DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, began today's noon briefing by announcing that Carlos Westendorp, the High Representative for the Implementation of the Peace Agreement on Bosnia and Herzegovina, was briefing the Security Council this morning on his latest report which had been issued earlier this month. If he finished on time, he would brief the press.

Mr. Eckhard said that the Secretary-General was back in the office today after his official visit to five Latin American countries. Before coming to the office, he had reviewed the situation in Angola at a breakfast meeting with Lakhdar Brahimi, who, in addition to being his Special Representative for Afghanistan, was the Special Representative in support of the Secretary- General's peacemaking efforts and preventive diplomacy. That meeting had also been attended by Bernard Miyet, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, and Hedi Annabi, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations.

The Spokesman said that the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA) had reported from Luanda that it had dispatched a team to Lunda Norte province over the weekend to investigate the alleged massacre that had taken place at the diamond mining village of Bula in the middle of last week.

He went on to say that the MONUA team had been told by government officials it had met there that about 40 men armed with AK 47 rifles, hand grenades and other weapons had killed 215 people, 88 of whom had been burnt in their huts. Some 70 people had been seriously injured, according to the government officials. The MONUA members had flown over the village which they had reported as burnt and deserted.

Human rights officers from MONUA had interviewed 10 of the survivors in a Luanda hospital, Mr. Eckhard continued. The victims had said that the attack had been carried out by the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The armed men had surrounded the village then entered it, killing everybody they could before looting the place and burning it to the ground. The MONUA team would return to the area this week to continue its investigation.

He added that the Joint Commission composed of the Government of Angola, UNITA and the Troika of observer States -- Portugal, Russia and the United States -- had met today to continue working on the problem of extending State administration into the four areas of Bailundo, Andulo, Mungo and Nharea. Both sides remained in disagreement, with the Government wanting dates before discussing other issues, and UNITA wanting its party officials back in areas from which they had been "expelled" before it would discuss dates.

The Spokesman then reminded correspondents that Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), would be in room S-226 at 1 p.m. to report on her recent trip to the Sudan. The World Food Programme (WFP), which said it was targetting 2.6 million people throughout the Sudan, had issued an urgent appeal today for funds to allow it to expand emergency food deliveries to victims of war and drought in the Sudan. A complete text of the WFP press release, issued in Rome, was available in room S-378.

Turning to Security Council matters, Mr. Eckhard said that the Council had received a briefing from Mr. Westendorp. The second item on its agenda this morning had been the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG). A draft resolution extending the mandate of that Mission may be circulated today. The Council was expected to convene a formal meeting on UNOMIG, as well as on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), on Thursday.

There would be no Security Council meeting tomorrow as the Council President would be attending the third meeting of the United Nations with regional organizations, the Spokesman added.

On another matter, he said that queries had been received about the next report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on its work in Iraq. It was understood that the report would be submitted to the Security Council shortly.

Mr. Eckhard then said that the second meeting of the Georgian and Abkhaz sides, which had begun in Geneva on 23 July under the aegis of the United Nations, had ended on Saturday, 25 July. During that meeting, the two sides had reviewed the state of the negotiations on the main aspects of a comprehensive settlement of the conflict and identified areas where concrete political progress might be made. They had also discussed effective mechanisms for preserving the ceasefire regime and the return of refugees and displaced persons. An unofficial translation of the concluding statement issued in Geneva was available.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, was in New York today, the Spokesman said. She was attending the third meeting of regional organizations and would address that meeting tomorrow morning. The Secretary-General had met with her this morning, but a read-out of that meeting was not yet available. Because she was returning to Geneva on Wednesday, she was not expected to have time to meet the press, but a request had been submitted on behalf of journalists.

Mentioning a further item on the Secretary-General's agenda today, Mr. Eckhard said that Justice Daniel Annan, Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana, was not a relative.

He said that Pakistan's former High Commissioner to Kenya, Shafqat Kakakhel, had been appointed by the Secretary-General as Deputy Executive

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 27 July 1998

Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). He would take office on 1 August. A UNEP press release on that was available.

Concluding, the Spokesman said that Croatia had paid its full budget assessment of more than $580,000. That made 83 Member States paid in full. A partial payment had also been received from the United States for its peacekeeping assessment. Partial payments were not normally announced, but since it was $23 million, it deserved some attention.

A correspondent asked what was happening about the appointment of a replacement for the late Alioune Blondin Beye as the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Angola. Mr. Eckhard replied that an announcement was expected this week. There may be something more to be said on that subject by the end of today, although not concerning an appointment.

Would the United Nations replace Mr. Beye? another correspondent asked. The Spokesman said that it would. A new Special Representative was expected to be named by the end of this week.

Referring to a news report on Russian aid to the rebels in Afghanistan, another correspondent asked how the situation in that country would be affected. Mr. Eckhard said he could not confirm that report, but the Secretary-General had said in his last report on Afghanistan that the only way the conflict there could be contained would be if neighbouring countries ceased fuelling the war.

Another correspondent said that the situation in Angola seemed to be deteriorating with everyone preparing for war. In light of suggestions that the Secretary-General visit that country, was that a possibility? Not in the near future, the Spokesman replied.

Did the Spokesman have any information about the Cambodian election? another correspondent asked. Mr. Eckhard said the United Nations would not have anything to say about whether it had been free or fair. That was for the international observers. The Secretary-General might have a comment once the results were announced.

Another correspondent asked whether the Secretary-General planned to send anyone to Luanda before the appointment of a new Special Representative. In response, Mr. Eckhard said that he had nothing to say about that at present. Something might be said later today.

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