YouSaid · the spoken record

Kamara

lines on the record: 303
first: 1999-10-22
most recent: 2019-08-02
sittings or episodes: 33
sources: un-security-council

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

“In this connection, we are reminded of what Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the summit ofthe Organization of African Unity in Lome' last July: "My friends, let us face some unpleasant facts. Africa is the only region where conflicts are not decreasing. Africa contains almost half of the world's refugees and internally displaced persons." (SG/SM/7485/Rev.1) A third reason for taking the position I have just outlined is that Sierra Leone would like the Security Council to seriously consider endorsing the recommendations of the Panel in a binding resolution under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. By doing so, the Council would be helping to avert further escalation of the conflict in the West African subregion.”
2001-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4264 (2001) · source
“We take this position, first, because it is the truth that whatever terminology or euphemism is used to describe relations between the RUF and Liberia, there is evidence that Liberia has been providing the RUF with military and other types of assistance to wage and prolong the conflict in our country. This is the truth. We have a saying in Sierra Leone: telling a friend the truth should in no way destroy the friendship. Secondly, we have taken this position because of the repeated calls for the international community to assist Africa in ending its armed conflicts and in dealing with the root causes and socio-economic consequences of those conflicts.”
2001-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4264 (2001) · source
“Therefore, the Sierra Leone delegation would like to state for the record that it concurs with the findings of the United Nations Panel of Experts. In particular, we agree with the experts that there is "unequivocal and overwhelming evidence that Liberia has been actively supporting the RUF at all levels, in providing training, weapons and related materiel, logistical support, a staging ground for attacks and a safe haven for retreat and recuperation". (S/2000/1195, enclosure, para. 20) In this regard, we concur with the Panel that the Security Council should take effective and appropriate mandatory measures to deal with this serious threat to international peace and security.”
2001-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4264 (2001) · source
“Indeed, how long should anyone, including members ofthe Security Council, continue to ignore those who support rebel movements that abduct, hold hostage, humiliate, disarm and even hurt and kill United Nations peacekeepers and humanitarian workers? As we know, many of those peacekeepers are from the developing world, including Africans who have left their homes and families to help keep the peace in our countries under the flag of the United Nations. Today, against the background of the painful events of the past several years, the revelations contained in the report of the United Nations Panel of Experts and the serious humanitarian crisis now emerging along the borders of the Mano River Union States, we are compelled to say, enough is enough. I would like to repeat: enough is enough.”
2001-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4264 (2001) · source
“In the name of diplomacy, in the name of African brotherhood, in the name of African solidarity, in the spirit of good-neighbourliness, and with the hope that reason would soon prevail, the Government of Sierra Leone, albeit reluctantly, refrained from subscribing to the tactic of "name and shame". But then we had to ask ourselves how long African solidarity should be allowed to overshadow the plight of the victims of the conflicts and prolong their suffering. How long should the identities of those directly and actively involved in blood-diamond transactions and illicit arms transactions across our borders be concealed under the cloak of African brotherhood?”
2001-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4264 (2001) · source
“We maintain the view that the report constitutes a landmark discovery regarding the major impediments to the restoration of peace and stability in Sierra Leone. Members of the Panel performed their assignments responsibly and as objectively as possible, and we commend them for a job well done. In the same vein, we would also like to commend Ambassador Chowdhury, Chairman of the Security Council Committee. For almost 10 years, and notwithstanding the brutality of the rebel atrocities committed in Sierra Leone, the Government of Sierra Leone did not openly name any State or individual involved in supporting the RUF.”
2001-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4264 (2001) · source
“The consequences of inaction or of continued lukewarm responses would be disastrous, not only for the people of Sierra Leone, but also for millions of their neighbours in the entire West African subregion." (ibid.) This was in 1999. In the view of my delegation, the report of the United Nations Panel of Experts on Sierra Leone Diamonds and Arms, which is now before this Council, is a loud and clear response to President Kabbah's appeal for further action against those who continue to support the RUF in prolonging the brutal conflict in Sierra Leone through illegal trade in diamonds and weapons and in exporting terror to neighbouring countries in West Africa. The Government of Sierra Leone has studied the report carefully. Its findings are credible. Its recommendations are far-reaching but viable.”
2001-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4264 (2001) · source
“This message was subsequently circulated as a document ofthe Security Council: "I would like to appeal to the United Nations Security Council, especially the permanent members who have the political and military means at their disposal, to exert pressure, first of all, on those States and individuals that continue to supply the weapons and logistics that are being used to kill our people. It is no secret that without such external support, the RUF [Revolutionary United Front] and its allies would not have had the capacity to maintain their military campaigns and wreak such havoc in several parts ofthe country." (S/1999/186, annex) President Kabbah went on to say, "The atrocities have been horrendous. "The Security Council should act before it is too late.”
2001-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4264 (2001) · source
