PERMANENT MISSION OF THE
REPUBLIC OF
SIERRA LEONE TO THE UNITED
NATIONS
by
MINISTER
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION
OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE
THE
FIFTY-FIFTH SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF
THE UNITED NATIONS
Mr. President
Mr. Secretary -General
of the United Nations
Your Excellencies
Distinguished Delegates
May I, on behalf of my delegation
and the Government and people of the Republic of Sierra Leone add my voice
to those before me to offer warm felicitations on your election as President
of this epoch-making Fifty-Fifth Session of the General Assembly, the Millennium
Assembly. Your long and distinguished career in the service of your country
and on the international scene, makes you eminently suitable for your election.
My delegation is confident that under your able guidance, our deliberation
will be smooth and productive. I want to assure you, Mr. President, of my
delegation's fullest cooperation.
To our Brother and Colleague,
His Excellency Mr. Theo Ben-Gurrirab of Namibia, I convey my delegation's
gratitude and appreciation for the able manner in which he conducted the affairs
of the Fifty‑-Fourth Session of the General Assembly.
I will like to thank Mr. Kofi
Annan, the Secretary‑-General of the United Nations and his Colleagues
and Staff whose dedication to duty deserves the highest commendation. I extend
a special gratitude to Mr. Annan for his insight into the problems in my country,
and the objective manner in which he has reported his findings to the Security
Council. The United Nations Security Council has deployed over 13,000 Peacekeeping
troops in Sierra Leone, the largest in any country at any one time. In collaboration
with my Government, it is setting up a Special Court to try all those who
are guilty of the most horrendous and atrocious crimes against humanity. In
furtherance of its interest in bringing stability to the country it has planned
a high powered delegation to Sierra Leone to see things on the ground.
I would also like to extend
warm congratulations to Tuvalu on its admission as the 189th member of this
world organisation.
Mr. President,
Following the unwarranted criminal
abduction by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) of hundreds of the United
Nations Peace -keeping troops (UNAMSIL), a peaceful demonstration by members
of the Civil Society of Sierra Leone was organized to appeal to Foday Sankoh
for the unconditional release of the hostages and to further prevail upon
him to cooperate in order to successfully implement the Lome Peace Agreement,
especially the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Programme.
As soon as the demonstrators
reached his residence, Mr. Sankoh's men opened fire on that unarmed and defenceless
crowd, gunning down twenty and seriously wounding several others, two of whom
died later in Hospital. Subsequent events have revealed that the RUF had planned
a bloody over‑-throw of the Government the following day 9th May
2000. This at first, put the whole Lone Agreement in doubt especially Mr.
Sankoh's role as leader.
Under the Lome Agreement,
Mr. Sankoh was appointed Chairman of the Strategic Mineral Resources
Commission; he used his position to secretly open negotiations with a number of
people for the exploration and sale of Sierra Leone's diamonds without
reference to anyone.
Mr. President,
The Government of Sierra Leone
had signed the Lone Agreement in the belief that it would put an end to the
atrocities being inflicted on defenceless civilians, especially women and
children. Among others, it provided for the demobilization, disarmament and
the reintegration of former combatants into society; it provided for the repatriation
and resettlement of refugees and internally displaced people. It also provided
for the deployment of United Nations Peace‑-keepers (UNAMSIL) in the
country. Although the RUF leaders have lost any right to the provisions of
Lone, but because of those other provisions, my Government will revive the
Agreement particularly the DDR Programme.
My Government has already expressed
condolences to the Governments of those who lost their lives during the hostage
taking. UNAMSIL is to be congratulated for the professional manner in which
it freed the hostages. Another group of bandits, the so‑-called "West
Side Boys" had seized and held captive 10 British service men in Sierra
Leone to train a professional army which would be responsible to the democratically
elected government of the country. They would not release the hostages inspite
of long ;grad patient, negotiations and were even threatening their lives.
Mercifully to everyone's relief, the hostages have been rescued. Unfortunately
one member of the British rescue team lost his life while another was seriously
wounded. My Government has already congratulated the British Government for
the professionalism of the Rescue Team. At the same time we have expressed
heartfelt condolences for the loss of life of a member of the team.
Mr. President,
Another recent and very welcome
Resolution of the Security Council is the ban on the sale of illegal diamonds
from Sierra Leone, the so-called "Blood Diamonds". As it is well
known the proceeds from this trade have been used to fuel the rebel war machine.
I would like to thank the Governments of the United Kindgom, the United States
of America and Canada for their perseverance in pursuing this horrible act,
in calling things by their proper names and in pointing fingers in the right
directions. My Country is confident that the new arrangements for arketing
of our diamonds will not only end the illegal trade, but that it will bring
sanity into the system to the benefit of the country.
Mr. President,
Thanks to the decisive actions
of the Security Council and the Economic Community of West African States
under the indefatigable leadership of President Obasanjo of Nigeria and Konare
of Mali, Sierra Leoneans now see a real light at the end of what has been
a long and tortuous tunnel. The forthcoming trials of those who have committed
such horrendous and inhuman crimes against their fellow countrymen will be
a signal to would-be adventurers that no longer will such impunity go unpunished.
Mr. President, ,
No words here can enough
express the thanks and gratitude of the people of Sierra Leone to the Security
Council, to the International Community as a whole and to the troop
contributing countries. Following the occupation and destruction of the
economic areas, the carting away of our resources, the displacement of hundreds
of thousands of our people and the wanton destruction of life and property, I
would like to appeal to all our friends to continue and intensify their humanitarian
assistance and to support programmes for rebuilding the country.
Mr. President,
We have just entered a new
Millennium, bringing with us many unresolved problems; problems which have been
discussed in this and other international forum over the years and which appear
to lack solution. We have only one world, and my delegation believes that it is
worth our Love. We should therefore demonstrate that Love by adequately
addressing outstanding issues like General Disarmament, Nuclear Non
Proliferation, Peaceful Settlement of Disputes, Prohibition and Control of
Small Arms, Prohibition of Land Mines, Poverty Alleviation, Affordable Drugs
and Treatment of Debilitating and Killer Diseases like Malaria/HIV Aids,
Advancing the Middle East Peace Process in accordance with various Security
Council Resolutions, Equitable Trade Negotiations and Reform of the Security
Council.
I Thank You.