SECRETARY-GENERAL APPEALS FOR MAJOR INTERNATIONAL ROLE IN COUNTRY'S PEACE PROCESS, ASKS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FOR SUPPORT

27 October 1995

Press Release
CT/639
IHA/581

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPEALS FOR MAJOR INTERNATIONAL ROLE IN COUNTRY'S PEACE PROCESS, ASKS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FOR SUPPORT

19951027 Other Co-Chairman of Conference and 16 Additional Speakers Heard

The Secretary-General this morning appealed to the international community to play a major role in the Liberian peace process and called on the financial institutions to provide cohesive support in the process of recovery and rehabilitation, as he addressed the United Nations Conference on Assistance to Liberia.

As one of three Co-Chairmen of the Conference, the Secretary-General said Liberia had been a "forgotten" emergency while conditions elsewhere dominated international attention. The costs of peace-keeping in the former Yugoslavia for five days equalled the entire budget for the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) for an entire year. That distortion in the use of resources needed to be corrected. The Conference offered that opportunity. The United Nations was committed to the early and effective implementation of the Abuja Agreement.

Outlining the priority areas for assistance, the Secretary-General said even though Member States were experiencing financial difficulties, a relatively small investment would bring significant benefit not only to Liberia but to the region as a whole. The economic and social needs of the Liberian people had to be addressed if peace and stability were to be achieved. (For full text of statement, see Press Release SG/SM/580-CT/640- IHA/582.)

The Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the President of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings, said the cease-fire in Liberia continued to hold. However, moral, financial and material assistance were urgently required. It was estimated that $90.5 million would be needed to maintain the Economic Community of West African States' Monitoring Observer Group (ECOMOG) at a minimum strength of 12,000 troops. If the logistical support was provided, the region would be able to provide the extra troops needed to maintain peace. In addition, for the creation of demobilization sites to induce ex-combatants to surrender, UNOMIL would require nearly $65 million.

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The Chairman of the Liberian Council of State, Wilton Sankawolo, called for the support of the international community to help his country realize the objectives of the peace process. His Government had prepared an international appeal document which outlined the country's priority needs. Liberians were now determined to rebuild their country under a democratic government, the rule of law and a climate of reconciliation, he said.

The Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), Salim Ahmed Salim, said the efforts of ECOMOG in supervising the implementation of the peace agreements were constrained by lack of financial and logistical resources. In view of the disappointing response to date by the international community to appeals, the United Nations and the Security Council should consider ways to concretely assist the peace process in Liberia.

The Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Gustave Speth, called attention to four projects totalling $12.3 million outlined by UNDP for re-integration, vocational training, rehabilitation of infrastructure and support for elections.

Also addressing the Conference this morning were the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, Chref Tom Ikima; the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Peter Hansen; the Under-Secretary-General for Peace- keeping Operations, Kofi Annan; and the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, Catherine Bertini.

During the Conference, pledges were made by the United States Agency for International Development, the European Commission, France, the United Kingdom, Egypt and Gambia.

Statements were also made by Spain, speaking on behalf of the European Union and itself, Germany, Sweden and Norway.

The Conference meets to continue its general discussion at 3 p.m. this afternoon.

Conference Work Programme

Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali co-chaired a United Nations Conference on Assistance to Liberia this morning, together with the President of Ghana and current Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Jerry Rawlings, and the Chairman of the Liberian Council of State, Wilton Sankawolo. The Conference has been convened in support of the objectives of the recently concluded Abuja Peace Agreement signed by the various factions in the Liberian conflict.

In addition to the three Co-Chairmen, the Conference is scheduled to hear statements by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Peter Hansen, the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Gustave Speth, and the Under-Secretary-General for Peace-keeping Operations, Kofi Annan.

The annotated agenda for the Conference (document SG/CONF.8/1) states that the Abuja Agreement, which was signed on 19 August, has created an opportunity to bring an end to the conflict that has ravaged Liberia for more than half a decade. It is now imperative that the international community advance the peace process by giving prompt and effective support for humanitarian assistance, the disarmament and demobilization processes and recovery and rehabilitation needs. Assistance was also needed for the Economic Community of West African States' Monitoring Observer Group (ECOMOG) which has been implementing an earlier peace agreement -- the July 1993 Cotonou Agreement -- as well as subsequent peace agreements in Liberia with support from the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL).

