PRESS BRIEFING BY SPECIAL ENVOY FOR LIBERIA

9 August 1996

Press Briefing

19960809 FOR INFORMATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT ONLY

Ambassador James Jonah, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Liberia, briefed correspondents this afternoon on the situation in that country. He said the United Nations was primarily there to assist the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States' Monitoring Observer Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia. "We have gone through a lot of difficulties, as you know, in Liberia. There are times, perhaps even now, when it looks quite hopeless." The events of April had been disheartening to the Liberian people and to many African countries.

He said it was now clear that the African people, expressing themselves through both the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), were fed up with the continuing conflict in Liberia and the ambitions of the warlords, adding that he had briefed the Security Council yesterday on developments regarding Liberia. The warlords now knew that they did not enjoy much sympathy. "Let me be very frank with you, as I was with the Council, and say that despite the situation in Liberia, there are Governments that are giving comfort to the warlords in Liberia. There are international business concerns which are still trading with the warlords in Liberia."

The OAU and ECOWAS had made it clear to the warlords that if they used force to attain power they would not be recognized, Mr. Jonah said. Unless the warlords began to cooperate, the OAU and ECOWAS were determined to impose effective sanctions, including those involving bank accounts, travel and other measures which would really impact on their lives.

The possibility of sanctions could be responsible for the warlords' growing interest in elections, Mr. Jonah said. Although there was broad consensus on the need to hold elections, the modalities and timing were still controversial. Civil society groups were very sceptical about holding of elections now. The warlords wanted some degree of disarmament either before or after the proposed elections. "But I think it is true to say that ECOWAS as a corporate body would like elections. This, perhaps, might be one way they might get rid of the problem of Liberia."

Mr. Jonah said it was hoped that all the parties could agree on the proper criteria, because merely holding elections was not enough -- they must be free and fair. Under the present circumstances in Liberia, the elections would not be free and fair. ECOWAS had decided to convene its "Committee of Nine", which would meet next week to flesh out specifics involving the peace process including the conditions which were essential to the holding of free and fair elections. Political parties must be able to operate freely, for

example. Interested civil society groups, such as women's groups, farmer's groups and labour unions, must be able to move freely and to campaign freely. Access to the media must also be available. "These now do not exist in Liberia so they will have to be built up."

Above all, an independent electoral commission was needed, he said. As yet, no agreement had been reached among the warlords on that matter. The composition of the Council of State was also under discussion. The question was whether there was enough time to examine all the details of those various questions. "But by and large, we in the United Nations will try to bring to bear the experience that we have gained in other areas, to give the Liberian people the opportunity to give their own consent to the government."

A correspondent asked who would guarantee security for elections. Mr. Jonah said current plans called for ECOMOG to provide security on the condition that it was provided with the necessary resources. Some ECOMOG troop-contributing countries were prepared to increase their contingents, so it was not expected that the United Nations would be called upon to provide a security umbrella for the elections.

Asked which Governments had provided comfort to the warlords, Mr. Jonah said he did not want to name them, adding that they were known. Asked if he had named them in the Security Council, he said he had not. "If I had named them there, then you would know already."

A correspondent asked if efforts would be made to involve the States and business groups having interests in Liberia in the electoral process. Mr. Jonah said there was broad agreement on the holding of elections, with the matter of timing still unresolved. Charles Taylor had said he wanted elections to be held this year. The ECOWAS summit had called for holding elections within six to nine months. "I want to underline that the civil society groups do not want to set a date at this time for the elections. They are very sceptical and they want to be convinced that the warlords are sincere and that they want free and fair elections."

Asked what the rationale was for not naming names, Mr. Jonah said that the United Nations was only assisting ECOWAS in its efforts. "We are not the principal actor in the Liberian situation." In some closed meetings of ECOWAS names had been named, but the countries concerned had denied any wrongdoing. "Since I am aware of the denial I do not want to publicly give names at this point, but they have been challenged in closed meetings."

To a question on the size of the United Nations presence in Liberia, Mr. Jonah said it had been reduced considerably since April. The United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) had been deployed largely to give confidence to those who had doubts about ECOMOG. Now UNOMIL had about 30 civilian and military personnel. It would be increased if the peace process moved forward.

Briefing on Liberia - 3 - 9 August 1996

A correspondent asked what form of support was being given to the warlords. "The principal support that I have observed is political support", Mr. Jonah said. In addition, the role of international businessmen who were giving comfort to the warlords should not be minimized. The warlords were ravaging the country, selling timber and diamonds. Such transactions ultimately became a motivation to perpetuate the war. "This is a commercial war, it is not a war of ideology. I think that these businessmen who make profits out of the sufferings of peoples should somehow be called to the bar of international public opinion."

Asked if the proposal to hold elections before completing the disarmament process had been motivated by financial constraints, Mr. Jonah said it might have been motivated out of frustration. For the past three years, there had been discussions on the modalities of disarmament. Efforts had been made to resolve the crisis of increasing the strength of ECOMOG by adding African countries that were not from West Africa, as well as by forming a Council of State with the participation of the warlords, but neither of those efforts had succeeded in resolving the conflict. "People said, `Well, are we going to wait forever for disarmament while there is no peace?'" Then Charles Taylor, who had not been keen on elections, indicated his interest in the holding of elections, and that had raised hopes. Currently, however, conditions would not permit free and fair elections.

How had the members of the Security Council reacted to the proposed elections? a correspondent asked. Mr. Jonah said they had been highly sceptical because they had no confidence in the warlords. "But if you don't have elections, what do you do?" It was necessary to make efforts to ensure reasonably free and fair elections. In the case of Sierra Leone, many had been sceptical about the holding of elections, but in the end they had been successful. The key factor was the sincerity of the warlords, including whether or not they would accept the results. The international community must be mobilized to guarantee that the elections would be free and fair. The extent of United Nations involvement had not yet been determined.

In response to another question, Mr. Jonah said he had very little confidence in warlords.

Asked what had been achieved in the past three years in Liberia, Mr. Jonah said it was a very difficult situation which had gone from bad to worse. There had been great suffering among the people, especially the children, many of whom had not been able to go to school for years. In Sierra Leone, the war had been confined to a very small area and people had gone about their daily lives, but in Liberia the situation had been the reverse. "It's a very sad situation but we cannot throw up our hands and say it's a hopeless situation. We have to try to do what we can."

Briefing on Liberia - 4 - 9 August 1996

A correspondent then asked if Mr. Jonah was interested in being considered as a candidate for Secretary-General, as he had been five years ago. "No", he said, "I believe we have a very good Secretary-General and therefore I have no interest in being Secretary-General."

Was Mr. Jonah personally recommending that there should be elections in Liberia? a correspondent asked. "Yes", he said, "because there is no other way. What else can you do in Liberia? The only thing we are saying is let the conditions be right." He was not proposing a time-frame, however. The timing would have to be agreed upon by all the parties in Liberia -- not only the warlords, but civil society groups as well.

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