Annan recommends six-month extension of UN mission

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has recommended the extension by a further six months of the mandate of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). The recommendation came in a 7 September report on UNAMSIL which Annan presented to the UN Security Council.

He said UNAMSIL would continue to assist in the completion of Sierra Leone's disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programme and the implementation of a ceasefire agreement signed in Abuja late last year. It will also support preparations for elections scheduled for 14 May 2002. Annan said he would report later to the council on the additional resources needed to enable UNAMSIL to support the Sierra Leonean government in the electoral process, including, if necessary, a temporary increase in its military strength.

Annan said UNAMSIL’s strength stood at 16,664 as at 5 September - its authorised ceiling is 17,500 - making it the biggest peacekeeping operation in the world. He noted that recent progress in the peace process, particularly in the DDR programme and the release of child soldiers and abductees, has meant that UNAMSIL has had to take on new tasks such as providing transport for those children and additional logistical assistance to the disarmament programme.

Annan expressed "cautious optimism" regarding the consolidation of the peace process but warned that the months leading up to elections "could be fraught with tensions that could adversely affect the recent impressive gains in the peace process". UNAMSIL has recently deployed in the eastern diamond mining regions of Sierra Leone.

Before elections can be held in Sierra Leone, Annan said, certain benchmarks need to have been achieved. These include the completion of the DDR programme, the transformation of the former rebel Revolutionary United Front into a political party, the full deployment of UNAMSIL, and the restoration of freedom of movement and civil authority throughout the country. To this end, he urged Sierra Leone's government to speedily deploy the police and the army nationwide. He also welcomed the establishment of a National Recovery Committee dedicated to restoring essential government services to rural communities.

Annan expressed concern over the "precarious humanitarian situation" in many areas of the country and violence against women. He urged all parties to respect human rights, particularly those of women and children, and called on the government to improve prison conditions.

Annan called on donors to offer technical and other assistance to the RUF to enable it to transform itself into "a genuine political party". He urged them to meet shortfalls in the budget for the DDR programme so as to help satisfy the long-term needs of former combatants trying to reintegrate into society. This, he said, was "crucial to the success of the entire process". He also urged donors to respond positively to a UN appeal for funds to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a Special Court for Sierra Leone.