The following areas of assistance are expected to be the focus of the Conference: humanitarian assistance and mobilization, recovery and rehabilitation, and the support of UNOMIL and ECOMOG for the implementation of the Abuja Agreement. The Agreement has led to the establishment of a cease- fire which began on 26 August. It created a new Council of State in Liberia, composed of faction leaders. The new Council will remain in power until the holding of elections, scheduled for 20 August 1996.

Of approximately 2.5 million Liberians living in the country, more than 1.5 million people continue to require humanitarian assistance. In addition, 727,000 Liberians have sought refuge in countries in the subregion and will require assistance to return home. The re-integration of refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as an estimated 60,000 former combatants, will be critical to sustaining the peace process. The emphasis on humanitarian assistance will be on helping people to begin rebuilding their lives and their communities. A United Nations humanitarian coordinator will be appointed, serving under the overall supervision of the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Liberia. A United Nations assistance unit,

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consisting of the Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Office and the Demobilization and Reintegration Office, will be established.

Regarding recovery and rehabilitation, UNDP will work towards a comprehensive rehabilitation and recovery programme in Liberia. The outcome of the process will be a special consultation between Liberians and their international partners that could be held towards the end of the first quarter of 1996. The ECOMOG, which has been entrusted with the primary responsibility for assisting the transitional government in the implementation of the military provisions of the Abuja Agreement, has estimated that it will require a total strength of about 12,000 troops of all ranks, as well as substantial logistic support. Member States of ECOWAS have pledged additional troops for ECOMOG and have called on the international community to provide the logistic resources required by the Group.

Statement by Secretary-General

Secretary-General BOUTROS BOUTROS-GHALI said the Conference on Liberia reflected the resolve to build and maintain justice among all States. The long and terrible civil war had lasted "six years too long". The 150,000 lives lost could not be reclaimed. The Abuja Agreement awaited early and effective implementation and the United Nations was committed to that goal. But the decision to make peace rested ultimately with those who made the war. There was an agreement on a timetable for the further implementation of the Agreement which included the provision for democratic elections to be held in Liberia next year.

A lasting peace would require strong, secure and stable foundations, he said. Comprehensive national political leadership was needed. It was encouraging to see the leaders of the transitional government working together. Reconciliation was the cornerstone of peace and must be built upon with care and compassion. The United Nations shared with Liberia and its people their pain of the past, their hope of the present and their vision of the future. The courage of their friends in the region must also be applauded.

The ECOWAS, led by the President of Ghana, has made a stellar contribution to the peace, he continued. It had taken the initiative to deploy the ECOMOG as a peace-keeping force while pursuing peace at the negotiating table. Liberia provided a real example of the importance of the complementary efforts by the United Nations and regional organizations in the restoration of peace. For years Liberia was a "forgotten" emergency while conditions elsewhere dominated international attention. The costs of peace- keeping in the former Yugoslavia for five days equalled the entire UNOMIL budget for an entire year. That distortion in the use of resources demanded correction. Today offered that opportunity.

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The United Nations would be considering Liberia's needs in four specific areas, he continued. The most immediate was humanitarian assistance. The other priorities included disarmament and demobilization, recovery and rehabilitation and logistical support for ECOMOG. The international community must play a major role and the financial institutions must provide cohesive support in the process of recovery and rehabilitation. In spite of financial difficulties experienced by Member States even a relatively small investment would bring significant benefit not only to Liberia but to the region as a whole.

The response was needed now since the peace agreement was in many ways still uncertain of effective implementation. The present opportunity must be grasped. Any action to secure global peace and security and stability would be futile unless the economic and social needs of people are addressed. Today's Conference offered an opportunity to give proof to that precept in Liberia.

Statement by Chairman of ECOWAS

J.J.RAWLINGS, President of Ghana and current ECOWAS Chairman, said that six years ago, an armed incursion by a small group into Liberia had led to a civil war in the country by the mid-1990s with several factions involved. The Government of the country and the State machinery had crumbled and it had become obvious that the situation had the potential of inflaming the whole subregion. The ECOWAS had stepped into that potentially explosive situation in 1990 and had set up an ad hoc Mediation Committee. Recommendations of the Committee included the setting up of the ECOMOG. Many initiatives for peace collapsed as one or the other faction objected to them.

