SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES COMPLETION ON 18 OCTOBER OF WEAPONS DESTRUCTION PROGRAMME IN LIBERIA

Press Release
SG/SM/7184
AFR/188

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES COMPLETION ON 18 OCTOBER OF WEAPONS DESTRUCTION PROGRAMME IN LIBERIA

The following statement was issued today by the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General welcomes the completion on 18 October of the weapons destruction programme in Liberia.

The exercise, which began on 25 July, has involved the destruction of over 19,000 small and heavy calibre weapons and more than three million rounds of ammunition collected by the United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States’ Monitoring Observes Group (ECOMOG) during the disarmament exercise of 1996 - 1997.

The Secretary-General believes that the weapons disposal in Liberia represents an important step towards curbing the dangerous proliferation of weapons in West Africa and towards enhancing confidence and cooperation among the countries and peoples of the region.

The Secretary-General expresses appreciation to all those who worked closely and tirelessly to ensure the successful completion of this exercise, in particular the Government of Liberia under the leadership of President Taylor, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), the United Nations offices, programmes and agencies, as well as those Member States which provided the much needed financial assistance.

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