28 July 2003
Talks Begin at U.N. on Liberia Resolution
Security Council looking to authorize U.N. peacekeeping force
By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- The United States has begun talking with other Security Council members about a possible resolution on Liberia, the chief U.S. representative to the United Nations said July 28.
U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte said the U.S. does not have "a specific timetable in mind yet" on when a resolution would be ready, however.
In response to questions from journalists outside the Security Council chambers, Negroponte acknowledged that the U.S. is concerned about reports that the Liberian rebel group LURD is getting logistical support from Guinean territory. Guinea is currently a non-permanent member of the 15-nation Security Council.
"It is a source of concern that weapons might be flowing to the LURD from outside of Liberia, and we do believe that sort of activity should stop forthwith," he said.
"We believe it's important that all outside countries refrain and desist from providing any weapons to the parties of the conflict in Liberia," Negroponte said.
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said he hopes that the council will soon have a draft resolution "that will establish a U.N. peacekeeping force to manage the long-term situation in Liberia."
The expectation has been that ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) would send in a vanguard force of about 1,500 troops, at which time Liberian President Charles Taylor would leave the country. That would be followed by additional forces, including some from the United States, for a period of about three months, at which time a long-term U.N. peacekeeping force would be authorized and deployed.
But for the moment, the secretary general said, "we would want to see the ECOWAS troops deployed."
"I am happy that the U.S. ships are sailing toward Liberia, and I expect the U.S. troops will have an important role to play," Annan said.
"In the meantime I would appeal to the factions in Liberia to honor the cease-fire agreements they signed, and particularly the rebel groups LURD to heed the appeal also from the U.S. Ambassador (John Blaney) to stop the siege of the city and stop the shelling," he said.
By their "reckless behavior that is killing many innocent Liberians and making it impossible for us to deliver humanitarian assistance," LURD members "may be disqualifying themselves from any future role in Liberian life," the secretary general said.
"How can the people accept people who have no concern for their lives? How can they expect to move into leadership positions after this behavior?" he asked. "So they should think about that."
Negroponte said that since talks on the deployment of ECOWAS troops were taking place in Africa, he was did not know any deployment details. "But certainly the hope is that the ECOWAS forces will be able to be deployed in the very near future," he 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)
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