In 1993, the Cotonou Accord was signed, followed by the Akosombo Agreement, he said. Those were followed by the Accra clarifications and Accessions Agreements. Those Agreements paved the road to the Abuja Agreement which came into effect on 26 August. It provided for the establishment of a six-member Council of State. The Liberian cease-fire today largely continued to hold. Moral, financial and material assistance would be required by the people of Liberia, however, to be able to put the horrors of the war behind them.

It was estimated that $90.5 million would be required to maintain a minimum ECOMOG strength of 12,000 troops, he said. If the logistical support was provided, the region would be able to provide the extra troops needed to maintain peace in Liberia. For the creation of demobilization sites to induce ex-combatants to surrender, UNOMIL would require nearly $65 million. Liberia was on the threshold of a new era and generous contributions by the world at this stage would make a big difference.

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Statement by Chairman of Liberian Council of State

WILTON SANKAWULO, Chairman of the Liberian Council of State, noted that Liberia was a founding member of the United Nations and welcomed the Organization's support for that country's peace process. He applauded the collaborative efforts between the United Nations regional organizations, including ECOWAS, and the Organization of African Unity's (OAU) participation in the peace process. The effects of the six-year-old war in Liberia had resulted in the deaths of an estimated 300,000 civilians, a large number of internally displaced and a destruction of the country's infrastructure. Since the signing of the Agreement, there was renewed hope that the Liberian conflict would be resolved.

The peace process had reached a critical juncture requiring the support of the international community, he said. There was an urgent need to rehabilitate and re-integrate the ex-combatants. The Liberian people were committed to the peace process and counted on the international community to help them realize its objectives. He endorsed the international appeals for assistance in implementing the peace process, including that of UNDP. His Government had also prepared an international appeal document which outlined the priority needs and sectoral priorities which had been identified for assistance.

Stressing the need for rehabilitation and reconstruction as well as the re-integration of ex-combatants, Mr. Sankawulo expressed the hope that the initial steps towards building peace would be supported by all the international partners who would participate in Liberia's continued reconstruction. Liberians were now determined to rebuild their country under a democratic government, the rule of law and a climate of reconciliation. He, therefore, hoped for the support of and cooperation from the international community. The present conference was a manifestation of support for the reconstruction process.

Other Statements

SALIM AHMED SALIM, Secretary-General of the OAU, said the decision to deploy ECOMOG was a proud moment for all Africans for it demonstrated Africa's concern for Liberia. The latest of the many peace initiatives, under the auspices of ECOWAS with the full support of the OAU, culminated in the signing of the Abuja Agreements in August 1995. The installation of the Council of State and the participation of faction leaders in it and the timely implementation of the cease-fire was encouraging.

The efforts of ECOMOG in supervising the implementation of the peace agreements were constrained by lack of financial and logistical resources, he said. So far, the response of the international community to appeals for

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assistance had been disappointing. In February of this year the logistical requirements of ECOMOG were assessed on the order of $90,705,000. The United Nations, through the General Assembly and the Security Council, should consider ways to concretely assist the peace process in Liberia. For the first time an international organization, ECOMOG, had undertaken a major peace-keeping operation on behalf of the international community, for under normal circumstances that task should have been undertaken by the United Nations.

He said he looked forward to the full deployment of UNOMIL, so that the observer mission in collaboration with ECOMOG could monitor the cease-fire. There was also an urgent need for a programme of social reconstruction and development in Liberia. This Conference was, therefore, crucial in sending the right message to the people of Liberia, the countries of ECOWAS and the peoples and governments of Africa that their efforts to resolve the conflict in Liberia would achieve the understanding and assistance of the United Nations and the international community.

Chief TOM IKIMI, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and President of the Security Council, representing the host country of the Abuja Agreement, said the timetable for implementation of the peace process was already lagging behind due to the lack of adequate resources for ECOMOG to carry out the necessary aspects of the programme. It was time for the international community to support the peace process. Nigeria had made many sacrifices in human and material terms to assist Liberia. To date, it had expended about $3 million in maintaining its peace-keeping troops which have ranged from 6,000 to 11,000 men on the ground. Nigerians had laid down their lives for that noble cause. His Government had recently decided to increase its contingent in ECOMOG by two battalions to assist in the implementation of the peace agreement.

