YouSaid · the spoken record

Sama Banya

lines on the record: 51
first: 1998-09-24
most recent: 2000-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“We should therefore demonstrate that love by adequately addressing outstanding issues like general disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, peaceful settlement of disputes, prohibition and control of small arms, prohibition of landmines, poverty alleviation, affordable drugs and treatment of debilitating and killer diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS, advancing the Middle East peace process in accordance with various Security Council resolutions, equitable trade negotiations and, of course, reform of the Security Council.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Following the occupation and destruction of economic areas, the carting away of our resources, the displacement of hundreds of thousands of our people and the wanton destruction of life and property, I would like to appeal to all our friends to continue and intensify their humanitarian 3 assistance and to support programmes for rebuilding our country. We have just entered a new millennium, bringing with us many unresolved problems — problems which have been discussed in this and other international forums over the years and which appear to lack any solution. We have only one world, and my delegation believes that it is worth our love.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Thanks to the decisive actions of the Security Council and the Economic Community of West African States under the indefatigable leadership of President Obasanjo of Nigeria and President Konare of Mali, Sierra Leoneans now see a real light at the end of what has been a long and tortuous tunnel. The forthcoming trials of those who have committed such horrendous and inhuman crimes against their fellow countrymen will be a signal to would-be adventurers that such acts will no longer go unpunished. No words can sufficiently express the thanks and gratitude of the people of Sierra Leone to the Security Council, the international community as a whole and troop-contributing countries.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Another recent and very welcome resolution of the Security Council is the ban on the sale of illegal diamonds from Sierra Leone, the so-called “Blood Diamonds”. As is well known, the proceeds from this trade have been used to fuel the rebel war machine. I would like to thank the Government of the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Canada for their perseverance in opposing this horrible activity, calling things by their proper names and pointing fingers in the right direction. My country is confident that the new arrangements for the marketing of our diamonds will not only end the illegal trade but will also bring sanity into the system, to the benefit of the country.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Another group of bandits, the so- called “West Side Boys”, had seized and held captive 1 Sierra Leone soldier and 10 British servicemen who were in Sierra Leone to train a professional army which would be responsible to the democratically elected Government of the country. That group refused to release the hostages, despite the long and patient negotiations, and was even beginning to threaten their lives. Mercifully, to everyone's relief, the hostages have now been rescued. Unfortunately, one member of the British rescue team lost his life, while another was seriously wounded. My Government has already congratulated the British Government for the professionalism of the rescue team. At the same time, we have expressed heartfelt condolences for the loss of the life of a member of the team.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Among other things, it provided for the demobilization, disarmament and reintegration of former combatants into society. It provided for the repatriation and resettlement of refugees and internally displaced people. It also provided for the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers (UNAMSIL) in the country. The RUF leaders have forfeited their right to benefit from the provisions of Lomé; however, because of its other provisions, my Government will revive the Agreement, particularly the DDR Programme. My Government has already expressed condolences to the Governments of those who lost their lives during the hostage-taking. UNAMSIL is to be congratulated for the professional manner in which it freed the hostages.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Subsequent events have revealed that the RUF had planned a bloody overthrow of the elected Government on the following day, 9 May 2000. This at first put the whole Lomé Peace Agreement in doubt, especially Mr. Sankoh's role as leader of the RUF. Under the Lomé Peace Agreement, Mr. Sankoh was appointed Chairman of the Strategic Mineral Resources Commission, with the status of a vice- president; he used this position to open secret negotiations with a number of people for the exploitation and sale of Sierra Leone's diamonds, without reference to any other person. The Government of Sierra Leone had signed the Lomé Peace Agreement in the belief that it would put an end to the atrocities being inflicted on defenceless civilians, especially women and children.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“2 Following the unwarranted criminal abduction by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) of hundreds of United Nations peacekeeping troops of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), a peaceful demonstration by the members of civil society of Sierra Leone was organized to appeal to Foday Sankoh, the leader of the RUF, for the unconditional release of the hostages and to prevail upon him to cooperate in order successfully to implement the Lomé Peace Agreement, especially the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Programme. As soon as the demonstrators reached his residence, Mr. Sankoh's men opened fire on the unarmed and defenceless crowd, gunning down 20 and seriously wounding several others, two of whom later died in hospital.