18 July 2003
U.N. Special Envoy For Liberia Calls for "Quick Action" In Crisis
Jacques Klein urges ECOWAS deployment
By Judy Aita
Washington File Staff Writer
United Nations -- The situation in Liberia calls for "quick and concerted international action to address the human suffering" in that West African nation, the new U.N. special envoy for Liberia said July 17.
At his first press conference since undertaking the task of directing U.N. efforts in Liberia, Jacques Klein said that it is important for troops from the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) to be deployed quickly, the United States to make a quick assessment of what they will offer, and a U.N. assessment team to get into the country to determine what is needed for a long-term U.N. peacekeeping operation.
"The key thing we need is for ECOWAS to move quickly," Klein said. "ECOWAS units have been trained. ECOWAS units should be ready, because the Americans will not make their decision until the ECOWAS troops are deployed."
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan appointed Klein, an American who represented the United Nations in the Balkans for several years, as his special representative for Liberia to lead and coordinate the activities of the United Nations July 9.
Klein accompanied Annan when he met with President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington July 14
Klein said that he was "very taken by President Bush's commitment to do something" and "delighted to see the president's personal commitment based on his visit there having a genuine feeling for some of the problems that exist."
However, the U.N. envoy said, the United States "is waiting to see what the region will do first.
"I think there is a great deal of sympathy, a great deal of willingness to make a commitment, a willingness to make a decision once (the U.S. sees) that the region itself has made a serious commitment ... not just a pro forma show of force."
On July 16 the secretary general outlined the general understanding on getting assistance into the country, saying that ECOWAS first would send in a vanguard force of between 1,000 and 1,500 troops. Once they have arrived, Liberian President Charles Taylor would step down and leave for Nigeria. At that time, U.S. and other reinforcements would move into the country to join ECOWAS. A U.N. assessment team would then determine what kind and how many personnel will be needed for a longer-term U.N. peacekeeping operation that would take over from ECOWAS in about two months. The intention is to have a U.N. mission that includes military, police, and civilian administration.
"The danger is that the longer it takes for ECOWAS to be deployed," Klein said, "the more the other confronting parties see a vacuum: is he (Taylor) leaving; isn't he leaving?"
Also important, the U.N. envoy said, are the constraints Nigeria places on Taylor's movements and freedom. "The danger is someone with a cell phone in Nigeria manipulating things from abroad does not help us stabilize Liberia. There has to be some real constraints placed here," Klein said.
The humanitarian situation in Liberia is undoubtedly among the worst in the world and has deteriorated dramatically since the fighting in Monrovia early last month, Klein said.
"There are at least 250,000 (internally displaced persons) in Monrovia at present, many of whom have fled violence two or three times in the past few months. They suffer from cholera, malaria. The diseases are obviously spread because of lack of clean water, basic sanitation facilities, and shelter. Hospitals are totally overwhelmed, unable to cope with the sheer number of incoming patients, and now lack the basic medicines and sanitation and water," he continued.
"In and around Monrovia, looting and robbery are widespread; reports of human rights violations are persistent. Residents in camps complain of harassment by armed groups. Desperate people are unable to forage even for food because they fear for their lives," Klein said.
He estimated that 40,000 armed militants are roaming throughout the country.
"It is simply not safe enough for humanitarian agencies to operate to save the lives that need to be saved," the U.N. envoy said.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=July&x=20030718124307atiA0.5207025&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html
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