However, the requirements and needs of ECOMOG would have to be met by urgent international assistance to ensure that the peace-keeping force could be rapidly deployed nation-wide. In that connection, ECOMOG's budget requirements had been provided. Nigeria was proud to be part of the unique initiative that represented a pioneering effort in crisis management and conflict resolution at the subregional level. He hoped the Conference would generate the needed resources to put an end to the Liberian crisis. The international community must not fail the Liberian people.

PETER HANSEN, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said that in Liberia, there remained considerable obstacles to overcome and, to do so, the people of that country would require the international community's support. In the area of humanitarian assistance, relief activities must

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continue for the coming year. As security improved and access to needy populations increased, relief activities would have to keep pace. Close to 500,00 Liberians were living in centres for the displaced.

He said it was essential that the implementation and delivery of relief programmes complemented the planning and implementing of rehabilitation and recovery activities. In the United Nations Inter-Agency Consolidated Appeal, United Nations agencies and other non-governmental organizations colleagues had emphasized a strategy that promoted an easy transition from relief to rehabilitation. The appeal also promoted self-reliance, another crucial component of community based rehabilitation.

Humanitarian assistance would also play a central role in the demobilization and reintegration of fighters. Peace would not be possible until fighters were provided with a credible alternative to a life of violence. The process of demobilization must be quick and light, allowing fighters to make a break with their former lives and to begin their transition to civil life through productive activity. Such reintegration would fall to a partnership between the humanitarian community and the more traditional development organizations. Nevertheless, the actions taken in humanitarian assistance and demobilization were temporary, meant to support local efforts. They formed one portion of the spectrum of assistance required in Liberia.

GUSTAVE SPETH, Administrator of UNDP, said UNDP was pleased to join its colleagues in the United Nations system and ECOWAS in addressing the long- standing needs of the Liberian people. Liberia, an original signer of the Charter, had played an important role in promoting the independence and liberation of African countries. It had been economically viable, achieving in the 1960s a rate of growth second only to Japan. The benefits of that growth had not been channelled into the development of the country, and that had created the basis for the tragedy which had unfolded two decades later.

If Liberia's recovery was to be sustainable, Liberians must drive the processes of reconciliation and recovery, he said. Managing the diversity of interests of Liberians at home and abroad demand a spirit of compromise and compassion. Liberia's international friends needed to see hard evidence of how Liberians would transform their good intentions into actions. The establishment of the Commission on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration was an indication of their serious resolve. He called on the international community to respond generously to the needs of Liberians.

Liberia was not a poor nation, being well endowed with natural resources, a small population and a cadre of experienced professionals, he said. The UNDP was pledged to two critical functions in Liberia: working with Liberian authorities to reach consensus on a process of recovery and rehabilitation and building strategic alliances with its development partners,

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the European Union, The United States Agency for International Development, the Bretton Woods institutions and the African Development Bank.

The international community had to agree on urgent actions to secure peace and to begin discussions on tasks to be accomplished such as the formulation of an appropriate macroeconomic framework which defined the complementary roles of the State and private sector, he said. He went on to call attention to four projects totalling $12.3 million outlined by UNDP for re-integration, vocational training, rehabilitation of infrastructure and support for elections.

KOFI ANNAN, Under-Secretary-General for Peace-Keeping Operations, said that as complementary peace-keeping operations, ECOMOG and UNOMIL could only be effective if they were both provided with the resources necessary to carry out their responsibilities. Under established United Nations procedures, UNOMIL would be funded from assessments on Member States. The ECOMOG would have to rely on voluntary contributions. Despite the Trust Fund established by the Secretary-General in 1993, the continuing shortage of financial and logistic support was a main reason that ECOMOG had been unable to carry out its tasks under the Cotonou Agreement.

/ The ECOWAS countries had pledged additional troops for the peace-keeping force and had devoted significant resources to the maintenance of peace and security. They needed the support of the international community to carry out effectively their tasks under the Abuja Agreement. If it did not receive the required resources, it would not be able to disarm the combatants or to establish the stable environment necessary for humanitarian activities and repatriation. The UNOMIL would also not be able to carry out its mandate and it would be unlikely that the Abuja Agreement itself could be implemented.