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“In collaboration with my Government, it is setting up a special court to try all those who are guilty of the most horrendous and atrocious crimes against humanity. In furtherance of its interest in bringing stability to the country, it has planned to send a high-level delegation to Sierra Leone to assess the situation on the ground. I should also like to extend a warm congratulations to Tuvalu on its admission as the 189th Member of this Organization.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“Theo-Ben Gurirab of Namibia, I convey my delegation's gratitude and appreciation for the able manner in which he conducted the affairs of the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly. I should like to thank Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and his colleagues and staff, whose dedication to duty deserves the highest commendation. I extend our special gratitude to Mr. Annan for his insight into the problems in my country and the objective manner in which he has reported his findings to the Security Council. The United Nations Security Council has deployed over 13,000 peacekeeping troops in Sierra Leone, the largest number in any country at any one time.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“May I, on behalf of my delegation and the Government and people of the Republic of Sierra Leone, add my vice to those before me to offer warm felicitations on your election as President of this epoch-making fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly, the Millennium Assembly. Your long and distinguished career in the service of your country and on the international scene makes you eminently suitable for election. My delegation is confident that under your able guidance, our deliberations will be smooth and productive. Indeed, we have seen evidence of that in your insistence on punctuality. I want to assure you, Sir, of my delegation's fullest cooperation. To our brother and colleague Mr.”
2000-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 55 (2000)
“The Declaration called, inter alia, for the democratization of international relations, the democratization of the United Nations and the Security Council and the recognition of Africa’s legitimate position in this Organization. My Government also reinforces its belief in the Harare Declaration, calling for the unconditional allocation of two permanent Security Council seats to Africa.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We call on the international community to support the Security Council decision so as to effectively prevent the availability and flow of arms to conflict areas. The decision should not be left to the merchants of death, whose only interest is money, by whatever means. The United Nations, despite its occasional imperfectability, remains an essential institution for moving international relations towards cooperative security. Its operational and procedural capabilities need to be strengthened for the next century. My Government fully supports the Declaration of Algiers, adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity, meeting in Algeria from 12-14 July 1999.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“But, as the British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook observed at the recent Security Council meeting on trafficking in small arms, small arms have caused more death and destruction in recent times than weapons of mass destruction. Indeed, my delegation agrees with the general view that the illegal arms trade is as dangerous as drugs, both serving as instruments of destruction of civilian lives and of socio- economic structures. The proliferation of trade in light weapons, financed by cash from the sale of precious minerals, such as diamonds and gold, is at the core of Africa’s conflicts and their prolongation. My delegation therefore welcomes the recent decision of the Security Council on this nefarious trade.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“A level playing field is required, and this cannot be achieved with Africa’s heavy debt burden. Sierra Leone welcomes the 1999 Cologne Debt Initiative, which enhances the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Debt Initiative framework for debt relief. We agree that further efforts are needed for greater focus on the priority objective of poverty reduction. At the same time, my delegation hopes that agreement will soon be reached to shorten the period during which countries can qualify to be part of the HIPC Debt Initiative framework. With the cold war over, mankind had looked forward to a period of peace and universal development.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In an increasingly shrinking world, the problems of developing countries, including those of Sierra Leone, ought to be seen as global problems. 38 The impact of these problems is felt by all in the form of environmental devastation, global warming, economic migrations and conflict, both local and regional. These problems affect the developed world in the form of increased immigration, greater welfare bills, slower economic growth and increased defence budgets, due to greater instability in the third world and the increased need for conflict resolution and prevention. In these circumstances, the continuing decline in the levels of development assistance has not helped the African situation. Globalization cannot be effected as a “one-way street” where all the vehicles travel North, leaving only exhaust fumes in the South.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Once again I would like to put on record my country’s indebtedness and gratitude to the member States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and four countries in particular — Nigeria, Guinea, Ghana and Mali — which contributed troops to the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). As a new millennium dawns, the problems facing my country — and indeed many developing countries — are multiple; not least is the problem of finding a consistent set of policies and institutions that will enable us to have sustainable economic growth. Coupled with this is the fact that newly elected democratic Governments like ours are facing the paradox of how to sustain democracy in an environment where hard economic decisions are needed.