SECRETARY-GENERAL FOLLOWING WITH CONCERN MOUNTING BETWEEN GUINEA AND LIBERIA

Press Release
SG/SM/7137
AFR/172

SECRETARY-GENERAL FOLLOWING WITH CONCERN MOUNTING BETWEEN GUINEA AND LIBERIA

The following statement was issued today by the Office of the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General has been following with concern the mounting tension between Guinea and Liberia, following attacks by armed dissidents on towns and villages along their common border, which claimed the lives of many innocent civilians and worsened the humanitarian situation in these two countries.

The Secretary-General welcomes the prompt action taken by the Ad-Hoc Committee of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State and Government, as reflected in the Declaration they adopted in Abuja on 16 September. He particularly welcomes the agreement of the Heads of State of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone to undertake a number of confidence-building measures to re-establish an environment of peace, security and trust among them. The Secretary-General calls on the three leaders to faithfully abide by this agreement and stands ready to assist them in any way possible.

The Secretary-General joins the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government who met in Abuja in their appeal to the international community to assist Guinea and Liberia to cope with continued problems of refugees in these two countries, as well as address the humanitarian crisis resulting from the armed attacks by dissidents along their common border.

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