DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
Press Briefing
DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL
19970509
FOR INFORMATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT ONLY
Juan Carlos Brandt, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General, began today's press briefing by noting the presence of former Spokesman Sylvana Foa and former Deputy Spokesman Ahmad Fawzi.
He then announced that a press release on the human rights investigative mission to eastern Zaire had been issued in Geneva and in Kigali, and was available in the Spokesman's Office. The members of that mission, which had been dispatched to investigate allegations of massacres in eastern Zaire, expressed deep regret that the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (ADFL) had thus far declined to allow them to enter the territory under their control. They had also urged the Alliance to reconsider its position and allow the mission to carry out its investigation, which had been mandated by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
Mohamed Sahnoun, the joint United Nations/Organization of African Unity (OAU) Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, was in Geneva today, Mr. Brandt said. He was scheduled to meet with officials of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, before leaving for South Africa over the weekend.
Mr. Brandt then announced that 1,715 refugees had been airlifted from Kisangani to Rwanda today. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had also secured an agreement with the Alliance, whereby a second train would run from Biaro to Kinshasa every day so that a total of 2,000 refugees per day could be moved to the transit centre in Kisangani. A similar number would be transported to Kisangani by truck. International humanitarian organizations were "cautiously optimistic" that they would be able to gain access to the area south of Biaro tomorrow. Those agencies needed to gain access to refugees in that region so that they could provide food and medical assistance.
The Angolan Government had indicated that it would not allow into their territory thousands of refugees reported to be at the Zaire-Angola border, Mr. Brandt said. The UNHCR had protested to Angolan authorities about the detention and turning-back of refugees.
In the Congo, the Red Cross Society of that country had reported that a group of 20,000 Rwandan refugees had been sighted near Brazzaville, Mr. Brandt said, adding that those refugees had come from the camp at Tingi-Tingi. Of that number, 3,000 had come from a group near Mbandaka. Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had travelled to Mbandaka today with 100 tons of medical supplies. The distribution of those supplies to an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 refugees was being carried out by local non-governmental and religious organizations. There was no United Nations presence in the area. The UNHCR briefing notes issued in Geneva were available in the Spokesman's Office, Mr. Brandt added.
Turning to Liberia, Mr. Brandt announced that while there were still reports of harassment of relief workers, the security situation in that country had vastly improved. The United Nations now enjoyed greater access to the countryside of Liberia than it had at any time during the seven-year crisis, and humanitarian organizations were active in all 13 counties. The improved security situation had led to the return of both internally displaced persons and refugees, although in limited numbers. The commencement of the rainy season was now seriously impeding access to many areas of the country. Between November 1996 and February 1997, 21,000 fighters had been successfully demobilized by the office of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs in Liberia.
The United Nations, together with Liberian partners, had carried out some 200 projects, including civil reconstruction and vocational training projects, to facilitate the initial re-integration of ex-combatants into civilian life, he said. So far, some 10,000 ex-combatants and 10,000 civilians had been absorbed by those activities. The rate of implementation was expected to increase. Re-integration activities were of critical importance to the upcoming electoral process in Liberia, Mr. Brandt said.
Mr. Brandt then announced that the United Nations International Police Task Force (IPTF) in Bosnia and Herzegovina had formulated a new policy on checkpoints, which would come into force on 15 May. The new policy had been formulated as checkpoints and had been shown to be a major obstacle to freedom of movement and were often used as border control stations, particularly along the Inter-Entity Boundary Line. Under the new policy, no checkpoints would be permitted without prior authorization from the IPTF, except in emergency. Unauthorized checkpoints would be removed, with the support of the Stabilization Force (SFOR) if necessary, and the identity cards of police officers involved would be confiscated.
Continuing his official visit to China, Secretary-General Kofi Annan had travelled from Beijing to Xian yesterday and arrived in the afternoon, where he met with the provincial Governor and other local officials, Mr. Brandt said. They discussed United Nations programmes in the province and then continued those discussions over dinner.
Today would be a "transit day" for the Secretary-General, who was travelling to Shanghai, where he was expected to arrive tomorrow morning, local time, he continued. In Shanghai, the Secretary-General would deliver an address to the Academy of Social Sciences and the Institute of International Relations at 2 p.m. He would then go to the new development area of Pudong. Other activities would include his participation in a television interview. The Secretary-General would then be the guest of honour at a dinner hosted by a high official of the Shanghai municipal government. He is scheduled to leave China on Sunday.
Mr. Brandt then announced the availability in the Spokesman's Office of remarks by General Assembly President Razali Ismail (Malaysia), in his capacity as Chairman of the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Matters related to the Security Council.
The latest background note on United Nations peace-keeping operations as of 1 May was available in the Spokesman's Office and at the United Nations World Wide Web site, Mr. Brandt said. Currently, 23,874 United Nations peace-keepers were serving with a total of 17 missions. The annual operating cost of those operations was $1.3 billion. Seventy-one countries now contributed peace-keepers to United Nations operations. Since the beginning of United Nations peace-keeping operations in 1948, a total of 1,503 staff had been lost in 43 operations. Of that total, 1,387 had been peace-keepers, 44 civilian police, 41 international civilian staff and 31 local staff.
Mr. Brandt then announced that the United Nations University Public Forum on the "New globalism and developing countries" would take place today from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium.
On a "housekeeping" matter, Mr. Brandt informed correspondents of the availability of office and beeper numbers of the staff members of the Spokesman's Office staff. "Someone is always available", he said, any time of the day or evening.
A correspondent then asked for an update on reports of Angolan soldiers fighting in Zaire. Had the Angolan civil war spilled into Zaire? Mr. Brandt said that he had seen a number of reports indicating that the situation in Zaire seemed to be affected by elements from within Angolan territory. While he had no precise information on how the two situations affected each other, the important thing now was that Angola was not allowing Rwandan refugees to cross the border from Zaire. The United Nations was protesting that matter with the Angolan Government. It was essential that refugees be treated humanely and in a dignified manner; they should neither be detained nor be sent back to Zaire against their will.
Asked whether the group of refugees included armed elements, Mr. Brandt said that he had seen press reports to that effect, but could not say for sure. It seemed clear, he added, that the overwhelming majority of the refugees simply wanted to go home. Some were in better shape than others, but they seemed to be in no mood to fight; they wanted to resume their normal lives.
Did the situation in Zaire have negative implications for the Angolan peace process? Mr. Brandt said that if Angolans were found to be involved in Zaire, it would have serious political implications. He hoped that such was not the case.
Had the human rights team in Kigali decided to return to Geneva? a correspondent asked. Mr. Brandt responded that the team was still in Kigali and was making efforts to reverse the position of the ADFL so that they could do their work. The human rights team had been mandated by the United Nations; they should have access to the region so that they could do their jobs to find the truth about what had happened or was happening.
What type of personnel did the United Nations have on the ground in Kinshasa, a correspondent asked. Did contingency plans exist for their evacuation? Mr. Brandt said that the United Nations always developed contingency plans for international staff in volatile and dangerous situations, as in the case of Zaire. At yesterday's press briefing, he had announced that the United Nations had 19 staff in Kinshasa from various agencies and programmes. Details were available in the Spokesman's Office, he added.
A correspondent then asked if there was an update from Mr. Sahnoun regarding a possible meeting next week between Zairian President Mobutu Sese Seko and Laurent Desire Kabila, leader of the ADFL. Mr. Brandt said that a meeting "seemed to be in the works". The United Nations was cautiously optimistic and would welcome such a meeting. If it in fact took place, Mr. Sahnoun would be there.
* *** *