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Although the heinous atrocities committed in Sierra Leone by the RUF and its collaborators barely received attention from the international community, various human rights groups denounced the United Nations for signing the Lomé Peace Agreement with a reservation on amnesty provision. May I at this stage appeal to the international community not to do anything that would adversely affect the implementation of the Peace Agreement. For the average Sierra Leonean, the Peace Agreement was a bitter pill to swallow, but an essential pill to end the atrocities in the country. However, in order to ensure accountability, a truth and reconciliation commission was provided for in the agreement. It may need to be backed by an international inquiry body, such as has been proposed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The delay in implementing this could be a factor in the restlessness observed in some elements from time to time. It is a dangerous void. The programme itself is under the chairmanship of our President, and because of the importance that our people attach to it, the civilian population has established a fund that is receiving modest donations from an already traumatized and war-weary people. Unfortunately, the anxiety and enthusiasm of our people have yet to be matched by those of the international community. The speed and the extent of interventions in Bosnia and in Kosovo, and more recently in East Timor, clearly demonstrate the capacity of the international community to stop human suffering when it is willing to do so. Our people have been baffled at the delay in implementing the Sierra Leone programme.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“A special conference is to take place shortly in Washington, D.C., for pledges to the fund and for other post-conflict programmes, including humanitarian assistance, the welfare of refugees and the welfare of children associated with the war. I would like to thank all our friends in the donor community who will be participating in that meeting and to plead with them to donate generously. Since the signing of the Lomé Agreement, the peace has been generally holding. There have been a few severe hiccups, but because of the determination of all to move forward, we have been able to contain the situation. The war went on for a long time; the rebels were used to obtaining everything they needed by the use of force. Since the Agreement, they have simply been waiting for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme to commence.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“My Government therefore welcomes the eighth report of the Secretary-General on Sierra Leone to the Security Council. Among other things, the report recommends the deployment of sufficient numbers of peacekeepers and observers, as well as support staff. The Secretary-General stresses the urgent need for the mobilization of adequate resources into a special trust fund for this purpose. My delegation welcomes with gratitude the contributions of the Governments of the United Kingdom and Canada and the World Bank to the trust fund, and the recent recommendation of the Secretary- General to the Security Council to deploy up to 6,000 peacekeepers and observers. The need for an early decision on this cannot be overemphasized.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I have no doubt that many members must have watched, heard or read of the ensuing mayhem, even though those ghastly events were overlooked because of the focus of the international media and, indeed, of the international community on 37 Kosovo. There was a time when we felt that the international community had abandoned us to our fate. Our people have gone through a very difficult and devastating period, covering more than eight years. We are now ready to put that nightmare behind us, to move forward and to do so quickly. The most important element in this is the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme, under the supervision of United Nations peacekeepers and observers and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Monitoring Group (ECOMOG).”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Annan has spared no efforts in drawing the attention of the international community, as well as that of the Security Council, to the tragic situation in Sierra Leone, stressing the urgent need for resources to sustain the Lomé Peace Agreement, recently signed between the Government of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), and the need to send an appreciable contingent of peacekeepers and United Nations military observers to my country. The rebel war has gone on for a long time. Its intensification culminated in the invasion of the capital, Freetown, by the RUF/Armed Forces Revolutionary Council junta on 6 January 1999.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“The affairs that confront us as a country continue to cause problems all over the globe. We are faced with situations that we cannot completely handle. Permit me to convey the thanks and appreciation of my Government to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and to his staff for their dedicated service to the United Nations in the never-ending quest to attain international peace and security. Mr.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“On behalf of President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, the Government and people of Sierra Leone, and on my own personal behalf, I would like to congratulate Mr. Gurirab most heartily on his election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-fourth session. This is the last session before the end of this century and today we have only 92 days until the beginning of a new millennium. We welcome Mr. Gurirab’s unanimous election to preside over this body. With his long experience, both in the public service of his country and in the international arena, I have no doubt that he will be able to steer the deliberations of the fifty-fourth session to a successful conclusion. I want to assure him of my delegation’s full support and cooperation during his tenure of office.