, in cooperation with non-governmental organizations, have developed agreed protocols for carrying out relief work in Liberia. Guided by these principles, the humanitarian assistance community will continue to work with my Special Representative to gain access to as many war-affected civilians as possible.
To return to the Table of Contents