Security Council extends UNAMSIL’s mandate

The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously approved a resolution to extend the mandate of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) to 8 September. It also agreed that UNAMSIL’s military component “should be reinforced through accelerated troop rotations [and] with further aviation and maritime assets, a strengthened force reserve, upgraded communications and specialist combat and logistic support assets”, the UN reported. The Council said that for UNAMSIL to achieve its objectives it would need fully equipped peacekeeping units with the required capabilities and the commitment to implement the mandate in full. It asked UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to report to it as soon as possible with recommendations for restructuring and strengthening the mission. British Ambassador to the UN Jeremy Greenstock told reporters after the resolution had been passed that the Council would continue reinforcing UNAMSIL’s capability to deal with the Revolutionary United Front until the rebels realised that the military option was “pointless”. UNAMSIL’s authorised strength is 13,000. In a May report, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan recommended increasing it to 16,500. The Security Council also discussed the possibility of sending a mission to Sierra Leone later in the year, while a draft resolution on the trial of Sierra Leoneans accused of violating international humanitarian law is to be debated on Thursday.