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Let me close by referring again to the report of the Secretary-General, whom I have already thanked. I shall refer once more to the special conference he convened, for which I thank the Secretary-General.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“As lead agency in the partnership between the Government and the donor community, the UNDP, prior to the coup, had spearheaded the following: preparation of a national poverty-eradication programme; facilitating the establishment of a coordination mechanism for relief assistance by the humanitarian community; and facilitating the peace process through the provision of diplomatic, logistic, technical and administrative support to the peace negotiations and the preparation of the demobilization programme. Since the return of the elected Government in March 1998, the UNDP has spent considerable amounts of money in the development of various other programmes as well. I urge the international community to continue its support for these programmes and to help us in our task of rehabilitation.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“I would like to make special reference to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The restoration of constitutional order and the various efforts of the Government to effect durable peace and to rebuild the country provide us with an opportunity to regain donor confidence and ensure the completion of various initiatives and programmes interrupted by the events of the coup of 25 May 1997.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The programme is being operated in collaboration with a local non-governmental organization, the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leone partner of Birdlife International, which sponsors the programme. Notwithstanding this valuable work, pressure on forests in the third world will not be reduced unless we enhance food production from the same piece of land year after year, as happens in the industrialized countries. This can only be achieved by a transfer of food production technology to our own countries. I have made frequent references to the role of the international community in the restoration of democracy to my country and to the reinstatement of President Kabbah. I have mentioned the United Nations, the OAU, ECOWAS and the Commonwealth.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“There is a very rich diversity of interesting invertebrates, including two species of dragonfly, endemic only to parts of the Upper Guinea forest, as well as the rare African swallow-tailed butterfly, which has Sierra Leone as the westernmost limit of its range in Africa. Unfortunately, the Gola rain forest, like most other forest areas on the continent, is under considerable pressure. Much of the forest cover is lost annually from logging and from brush burning as well as shifting cultivation carried out by an ever-increasing population. Conservation of these forests in Sierra Leone, as in other parts of Africa, is linked with poverty. The Forestry Division of our Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment has a Gola Rain Forest Conservation Programme.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Sierra Leone is one of the countries in our subregion that still have the remnants of what were once the Upper Guinea rain forest, which stretches from Sierra Leone down to the Cameroons. The reserve supports the largest number of animal species in Sierra Leone: a total of 46 mammal species, including Western chimpanzees, red colobus monkeys, Diana monkeys, duickers, leopards and forest elephants. Two hundred and seventy four species of birds are to be found in the Gola rain forest. These include 10 globally threatened species — 8 restricted to the Upper Guinea forest block — and 169 forest-dependent species.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Having gone through this experience both as recipient and exporter of refugees, we must commend the donor community and especially the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Much is being done for us, but even the Office acknowledges that the situation of our refugees in neighbouring countries is desperate. I would like to appeal to the donor community to shed its donor fatigue syndrome and continue to respond positively to the needs of a people who are the innocent victims of events not of their own making. A very urgent need now is for the repatriation of our people from neighbouring countries, where life in camps is now a nightmare.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The resultant imbalances can be overcome if every effort is made to create a level playing field by removing the debt burden of our countries and opening up markets to African and third world products. Some 23 countries have already done so; we hope that others will follow soon. I have already mentioned the refugee situation in my own country. It is grim, and yet the situation is the same in other parts of the world, especially Africa, which has the largest refugee populations. This situation has continued to exert tremendous pressure on the already weak economies of the host countries, which are forced to spend part of their meagre resources on the welfare of refugees.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The effects of the debt burden, the unfavourable balances of trade and payment, and the unpredictability of the prices of their products on the world market have all contributed to the deteriorating economic conditions they are facing. In addition to these external factors, misguided policies and political instability caused by various kinds of civil strife have caused their economies to sink further. Globalization and trade liberalization have become inevitable phases in world trade. It has, however, become obvious that our countries have fared badly and will continue to be at a disadvantage unless there is a change of attitude and even procedure on the part of developed, industrialized countries.