CATHERINE BERTINI, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), said the spread of the Liberian crisis into the subregion from 1991 meant that the relief operation had become one of the largest humanitarian programmes in Africa, at a cost of some $100 million. The need to feed over 2.5 million people in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea had called for a flexible regional logistics approach. The challenge for the WFP in the short- term would be to reduce dependence on relief food assistance while promoting self-reliance. Food aid could play a major role in encouraging the resettlement of displaced persons in secure areas where they could re-establish agricultural activities.

Building food security for Liberians was of vital importance, she continued, as was the maintenance of the current nutritional safety net for the vulnerable groups through feeding centres and other targeted programmes. Those programmes would be expanded throughout the country as security conditions improved, especially to the areas cut off from assistance during

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the last few years. School feeding programmes would be expanded and Liberian women would be encouraged to participate fully in the entire process of identifying other food needs. A revised project would be presented to WFP's governing body in November to support the implementation of the food strategy for 1996 at the regional level and with a view to encouraging the repatriation of the refugees to Liberia. The restoration of peace and normalcy in the whole of Liberia would be a necessary precondition for its implementation.

General Discussion

JOHN HICKS, Assistant Administrator for Africa of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), said the international community must agree collectively on the initial material support and the enabling conditions needed to translate the desire for peace in Liberia into tangible action. It was a period of shrinking donor resources, and the United States was facing severe cutbacks in its foreign assistance programme. His Government was committed to doing all it could but the most important commitment must come from the Liberian people, the Council of State and the Liberian National Transitional Government. He praised all the parties that had contributed to the peace process.

He noted that the United States had contributed over $440 million in humanitarian assistance and $60 million in support of ECOMOG since 1990. A 14-member United States inter-agency team had just returned from an evaluation mission in Liberia. It was concerned about recent reports of violence. However, the new State Council showed encouraging signs of cohesion and appeared eager to move ahead with reconciliation. Much effort was still required for improved coordination by the Government, ECOWAS and the donor community.

The United States, he continued, would not be able to support the restructuring of the armed forces of Liberia before disarmament and demobilization. Prompt ECOMOG deployment was the key to a credible and effective peace process. The ECOMOG had the capacity to carry out the most essential first-phase tasks of the peace process. It therefore needed logistical support. If the Liberian Government demonstrated its commitment to good governance the international community would provide support.

Mr. Hicks then advised the Conference of the planned assistance his Government would provide for peace-keeping, humanitarian and rehabilitation needs of Liberia. It would make available $75 million over the next year. The funding would be allocated as follows: up to $10 million for ECOMOG's logistical support; $61 to 63 million for community centres, private voluntary organizations and rural communities engaged in demobilization, reintegration and resettlement activities over the next year; $3 to $5 million for

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democratic governance and recovery activities to help rebuild civil society in Liberia.

CARMEN DE LA PENA, Deputy Director-General for Sub-Saharan Africa of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Spain (speaking on behalf of the European Union) said the Union had followed with concern the development in Liberia since 1989 -- the outbreak of the war. It had encouraged the peace efforts of ECOMOG since 1990 and the UNOMIL efforts since 1993.

The European Union appreciated the preventive diplomacy and peace- keeping undertaken by ECOWAS. Any efforts by the United Nations and the OAU could be successful only when subregional organizations were involved. She welcomed the Security Council resolution which extended the mandate of UNOMIL to the next year. She highlighted the decision to provide financial and political assistance to Liberia so long as the parties continued to move towards peace.

Speaking exclusively on behalf of Spain, she said it was considering contributing to the joint inter-agency appeal. She looked forward to the day when peace would prevail in Liberia.

TONO EITEL Germany said he looked forward to the complete disengagement of the warring parties. That process ought to be followed by their re-integration in civilian life. Only if formal combatants and refugees were able to earn a living in the country would peace be sustainable. Humanitarian assistance at this stage was crucial. However, strict adherence to the Abuja Agreement was required if the international community was to continue to maintain assistance to Liberia.

Germany had supported the increased role for UNOMIL, he said. It had provided continued assistance to Liberia since the 1930s, an assistance amounting to $1 million annually. It had provided 35 trucks to UNOMIL for use by ECOMOG and as much as 30 per cent of the European Union assistance to Liberia was from Germany.

