UN to support elections next year

Presidential and parliamentary elections to be held in May 2002 in Sierra Leone will provide a chance to consolidate that country's peace process, which "has reached an important juncture", UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in his latest report on Sierra Leone to the UN Security Council.

Since September, the overall security situation remained generally stable but, Annan warned, tensions could resurface in the months before the voting if the electoral process were not seen as transparent and credible. The "situation calls for continued vigilance to ensure the elections are a success," he said.

"The role of the UN and other international partners will be to provide support to enhance the National Electoral Commission's capacity to organise and conduct the elections," Annan explained. After the elections, major challenges will include rehabilitating infrastructure, supporting reconciliation, and addressing accountability, he added.

The deployment of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) had created a more secure environment, increased freedom of movement, enabled the gradual return of refugees, and promoted economic resurgence in the provinces, Annan said. However, he noted that Sierra Leone needed to restore the authority of its government, reintegrate ex-combatants, and resettle refugees and displaced persons.

The disarmament of former fighters is expected to be completed by the end of December. The report, dated 13 September, said 36,000 ex-combatants had turned in 13,500 weapons and 2.8 million assorted pieces of ammunition, exceeding initial estimates. The final number of ex-combatants to disarm is now expected to be about 40,000, it said.

Referring to the UN peacekeeping force's role in disarmament, the deployment of police in newly accessible areas and related issues, Annan said UNAMSIL had "completed implementing its military concept of operations for the year 2001". UNAMSIL is now reconfiguring its deployment to prepare to provide support for the elections, according to the report. It also plans to set up an electoral office in each of the country's five electoral regions, while its troops would patrol more widely to promote confidence during the polling period.

Annan said because of relative peace, Sierra Leone's economy grew at about six percent this year - up from 3.8 percent in 2000. "The continuing improvement in the security situation, greater freedom of movement of people and goods, and increased resettlement and reconstruction activities have imparted considerable momentum to the recovery of economic activity that began in 2000," Annan said. "There has been growing investor and consumer confidence as a result of the progress made in the peace process."

He also said the process of setting up a truth and reconciliation commission was moving ahead, while an appeal for funds is to be launched so that it can start operations by mid-2002.

The full report can be viewed at
http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/reports/2001/sgrep01.htm