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“My Government noted with great delight the conference convened last year in South Africa to focus the world?s attention on the dangers posed to human life by landmines. We revive the memory of the late Princess Diana, who did so much to focus the attention of the international community on the horrors of landmines. In our own country, too, landmines were strewn around with carefree abandon by the AFRC/RUF junta, resulting in the maiming and death of innocent civilians, especially children. Many African and other third world countries, including my own, are today still grappling with severe economic problems.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In the same way as we oppose all future nuclear tests, we must with all the emphasis at our disposal condemn all forms of terrorism, both domestic and international. We refer particularly to the recent bombings which claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent people, not to mention the loss of property worth millions of dollars in Nairobi, Dar-es-Salaam, Cape Town and Northern Ireland. We call on the international community to coordinate its efforts to fight this menace. Those who insist on using this method to achieve their aims should be tracked down and brought to justice. In this regard, my country wholeheartedly supports the signing and ratification of all the Conventions on terrorism and appeals to the entire international community to adhere to the Conventions in order to make the world a safer place for our children?s children.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“As for the expansion of the Security Council, Sierra Leone supports the position taken by the Non-Aligned Movement, that, in order to enhance its credibility, the new Council should reflect the universal character of the world and correct existing imbalances in its composition. My country cannot talk of conflicts and peace without referring to nuclear arms. When negotiations were being conducted in Geneva on a comprehensive test-ban treaty, a few years ago, the Republic of Sierra Leone was one of those countries which prayed silently for its success. We are relieved and thankful that the Treaty has been signed by a large number of countries. We continue to call on all nations to sign the test-ban treaty and refrain from further tests, with their attendant danger to the future of mankind.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“It will be not only testimony to the common desire to overcome long neglected failures of national legal systems, but a unique chance to contribute to international stability deterrence and, hopefully, the prevention of atrocious crimes. Security Council reform is one of the most difficult issues which have to be tackled during this session. While progress has been made in some areas, and new ideas and proposals have emerged, the Working Group has not presented recommendations to the General Assembly. Sierra Leone agrees with the position of the Non-Aligned Movement on the curtailment, limitation and subsequent elimination of the veto. Sierra Leone fully endorses the decision of the Assembly of the Heads of State or Government of the Organization of African Unity for two permanent seats to be allocated to our continent.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“With regard to the armed rebellion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the rebel wars in Angola, Sudan and elsewhere, we appeal to the parties in those conflicts to lay down their arms, to refrain from further provocative activities that ignite tempers and to give peace a chance. Our Government welcomes the successful outcome of the United Nations Diplomatic Conference on the establishment of the International Criminal Court, which took place in Rome, Italy, in June 1998. Sierra Leone is firmly committed to the early establishment of a permanent international court, and my Government has already signed the Statute of the International Criminal Court. We urge every nation to sign and ratify the Statute.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Under our constitution there is separation of powers between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. While the due process of law is in progress, the President cannot and will not interfere with it. At the end of the exercise those who lose their final appeals to the Supreme Court can apply to the Prerogative of Mercy Committee. Then, and 22 only then, will the President step in, and he has already given that assurance. Our President has not only gone the extra mile, but is seen to be bending over backwards to bring together all the main political groups into the mainstream of the post- conflict nation-building exercise, so as to secure permanent peace and security. There have been no instances of human rights violations since President Kabbah assumed office.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Remnants of the junta and the RUF are, however, perched in small areas in the east and north-east and operate only because they continue to have a safe haven in a neighbouring country, while one other country renders its support to them from outside Sierra Leone. That notwithstanding, every effort is now being made by both ECOMOG and the Civil Defence Unit to flush them out and to finally put this whole tragic affair behind us. The treason trials of both civilians and former junta members are still in progress, under laws which have been in existence since independence. Soon after sentence was passed on the first group, some misguided organizations began unfairly pressurizing the President to intervene; they even mounted a vicious propaganda campaign in the name of human rights. My country is governed by the rule of law.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Because of its overwhelming desire to uphold the principles of democracy and good governance, the Government lays much emphasis on the rule of law, human rights and freedom of expression. There are over 48 newspaper publications in a country with 80 per cent illiteracy. Despite propaganda to the contrary, no journalists have been prosecuted, let alone convicted, for practising their profession — not even when the headlines of a few have sometimes bordered on libel. Of the 16 people recently convicted of treason, after a trial that was declared transparent and fair, five were journalists; but they were not charged for the practice of journalism. President Kabbah and the ECOMOG Force Commander informed the Special Conference on Sierra Leone that more than 90 per cent of the country was secure and safe.