DATE=7/25/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=U-N-SIERRA LEONE (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-264796
BYLINE=BRECK ARDERY
DATELINE=UNITED NATIONS
CONTENT=
INTRO: Under pressure from the United States, the
United Nations Security Council seems to be moving
away from the idea of an immediate increase in the
size of the U-N peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone.
VOA Correspondent Breck Ardery reports from the United
Nations.
TEXT: There has recently been talk of increasing the
size of the Sierra Leone mission from 13-thousand to
16-thousand-500-troops. But indications now are that
the next Security Council resolution on Sierra Leone
will not authorize any troop increase.
American U-N representative Nancy Soderberg told
reporters that the United States wants to reassess the
role and mandate of the Sierra Leone mission, known as
UNAMSIL.
///Soderberg act///
It is our view that the situation in Sierra
Leone merits a review of the purpose of UNAMSIL
in Sierra Leone. It is important to define the
tasks and then the numbers, not the other way
around.
///end act///
Ms. Soderberg says there is a growing consensus in the
Security Council to redefine the peacekeeper's mandate
in Sierra Leone before increasing the size of the
force.
Britain, which is proposing a resolution on Sierra
Leone, has dropped a provision for more troops and is
concentrating on toughening the mandate. Among other
things, a planned resolution directs the peacekeepers
to take more aggressive action to prevent rebels from
moving into areas under government control and to
assist the government in regaining its authority over
parts of Sierra Leone which are now in the hands of
the Revolutionary United Front.
Although the U-N peacekeeping force has had some
recent successes, it faced humiliating setbacks during
the first several months of the mission, including
having peacekeepers taken as hostages.(Signed)
NEB/UN/BA/LSF/PT
25-Jul-2000 17:34 PM EDT (25-Jul-2000 2134 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
