PRESS BRIEFING BY UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR PEACEKEEPING

Press Briefing

PRESS BRIEFING BY UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR PEACEKEEPING

The United Nations "had not been unprepared" for recent events in Sierra Leone, and had tried to cope with the situation by using the resources and equipment it had, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Bernard Miyet, told correspondents at a Headquarters briefing today.

Requests had been made to supply each battalion with the equipment necessary for full-strength operations with an understanding of the risks involved in the peacekeeping operations in that country, he continued. Those troops, from India and Kenya, which had been sent to the areas in the north held by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) -- the rebel force in Sierra Leone -- had the necessary equipment and motivation, never surrendered and always reacted when their forces were under attack.

India and Kenya, along with Jordan, never wavered in their support of the United Nations, he emphasized. From the first day of the crisis, their governments, as well as that of Bangladesh, decided to maintain their troops and to commit even more in the peacekeeping effort.

Mr. Miyet had earlier reminded correspondents that in January 1991, Freetown had been overwhelmed by massacre and destruction, rape and mutilation. Presently, many persons were expressing that the recent occurrences there proved the failure of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). However, he pointed out, there had been no civilian casualties during the past week (except last Monday during the demonstrations organized by the political parties), members of the RUF did not rampage the town, and peacekeepers had not fled their duty stations.

During his mission to Sierra Leone last week, he had observed that the Kenyan and Indian troops had maintained a presence in cities in RUF-held areas, where no multinational force or government presence had ventured before. They were encircled, yet did not surrender their weapons. Instead, they retaliated when they were attacked by the rebels and they forced those rebels to withdraw from several areas.

He said that account had not been taken of the excellent relations that a few military observers had been able to establish with the population. Some peacekeepers had been trapped when they went to negotiate with the RUF. It was unclear what had really occurred, as the Zambian battalion had not yet been debriefed. There were still moments of tension and panic, but Freetown had not been left defenceless by the United Nations peacekeeping force.

There were weaknesses in the system, Mr. Miyet admitted. The Lomé Agreement did not require the United Nations to supply a peacekeeping force for Sierra Leone. The Organization was only expected to provide a few dozen military observers and the Economic Community of West African States' Monitoring Observer Group (ECOMOG) would supply the remainder of the force. However, due to lack of financial and other support from the developed

Miyet Briefing - 2 - 15 May 2000

countries, ECOMOG had discontinued its operations and requested the United Nations to replace the troops.

That had been done twice, he said. The first time, 6,000 troops were sent, with an agreement that ECOMOG would maintain an additional 6,000 there. That agreement had been broken and just last week the Security Council was requested to approve an increase that would maintain up to 11,000 soldiers in Sierra Leone.

He stated that opposition to the RUF was being strengthened daily in an effort demoralize the rebels and put them on the defensive. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would also be consulted on finding the best means to resume the process of attaining peace and reconciliation, but that would also be difficult.

A correspondent noted that there had been reports that the British forces were in control of the Freetown operations. Could Mr. Miyet clarify whether that was the case? Also, was a request by the President that the anti-RUF forces cease the offensive, as that was hampering his negotiations for the release of the hostages, being honoured?

Mr. Miyet noted that there were different forces with different mandates in a territory in which there was a great deal of tension. As far as he was aware, the British troops were not engaged in any kind of military activity.

The President had been requested at the ECOWAS summit in Abuja to participate in gaining the release of the hostages and that had begun over the weekend, he continued. He was also unaware of any warning or threat for UNAMSIL to desist fighting. There were concerns about revenge, which might undermine future efforts for peace, but he did not know of any request on that point.

Did Foday Sankoh still stand a chance of remaining a party to the Lomé Agreement? a correspondent asked. Also, referring to the proposal by the United States for a West African force acting on its own mandate operating on the ground -– a proposal opposed by the Secretary-General -- he wondered whether the United States had accepted the incorporation of those troops into a force under United Nations command.

Mr. Miyet said he did not know what Sankoh's fate would be. His credibility was at stake, as he did not deliver on his promises. The current situation was a clear expression of his unreliability. Responding to the second question, he said that now the priority over the next few weeks would be to induct the troops in an effort to consolidate the Mission, create the conditions for full stability in the Government-controlled areas and resolve the peace process.

A correspondent wanted to know whether the agreement for power sharing would have to be reassessed and renegotiated. Also, she said, there was

Miyet Briefing - 3 - 15 May 2000

obviously a lapse in intelligence before the crisis broke. Was the United Nations planning to make any changes?

It was very difficult to have an idea of what strategies had been successful, Mr. Miyet remarked. It would be beneficial to observe what the parties themselves would decide to do. He pointed out that the Organization was not well informed about RUF activities in Sierra Leone. The intelligence had indeed been lacking and that could have been due to distance and access, in addition to other factors.

Do you agree with the analysis that the RUF launched their attacks against the United Nations forces because they were moving towards the diamond producing areas? another correspondent asked. Furthermore, what could be done to control the impact on the diamond trade because of the conflict?

Responding, Mr. Miyet said that the population, by welcoming the troops warmly, clearly demonstrated their desire for the presence of UNAMSIL. The issue of the diamond trade was an important element and would have to be taken into account by the Security Council in the future.

* *** *