DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

Press Briefing

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING OF OFFICE OF SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General:

**UN Helicopter Missing in Haiti:

Good afternoon. A United Nations helicopter with 13 people on board went missing in Haiti last night. The helicopter, an MI-8, left Port-au-Prince at 7:25 p.m. and lost radio contact with the International Civilian Mission to Haiti (MICIVIH) at 7:40 p.m. It was on its way to Cap Haitien. The United States Coast Guard has been assisting in the search of the helicopter, but so far it has not been located. The 13 people on board were six Russians, six Argentines, and one American. The crew were Russians. Six Argentines were civilian police and one doctor. The American was an officer with the United States company that contracted the helicopter.

**Afghan Peace Talks Concluded:

The second round of United Nations-facilitated Afghan peace talks in Ashkabad, Turkmenistan, concluded on Sunday with the two sides agreeing on four points in a final communiqué. They agreed to meet again around the first week of April.

The United Nations representative at the four-day talks, Andrew Tesoriere, the acting head of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan, was expected to hold a press briefing in Islamabad tomorrow afternoon.

In the meantime, the World Food Programme (WFP) Afghanistan Director Mike Sackett became the first United Nations international staff member to return to Afghanistan Sunday, under the decision announced last Friday.

**Security Council Consultations:

The Security Council has scheduled consultations this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. The Secretary-General will brief the Council on the current situation involving Ethiopia and Eritrea.

**Secretary-General to Go to Washington:

The Secretary-General will travel to Washington, D.C., tonight in order to address tomorrow morning the opening of a three-day United States/Africa ministerial meeting entitled, "Partnership for the Twenty-first Century". He'll return to New York midday tomorrow.

**WFP Vehicle Explodes in Iraq:

A World Food Programme (WFP) vehicle parked overnight at the World Health Organization (WHO) parking lot in Dohuk in northern Iraq exploded and was extensively damaged. There were no casualties reported. The incident took place last Friday.

According to preliminary investigations, it is believed that the explosives had been placed in the rear side of the vehicle, presumably on the back seat.

We have no clue as to the motives or the people behind the explosions.

**Kosovo Refugees:

As the peace talks on Kosovo resumed in Paris today, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that since the end of the Rambouillet negotiations on 23 February, some 30,000 persons have fled their homes. About 12,000 of them were able to return after short absences. At least 230,000 persons are now displaced within Kosovo as a result of the conflict, a further 170,000 have fled the province in the past year, and several hundred thousand who have not been displaced nevertheless remain affected by the conflict.

This information is contained in a UNHCR update on Kosovo, which is available in my Office.

**Secretary-General's Special Representative Leaves Angola:

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Angola, Issa Diallo, left the mission area today, stressing that the United Nations is not abandoning Angola. He will arrive in New York tomorrow. Mr. Diallo has served in Angola since August of last year, following the tragic death of his predecessor, Alioune Blondin Beye in a plane crash in June.

On Saturday, United Nations agencies completed the withdrawal of staff from Kuito in Angola as fighting intensified near this strategic capital. This development reduces the already limited presence of humanitarian organizations to eight of 18 provincial capitals. At present, about 80 per cent of relief aid provided by humanitarian agencies is delivered by air as access to 60 per cent of the country remains restricted.

Some 480,000 newly internally displaced persons are currently receiving assistance in relatively safe areas. Negotiations are under way to ensure that humanitarian organizations can conduct independent evaluations to confirm reports of additional displaced persons and host communities in critical humanitarian conditions throughout the Angolan territory. Relief agencies have confirmed the existence of 650,000 out of a total of 1.5 million persons estimated to have abandoned their homes and sought refuge within Angola.

Daily Press Briefing - 3 - 15 March 1999

You can get that report which was produced by OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) in my Office.

**Arusha Hearing To Withdraw Indictment:

There will be a hearing tomorrow in Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, on the Prosecutor's motion to withdraw the indictment against Bernard Ntuyahaga, who is charged in connection with the disarming and killing of 10 Belgian peacekeepers in Rwanda in 1994.

Last September, a judge in the Rwanda Tribunal dismissed three counts that Prosecutor Louise Arbour wanted to bring against the accused. In light of this, she decided the case should be left to a national court.

Belgium has had an interest in trying those connected with the killing of their nationals since 1994.

**WFP Approves $23 million for Sahel Countries:

The WFP has approved a $23 million emergency food aid programme for populations facing severe shortages in the Sahel countries of Mauritania, Senegal, the Gambia and Cape Verde.

The six-month operation will provide 40,000 metric tons of emergency food aid to more than 1 million people living in areas affected by drought and several consecutive below-average harvests.

**1999 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize Announced:

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has just announced the winner of its 1999 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.

This year's award went to Jesus Biancomelas, the co-founder and editor of a Mexican newsweekly which is known for exposing corruption.

There's a press release on the racks with more details.

**Switzerland Pays Dues:

Although not a Member State (at least not yet), Switzerland has paid its dues as an observer today with a payment of over $3.7 million.

**UNCA Briefing:

The United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) is having a briefing this afternoon, at 1 p.m., in the UNCA Club by Ambassador Rosario Gonzales Manalo of the Philippines and Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

Daily Press Briefing - 4 - 15 March 1999

She is said to be a candidate for UNESCO Director-General (but, of course, that's not official).

**Question-and-Answer Session:

Question: On the Haiti crash, when was it discovered that the plane was missing, and are there any details on its mission?

Spokesman: I don't have the precise time, but I know Headquarters got a call about 3 a.m. this morning, but it was obvious from the time that they lost radio contact at 7:40 p.m., something was wrong. The incident started when the Finnish Government asked for assistance in evacuating a Finn who had sustained an injury. One United Nations helicopter that went off to Cap Haitien to a medical evacuation of this Finn developed a fuel leak, and, therefore, the second helicopter was called in, and it's this second helicopter that then went missing.

Question: Is there any difference in payment between an observer nation and a regular Member?

Spokesman: We'll have to check that for you. Off the top of my head, I don't know the answer to that question.

Question: Where did the Russian crew come from? In the Secretary- General's report, I did not see anything about a Russian.

Spokesman: The MI-8 is a Russian helicopter, although it was contracted by a United States company. So, it's a multinational enterprise.

Question: Are those people operating under the cover of the United Nations, or how many of those people are operating under the cover of the United Nations, because in the report to the Security Council there is no mention of this -- the latest report?

Spokesman: This is described as a United Nations helicopter. It was contracted through a United States company.

Question: Do you know the name of that company?

Spokesman: No, I might be able to get it. I don't know what our policy is on giving out the names of companies, but we'll see if we can get it for you.

Question: Where did the money come from?

Spokesman: We'll have to look into that. I am not aware that there's any line item in the budget. It could be that it's under a line that is not obvious, but we'll try to find that for you.

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