07 February 2000
U.N. Expands Sierra Leone Peacekeeping Force
(Soderberg: Helping Sierra Leone peace effort a high priority) (720) By Judy Aita Washington File United Nations Correspondent United Nations -- Emphasizing that helping the government and people of Sierra Leone consolidate peace is a "high priority" for the United States, U.S. Ambassador Nancy Soderberg voted with the rest of the Security Council February 7 to dramatically increase the U.N. peacekeeping force in that country. Soderberg, who is the U.S. alternate representative to the U.N. for special political affairs, said that the principal interest for the United States is "in helping to ensure a durable peace, building a climate of respect for human rights and the democratic process, holding those responsible for atrocities accountable under agreed mechanisms, and providing humanitarian relief to the population. "A peaceful Sierra Leone is important also in contributing to stability in West Africa," the ambassador said. The Security Council voted unanimously to increase the size of the U.N. Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) from 6,000 to 11,100 troops. The force, which will now be the largest U.N. peacekeeping operation, is intended to take on the duties of the departing peacekeeping force of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). That force, which was made up primarily of Nigerian troops, was known as ECOMOG and had 5,500 troops from Ghana, Guinea, Mali, and Nigeria. Some of the Nigerian troops will be incorporated into the U.N. operation. Soderberg said that the U.S. regretted the ECOWAS decision to withdraw from Sierra Leone, "but acknowledges the tremendous sacrifices of the troops." "With ECOMOG's decision to withdraw its forces, it is imperative to avoid a security gap," she said. "The peace process in Sierra Leone remains fragile and it is in all of our interest to help ensure its success." UNAMSIL is helping to implement a peace accord signed in July in Lome, Togo, between Sierra Leonean President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and the leader of the rebel Revolutionary United Front, Foday Sankoh, ending a nine-year-old conflict. One of the U.N. troops' tasks will be to disarm about 45,000 former combatants as part of a disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration program. However, recently there have been reports that rebels had disarmed some peacekeepers instead, in one instance taking a reported 500 rifles. "The former rebels still hold sway in much of the countryside and there are deeply disturbing reports that they have been intimidating UNAMSIL soldiers and seizing their weapons, placing the U.N. troops in the bizarre situation of being disarmed by the rebels, rather than the reverse," Soderberg said. "We are alarmed by these reports and strongly condemn all such actions," the ambassador said. She called on Sankoh and other rebel leaders "to bring an immediate halt to these dangerous and reprehensible actions" and to "permit the U.N. forces to carry out their mandate in Sierra Leone without confrontation or violence." Soderberg pointed out that both the October 1999 resolution setting up UNAMSIL and the current resolution expanding the force give it authority under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter to "take all necessary action" to ensure the security and freedom of movement of the peacekeepers. The resolution authorizes UNAMSIL to provide security at key locations and government buildings, important intersections, and major airports; to facilitate the free flow of people, goods, and humanitarian aid along specific routes; to provide security at disarmament sites and guard weapons, ammunition, and other military equipment collected from ex-combatants; and to help Sierra Leone's law enforcement authorities. It also said that UNAMSIL may take necessary action within its capabilities and areas of deployment "to afford protection to civilians under imminent threat of physical violence." The council emphasized the importance of the government's exercising full control over the gold, diamonds, and other resources of the country "for the benefit of the people" and underlined the "ultimate responsibility" of the government to provide adequate security forces in the country. UNAMSIL is to include the 260 military observers already deployed. Its mandate is for six months, and Secretary-General Kofi Annan was asked to report to the council every 45 days on security conditions on the ground so that troop levels and UNAMSIL duties can be kept under review. (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.)
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