Annan recommends extending, expanding UNAMSIL

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has proposed the extension and expansion of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) that was sent there on 22 October 1990 to keep the peace in the war-torn nation.

In his latest report to the Security Council on Wednesday, Annan restated his previous recommendations that some 20,500 troops were needed for UNAMSIL to deploy in “sufficient strength” to key areas of the country. This increase, he said, would help UNAMSIL fulfil its mandate and aid the government in regaining control of Sierra Leone’s natural resources, [such as the diamond fields], and key border areas.

He reported that several countries were considering providing additional troops and equipment to the mission which might bring its strength to 17,500 in the next six months. News reports on Sunday quoted Nepal’s Defence Ministry spokesman, Bhola Silwal, as saying his country was considering sending 900 troops to Sierra Leone. As of Monday UNAMSIL’s troop strength was 11,265.

Annan also recommended that UNAMSIL’s mandate be extended for another six months until 30 September.

He said that while the situation in Sierra Leone had remained relatively stable since the Sierra Leonean government and the RUF signed the Abuja peace accord on 10 November 2000, the recent fighting along the borders of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia remained worrying.

On Monday, Liberia ordered the expulsion of the ambassadors to Guinea and Sierra Leone and the closure of the border with the two countries.

Annan expressed “deep concern” over the continuing reluctance of the RUF to disarm, which, he said, “leaves serious doubts about their intentions”. He said that it appeared, so far, that the RUF was “ready to implement only those aspects of the Abuja Agreement that pose no threat to its military strength and to its exploitation of the natural resources of the country.”

He added, “This position deepens considerably the reluctance on the part of the government to engage the RUF in a political dialogue and to create the confidence that is necessary for such a dialogue to bear fruit.”

The Security Council is expected to discuss Sierra Leone in its consultations next week, the UN said.