UN mission to address ceasefire violations in Liberia tomorrow10 November – The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) will tackle the recent ceasefire violations at the next Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) meeting, scheduled for tomorrow.
The violations were reported in Nimba County, an area bordering the neighbouring countries of Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire.
UNMIL's Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Daniel Opande, toured Nimba County last week, calling on fighters from the former Liberian government militia and the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) to end their hostilities immediately.
"We saw dead bodies, burnt houses and devastated towns, and only fighters were there," said General Opande. The local population had deserted the towns along the Tapeta-Sagleipie axis, moving for safety towards Sagleipie. "Indeed, the whole area has become a battlefront between government militia and MODEL forces."
General Opande also urged the leaders of the groups to exert control over fighters in their forces.
The Force Commander said UNMIL peacekeepers would return to Nimba in the coming week to "verify whether our message to both the government militia and MODEL fighters is being heeded."
"We are also prepared to provide necessary assistance to UN agencies intending to provide humanitarian assistance to displaced persons in Nimba County," he added.
The JMC is chaired by General Opande and includes representatives of the former Liberian Government, MODEL and the group Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD).
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