DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
19970402
FOR INFORMATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT ONLY
Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, began today's noon briefing with an update on the refugee situation in eastern Zaire.
Mr. Eckhard said that the 100,000 refugees located last week by a United Nations humanitarian mission had now gathered in two major areas: approximately 50,000 refugees were located 25 kilometres south of Kisangani at a town call Kasese; and 30,000 more were congregated 15 kilometres further south. The remainder were held in small groups along the railroad that linked Kisangani to Ubundu. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had started to organize local health workers to assist the sick at those two sites. The most vulnerable -- about 30,000 refugees -- would have to be airlifted under the repatriation plan that UNHCR had submitted for approval to the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (ADFL). As of today, however, the ADFL leader, Laurent Kabila, had still not allowed the plan to be activated.
The refugees were in "very poor condition", the Spokesman continued. They were suffering from disease, exhaustion and hunger, and many were dying. Medical teams returning yesterday from a location called "Kilometre 82" said that, of 800 people at that site in the second half of March, half had died. The remaining 400 people were in critical condition. The organization Medecins sans Frontieres was establishing a semi-permanent medical facility to provide assistance to the remaining survivors at "Kilometre 82".
The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Zaire, Roberto Garreton, gave a press conference in Geneva today, Mr. Eckhard said. In his summary, available on the third floor, Mr. Garreton reported on his mission to eastern Zaire from 27 March to 30 April. Mr. Garreton said that the allegations of Hutu massacres by the rebel forces in that area were not new and that he had made reference to them in his report of 31 December. The information obtained from the latest mission confirmed what was already in his 1996 report. The mission was not investigative, but preliminary in character and covered only possible violations committed by the ADFL. Investigation of violations by other parties was not within his mandate. He had visited three mass grave sites and reported his findings in the summary.
Mr. Eckhard said that the thirteenth round of talks between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia resumed today in New York under the auspices of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, Cyrus Vance. The Greek side was represented by the Permanent Representative of Greece, Christos
Zacharakis. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was represented by its Ambassador Ivan Toshevski. As usual, no substantive read-out of those talks was available. The talks were expected to continue later this month
There was a press report today that the Secretary-General would meet with Rauf Denktash, leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, while in Geneva, Mr. Eckhard said, confirming that the appointment had been scheduled for 9 April. He recalled the meeting last January between the Secretary-General and the President of Cyprus, Glafcos Clerides, in Davos, Switzerland. The Secretary-General's goal on the situation in Cyprus was to set the stage for direct talks between the Cypriot leaders by the middle of this year. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Han Sun-Joo, would visit Cyprus beginning on 12 April for approximately one week, before continuing to Athens and Ankara. The programme for that visit was being finalized.
The newly designated Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, James Baker III, was at Headquarters today for a full schedule of briefings ending with a 3 p.m. meeting with the Secretary-General, the Spokesman said. He would address reporters in a "five-minute encounter" at the stake-out outside the Security Council on the second floor at approximately 3:30 p.m. before "dashing out of the building to catch a plane". As he had mentioned yesterday, the Secretary-General participated this morning in a world-wide radio broadcast on international developments organized by the Department of Public Information (DPI), Mr. Eckhard said. Tomorrow, the Secretary-General would be on a Cable News Network (CNN) international programme, "Q & A", at 12:30 p.m. New York time. It probably could not be seen here, but the Secretary-General would respond to questions forwarded to CNN by telephone or e-mail. (Telephone: (404) 827-4056; e-mail address: CNNi.turner.com.). The programme's moderator was Riz Kahn, he said.
Mr. Eckhard said that, as previously announced, the Secretary-General would be leaving for India tomorrow. He had been asked why he was not also visiting Pakistan and Bangladesh. The main purpose of his visit to India was to address the meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement taking place there, to which he attached an official visit. He did have invitations from Pakistan and Bangladesh, and he intended to visit those countries at the first opportunity. His commitment to chair the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) meeting in Geneva did not allow for a broader programme on the current trip.
There was a question yesterday about an incident in the United Nations cafeteria involving workers who had been escorted out of the building, the Spokesman said. It was not a United Nations matter, but rather a matter between the employees and Restaurant Associates. As he understood it, contract negotiations were under way and some of the employees were unhappy with the status of those talks. As part of a daily drill, there was a morning meeting that 13 employees boycotted on Friday. After boycotting the meeting again on Monday, they were issued a warning in writing that a third boycott would be grounds for suspension. Yesterday was the third boycott and they were duly suspended. After being escorted out of the building, they were told that they were free to return to work today, which they had done. Contract talks were continuing.
Turning to a question about the Secretary-General's role in an emergency meeting of the General Assembly requested by the Arab Group of States, Mr. Eckhard said that, according to procedure, the Secretary-General yesterday sent letters to all Member States informing them of the proposal. If he received written responses indicating that more than half the membership favoured the session, he must then convene it within 24 hours. So, when and if the session were to take place was really up to how quickly the Member States responded.
To a follow-up question regarding why such a session would be called an "emergency" meeting when, according to the General Assembly's Rules of Procedure, the Assembly was still in session, Mr. Eckhard said he assumed that calling for an emergency session had political significance that was not so much tied to the General Assembly's calendar. But, he would check on the technical nature of the question. Asked about the convening of other emergency sessions, he said the last one was in 1982 and there had been nine such sessions.
The Spokesman was asked if there was an overall figure for the estimated number of refugee deaths in eastern Zaire. He said it would have to be an estimate because bodies were being discovered daily. Furthermore, the total number of refugees in eastern Zaire had been a matter of some dispute. Within the Department of Political Affairs there was now a coordinating group on eastern Zaire that gathered all available information and produced a daily report for the Secretary-General. He would make some of that information available to the press.
To a question about why the Secretary-General selected Mr. Baker to be his Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, and what the difference was between the duties of Mr. Baker and the Acting Special Representative for Western Sahara, Erick Jensen, the Spokesman said that Mr. Jensen continued doing the day-to-day work as head of the Mission. It was a mission that had been stalled for an unacceptably long period of time, and a dramatic gesture was needed to breathe new life into the process. By naming a special envoy of Mr. Baker's stature, the Secretary-General hoped to get a little bit of movement.
Asked for an update on the situation in Albania, particularly in light of the accident with the Italian ship, Mr. Eckhard said he had nothing new on that, but was sure the Department of Political Affairs was following developments there on a daily basis. He added that the ball was really in the court of the Europeans who had been authorized by the Security Council to form a multinational force. Asked if there was any comment on the election of a new Prime Minister in Zaire, Mr. Eckhard said there was none.
A reporter, noting that the United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was throwing the first pitch at the opening baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals, asked whether, in a bid to enhance the United Nations image, the Secretary-General might go with a rather large contingent of press people to the opening game at Yankee Stadium. "I think if he gets the invitation, he will consider it seriously", the Spokesman said.
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