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Annan appeals for troop contributions to UN mission in Sierra Leone
1 November -- Against the backdrop of recent troop withdrawals from the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged States to contribute soldiers to the operation, warning that a continued lack of support could negatively affect peace efforts in the country.

In a report issued today at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Annan warns that recent offers of troop contributions will "barely be enough" to compensate for the withdrawal of the Jordanian and Indian contingents. There are also fears that if UNAMSIL does not receive the peacekeepers it needs now, it will be impossible to further strengthen the Mission into the year 2001, as had been previously envisaged, the report states.

"The credibility of the international community's military presence in Sierra Leone, which is a key element of its peace efforts in that country, could be undermined," Mr. Annan writes, adding that the situation could also have negative repercussions for the efforts of the international community to promote peace and security in the region and beyond. "I therefore appeal to Member States, in particular those with large and well-equipped armed forces, to urgently consider participating in UNAMSIL with troops and/or equipment."

In the meantime, the implementation of the Mission's current mandate - in particular its deployment on the ground - will have to be adjusted in the light of the available resources, according to the report.

The report also contains specific information on the humanitarian situation in Sierra Leone, including the plight of the 300,000 Sierra Leoneans who have been newly displaced since last May, bringing the total number of displaced to half a million. Despite the expansion of some camps, the existing sites are "seriously overcrowded," Mr. Annan writes. The plight of about one million Sierra Leoneans who remain beyond the reach of aid agencies in rebel-controlled areas is also flagged.

Turning to the crises facing West Africa as a whole, Mr. Annan says he shares the conclusion of a recent Security Council mission on the need for "comprehensive action." "The recent disquieting developments in Côte d'Ivoire are a further vindication of the need for such an approach," he writes, noting that he has set up a task force to make recommendations on a "coordinated and coherent" UN response to the problems of the subregion.