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“I have every reason to believe that that assignment will be carried out with the same professionalism that has been the hallmark of ECOMOG operations in both Liberia and Sierra Leone. At this juncture, I would like to state that the Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone is committed to the demobilization, disarmament and integration of all ex-combatants, as provided for in both the Abidjan Peace Accord and the Conakry peace plan, despite the lack of good faith that has been demonstrated by both the RUF and the junta. This programme is at the top of our post- conflict agenda, and the Disarmament Committee itself is under the chairmanship of no less a person than our President.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“My country is fully aware that even though the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC)/RUF junta has been ousted, the peace and security that were achieved with enormous sacrifice by the people of Sierra Leone have yet to be consolidated. It is therefore in the interests of the people that the international community in general and the forces of the subregion in particular, maintain their presence in Sierra Leone until we can create a new national army. In this regard, the Federal Republic of Nigeria has agreed to the secondment of Brigadier-General Maxwell Khobe, Commander of the ECOMOG Force in Sierra Leone, as our Chief of Defence Staff. He is already working on the modalities for forming a well-trained and dedicated army which will be alive to its responsibility as defender of our Constitution.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“As soon as the legitimate Government was overthrown, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), at its meeting in Harare in June 1997, unanimously condemned the takeover and called on the junta to return power and constitutionality to the elected Government and to the country respectively. The prompt action of ECOWAS, the resultant peace in Liberia and now the return of democracy to Sierra Leone, clearly demonstrate what a regional organization can achieve if the determination and the leadership are there. ECOMOG has the capacity to deliver, but it needs the tools, which only the international community can provide.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The disarmament and demobilization exercise and the resettlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction processes require many resources. Some of the pledges that were made are now being fulfilled, but much remains to be done. Allow me to echo the appeal of the Secretary-General to those who have yet to pledge, and to others who have yet to deliver, to do all they can to help us. In the meantime, I would like to express profound gratitude to all members, and especially to the members of the contact group to be coordinated by the United Kingdom, for what has been achieved so far.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Unarmed civilians, particularly women and children, were their unfortunate victims. Because of the wanton destruction perpetrated by the junta and, much earlier, by the RUF, there is a great need to revamp the economy and for reconstruction. In a report to the General Assembly, the Secretary-General referred to the Special Conference on Sierra Leone, which he convened here at United Nations Headquarters on 30 July this year. The international community was invited to focus on the situation in Sierra Leone. 21 We were very much encouraged, not only by the deliberations and results of that conference, but also by the deliberations of the second ministerial-level Security Council meeting on Africa, held last week, in which Sierra Leone featured prominently. The humanitarian crisis is immense: there are many refugees and displaced persons.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In February this year, the forces of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), under the then ECOWAS Chairman, the late General Sani Abacha of Nigeria, led by Nigeria and with the support of our Civil Defence Unit, removed the junta. This was preceded by several attempts to arrive at a negotiated settlement. The international community was to learn that the junta and their allies, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), always negotiated in bad faith and were not to be trusted. The atrocities committed by the junta during their nine-month reign, especially after they retreated to the eastern and northern parts of the country, had to be seen to be believed. Rape, murder, mutilation, vandalism and the burning down of whole villages were the order of the day.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“I am sure most members will remember the picture he painted of the tragic events and the turmoil that followed when a democratically elected Government was overthrown by a bunch of military adventurists, aided and abetted by some civilian opportunists who became their active collaborators. Thanks to the resilience of the whole of civil society, encouraged and backed by the international community, I am here today representing the legitimate, reinstated Government of Sierra Leone. Against all odds, our people defied the violent and misguided gun-toting anarchists who appeared to have one objective, and one only: the total destruction of the civil society of Sierra Leone. Mercifully, that nightmare is now behind us.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Kofi Annan, Secretary- General, and to the entire staff of the United Nations common system for their relentless efforts in helping the people of Sierra Leone in the mammoth task of reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement of hundreds of thousands of our compatriots who were the unfortunate victims of nine months of junta misrule. Mr. Annan has put the international ship of state on the right course, and my delegation wishes him continued success. This time last year, my President addressed the Assembly on the subject of the situation in Sierra Leone.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)