UNITED
NATIONS
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
News and Highlights from the President
President
of General Assembly in Sierra Leone Meets with President,
UNAMSIL and UN Country Team Officials
14 April 2002
(Based on UNAMSIL Press Release)
Freetown – The visiting President of the 56th Session of the UN General Assembly, Dr. Han Seung-soo, yesterday traveled to UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) deployments in Mile 91, Makeni and Magburaka, to familiarize himself with the work of the peacekeepers on the ground. He also met with members of the Diplomatic Corps in Freetown and addressed Sierra Leonean journalists at a press conference.
Accompanied by the Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Daniel Opande, Dr. Han witnessed repair work being undertaken by peacekeepers of Bangladesh Engineering (BANENG) 2 along the 54-kilometer long Mile 91-Magburaka road. So far, 13.5 kilometers of the road have been repaired by BANENG employing local labour to assist the peacekeepers.
The General Assembly President then visited Nigerian Battalion (NIBATT) 11 for a briefing by the Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. O.O. Keshinro. Security preparations under way by the battalion for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections were outlined, as well as the achievements of the troops in distribution of food, destruction of ordnance and support for municipal projects. At NIBATT 11 headquarters, Dr. Han viewed the storage areas for destroyed arms collected during the disarmament process, as well as shotguns brought in under the Community Arms Collection and Destruction programme.
His next stop was Magburaka, Sector 4 Headquarters, where he received an update on election activities by the Commanding Officer of Bangladesh Battalion (BANBATT) 6, Col. Shawkat. He also visited the Bangladesh Level II hospital, where local residents were awaiting treatment by Bangladeshi medical personnel.
Returning to Freetown, Dr. Han met with members of the Diplomatic Corps, whom he thanked for their support to UNAMSIL. During discussions on the progress made in the peace process, the General Assembly President said he was impressed with the state of preparedness for the elections.
During a press conference with over 25 local journalists, Dr. Han commended UNAMSIL for the successful restoration and maintenance of peace in Sierra Leone. He said he was deeply touched by and impressed with the commitment of UNAMSIL personnel, which had made the Mission “one of the most successful peacekeeping operations in the history of the United Nations.”
The General Assembly President also expressed hopes that the upcoming elections would be held in “a peaceful and fair manner, supported by the continued efforts of UNAMSIL in close cooperation with the Government of Sierra Leone. He hoped his current trip would provide “momentum” for the UN and the international community “to renew their resolve” to achieve durable peace and stability in Africa – “the basis for genuine African development.”
Last evening, Dr.
Han was the guest of honour at a reception hosted by the Special Representative
of the Secretary-General, Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji. He is scheduled
to depart Sierra Leone for the Gambia and Senegal this morning.