Annan recommends UNOL extension

The United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has recommended a one-year extension of the Peace-Building Office in Liberia (UNOL), the UN reported on Thursday. Liberia was still going through a difficult political, security and humanitarian crisis prompting Annan to make the recommendation, the UN said. "The UNOL continues to contribute to national efforts at reconciliation, while at the same time monitoring developments and assisting in the promotion of respect for human rights and the rule of law," it said. Annan said UNOL had kept him and the Council informed about the evolving situation in Liberia and it had provided a useful link between the country and the international community, especially since sanctions were imposed. He however added that if the Council decided on a different engagement in Liberia, he would submit to it a revised mandate for UNOL. Annan on 17 September appointed Abou Moussa as his new representative in Liberia and head of UNOL. Moussa had been the Regional Director of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cote d'Ivoire.