ALAIN DEJAMMET (France) said he hoped the international community would combine its efforts to ensure the implementation of the peace process. The priority areas of the peace process were immense. Particular attention had to be paid to human rights and to the holding of elections. France was willing to provide material support. He hoped the international financial institutions would also provide support. France proposed to contribute $3 million for humanitarian assistance, for demobilization and reintegration efforts, as well as for food assistance and support for ECOMOG.

JOHN WESTON (United Kingdom) said the international community needed to be assured that the money it contributed would not be wasted. The United

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Kingdom would contribute $7.7 million to the inter-agency appeal for Liberia for the current financial year. The areas for the funds to be allocated were yet to be determined. It would provide 50,000 pound sterling worth of communications equipment to the battalion of the Ghanaian Armed Forces who would be deployed to ECOMOG. A British Royal Engineer Training Team would spend three months training those forces.

HENRIK SALANDER (Sweden) urged Liberia to accede to the international human rights agreements. Also, disarmament must be given priority. Mentioning all the major priority areas, he said 6.1 million Swedish kroner had been channelled to Liberia during the last year. And Sweden would consider further contributions.

NABIL A. ELARABY, Permanent Representative of Egypt, said that in the last few months there had been continuous progress in Liberia. That progress needed to be sustained. The combined roles of ECOMOG and UNOMIL were important in that regard. The demobilization of the estimated 60,000 combatants should continue.

Notwithstanding the financial crisis of the United Nations, the financial assistance required by Liberia was fully justified, he said. Egypt was happy to provide assistance in the form of food and medicine. It would also continue to be a troop-contributing country to UNOMIL. The responsibility for the peace process now rested with the Liberian people, and Egypt looked forward to the day when there would be complete peace in Liberia.

HANS JACOB BIORN LIAN (Norway) said the Norwegian Government was prepared to support the implementation of the Abuja Agreement through additional humanitarian assistance. New appeals for humanitarian assistance would therefore be given positive consideration. The Government would do its utmost to increase its assistance for humanitarian operations, demobilization and democracy-building both during the remainder of the current year and in 1996.

He said the international community should now help to consolidate the peace process through support for humanitarian assistance, the disarmament and demobilization processes and recovery and rehabilitation needs. It had an obligation to help the peoples of Liberia return safely to their homes and start rebuilding their future. To ensure a viable peace was in the interest of the world community and of special importance to the region. Through ECOWAS and ECOMOG, the region had already contributed substantially to the positive development in Liberia. He hoped that impressive assistance and support would continue and be further strengthened.

In 1995, the Norwegian Government had allocated $1 million to the humanitarian operation in Liberia, through "Medecins sans Frontiere", the

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Norwegian Red Cross and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). For 1994 the contribution had been approximately the same amount. It would do its utmost to increase assistance for such operations, and for demobilization and democracy, during the remainder of the present year and in 1996.

LLUIS RIERA, head of the West Africa Department of the European Commission, said he hoped the people of Liberia could now look forward to peace. However, the recent harassment of some United Nations and non- governmental organization aid workers was worrying. He stressed the importance of combatants handing in their weapons and the removal of roadblocks from the country, in order to foster confidence in the populace.

The European Commission would work closely with the other donors, he said. Once the fighters for various factions were registered as non- combatants, the Commission proposed a programme for medical and economic assistance for them. They could be employed in building schools and clearing roadblocks. The Commission had contributed 1 million Ecu. (European Currency Unit) for aiding the child combatants in Liberia. Over 150 million Ecu. had been provided by the Commission to Liberia since 1990, on a neutral basis.

In 1994, the Commission had contributed 25 million Ecu. for the rehabilitation programme, of which 10 million Ecu. were still available, he said. About 30 million Ecu. were available for rehabilitation in 1996 and about 50 million Ecu. for long-term development. The amounts indicated by the Commission did not include assistance in the form of food and emergency aid. However, the commitment of those funds would be conditional on the implementation of the Abuja Agreement.

BABOUCARR BLAISE I. JAGNE of Gambia said he commended the countries contributing troops to ECOMOG. He pledged the sum of $5,000 to Liberia.

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