HEADS OF UNITED NATIONS PEACE MISSIONS IN WEST AFRICA MEET IN GORÉE, SENEGAL

HEADS OF UNITED NATIONS PEACE MISSIONS IN WEST AFRICA MEET IN GORÉE, SENEGAL

(Reissued as received.)

DAKAR, 23 February (UNOWA) -- A high-level meeting of the five United Nations peacekeeping and political missions in West Africa was held on Friday, 20 February at the Gorée Institute, off Dakar, Senegal.  It followed requests by Security Council members for the missions to take concrete action towards implementing a regional approach, including pulling together United Nations assets across the region and exploiting synergies between the missions to achieve greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

The meeting, chaired by Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa, head of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA), and attended by Albert Tevoedjre, head of the United Nations Mission in Côte d’Ivoire (MINUCI), Jacques Klein, head of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Daudi Ngelautwa Mwakawago, head of United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), and David Stephen, head of United Nations Peace-building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS), reviewed the overall situation in the region, as well as in each of the mission areas.

The mission heads conveyed the deep concern felt in their respective countries at the dangers which a precipitous drawdown of UNAMSIL may pose to the other countries and peace operations in the region.  They underlined the urgency of promoting economic development which would reduce Sierra Leone’s dependency on external assistance and stressed the need for a carefully designed exit strategy.  However, noting the still fragile peace and security environment of the subregion, they hoped that the Security Council will be particularly sensitive in addressing this crucial issue.

The participants also discussed the situation in the province of Guinea-Forestiere, which is bordered by three United Nations peacekeeping operations, and expressed concern that growing tension there could have serious ramifications for the stability of the neighbours.  They agreed that the United Nations system in West Africa should pay particular attention to peace-building in this province and see how additional assistance could be provided to its civilian population.

They were also briefed on the meeting of the Peacekeeping Missions Force Commanders recently held in Abidjan.  Important progress since the previous meeting of Special Representatives held in Freetown in November 2003, was reported in the areas of information exchange among United Nations missions regarding ex-combatants and other issues, as well as the division of responsibility of border patrolling.  However, serious synergies among United Nations missions will be difficult to achieve until some form of cross-border activities, including emergency air support and joint patrols, can be worked out.  The mission heads, therefore, decided to raise with United Nations Headquarters and the Security Council the possibility of considering some flexibility in this regard.

The crucial issue of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) was discussed, and the need for a regionally harmonized approach, including with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), was stressed.  This regional approach for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration will need to incorporate Guinea-Forestiere.  The peacekeeping operations requested UNOWA to organize a further meeting in Dakar to work out the details involving the United Nations missions in the region, national disarmament commissions, development partners, and concerned United Nations agencies.

The heads of mission paid a courtesy visit to the Prime Minister of Senegal, Idrissa Seck and exchanged views on issues of regional interest.

The Special Representatives in West Africa decided to convene their next meeting in May 2004.

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