News from the Washington File

24 May 2000
U.N. Mission to Assess UNAMSIL's Problems

(Will look into Sierra Leone mission's shortcomings) (490)
By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan is sending a high-level
mission to Sierra Leone to look into the problems that have plagued
the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone, known as UNAMSIL, and
recommend how to improve the 13,000-troop mission, the U.N. announced
May 24.
U.N. Spokesman Fred Eckhard said the team, to be led by former
Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Manfred Eisele, will
study ways to " improve the mission's ability to discharge its
mandate." It is expected to begin work the week of May 28.
In a written report to the council issued May 22, the
secretary-general said that "looking back on recent events, it is
obvious that the United Nations will have to draw lessons from the
experiences in Sierra Leone. The force, which had been designed,
equipped, and deployed as a peacekeeping force, was quickly forced
into actual combat with one of the parties that had pledged to
cooperate with it.
"In the course of these events, many problems emerged within the
mission, including with regard to command and control, cohesiveness of
the force, the flow of information, equipment and preparedness of
troops, and coordination between and within the various components in
UNAMSIL," Annan said.
The secretary-general added that his comments are not meant to
criticize the force commander, the special envoy, or the troops on the
ground, "many of which displayed considerable courage and
professionalism in defending themselves and their mandate."
The Security Council was informed of Annan's decision during its
private discussions on Sierra Leone. One of the main issues of the
discussion was the secretary-general's report, in which he also said
that UNAMSIL would ultimately have to be increased to 16,500 in order
to adequately fulfill its mandate.
After the meeting Council President Wang Yingfan of China told
journalists that council members intended to act on the
secretary-general's recommendation "shortly."
Council members stressed that the clear priority continues to be the
release of the approximately 250 peacekeepers still detained by the
Revolutionary United Front (RUF), Wang said.
Several mutilated bodies have been found at Rogberi junction wearing
United Nations uniforms, but the U.N. said that it has not yet been
possible to determine if they are U.N. peacekeepers.
"Council members expressed their grave concern at the report of the
discovery of bodies, possibly of U.N. peacekeepers, at Rogberi
junction, [and] emphasized that the RUF is responsible for the fate of
U.N. personnel," the president said.
"The members demand that the RUF release immediately and
unconditionally all remaining detainees and call on all those with
influence with the RUF, including [Liberia's] President Taylor to
insist that this take place forthwith," Wang said.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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U.N. Mission to Assess UNAMSIL's Problems