“As the Security Council meets to begin preliminary consideration of the report of the Panel of Experts set up to collect information on the possible link between trade in Sierra Leone diamonds and trade in arms, I think it is relevant to cite the following lines from President Kabbah's broadcast message to the people of Sierra Leone on 21 February 1999, almost two years ago - this was immediately after the mayhem that killed over 5,000 people in Freetown in January 1999.”
2001-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4264 (2001) · source
“My delegation would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council in the first month of the new year and the first month of your country's term as a non-permanent member of the Council. I should like to add that my delegation is also pleased to see the representative of a sister Commonwealth nation directing the work of this body. I would like to assure you, Mr. President, of our cooperation in addressing the complex problems on the Council's agenda, including those pertaining to Sierra Leone. Allow me also to pay tribute to your predecessor, Ambassador Lavrov of the Russian Federation, for the efficient manner in which he conducted the Council's affairs during the month of December.”
2001-01-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4264 (2001) · source
“In conclusion, my delegation would like to express its thanks to the troop-contributing countries, to congratulate the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone on its recent successes and to express its heartfelt condolences to the countries and families of the wounded soldiers and those that have lost their lives.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176Resumption1 (2000) · source
“In April this year my Government established the National Commission for War-affected Children as a means of ensuring that the concerns and well-being of children and young people are taken fully into account in resource allocation, programme planning and national policy-making. One of the greatest challenges facing post- conflict Sierra Leone is the crisis of young people. If former child soldiers are to become productive members of post-conflict societies, alternatives to fighting and effective programmes for their reintegration must be put in place. The Lome Peace Agreement stipulates that particular attention be paid to the special needs of these child soldiers in the existing disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Both resolutions focused on the nexus between the illicit trade in diamonds and in arms and on their joint role in fuelling some of the most brutal and devastating wars in our African continent. My delegation agrees also with references to inadequate awareness of the extreme suffering of women and, especially, girl children, during conflicts. My Government has responded appropriately to the special needs of the girl child as well as to those of all other war-affected children in its disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes. Educational and vocational training opportunities are to be organized and made accessible to the girl child accordingly.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Our conflict has been dubbed the "children's war" because, tragically, children were not only the victims of the armed conflict in which they were caught up, but were also perpetrators of some of the atrocities that were committed. Children are those most affected by the growing number of armed conflicts, of which they are the targets, the victims and the instruments. These children should have no part to play in armed conflicts. They need to be protected. My delegation commends the Security Council for having adopted resolution 1306 (2000) on Sierra Leone - the resolution on diamonds - and also welcomes the resolution adopted last week, on Wednesday, 20 July, by the world's two main diamond trading associations to curb the illicit trade in conflict diamonds.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176Resumption1 (2000) · source
“In furtherance of this cause, the General Assembly has also adopted the Optional Protocol on the Convention of the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. In paying heed to the call of the Secretary-General, the Sierra Leone Parliament, on 23 May this year, ratified the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court. The instrument of ratification will soon be deposited with the Secretary-General. In that regard, we appeal to all members of the international community to sign and ratify all instruments relating to the protection of children in armed conflict. The question of children and armed conflict is of particular interest to my country. That phenomenon has been a tragic feature of the rebel war since it started in March 1991.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176Resumption1 (2000) · source
“The adoption of resolution 1261 (1999) gave rise to special measures aimed at the protection of children exposed to conflict, thus enhancing the political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights of the child within the framework of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We have also noted that the protection of children, especially those who have found themselves conscripted or enlisted as child soldiers, has received ample consideration and a degree of specific recognition in certain international instruments, such as the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, International Labour Organization Convention 182 of 1999 concerning the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour, and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176Resumption1 (2000) · source
“My delegation would like to thank you, Madam President, for convening this open debate on the issue of children and armed conflict. We would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his well constructed, well documented and comprehensive report. My delegation also commends Mr. Olara Otunnu, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and Ms. Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), for their perseverance and for their excellent work. We in Sierra Leone know that those two officials are a credit to our global institution. The Security Council has clearly acknowledged that the impact of conflict on children has a variety of implications for international peace and security.”
2000-07-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4176Resumption1 (2000) · source
“Of course, much will depend on the political will and cooperation of Member States and the international diamond industry to ensure full implementation of the resolution.”
2000-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4168 (2000) · source
“Let me add that those who hold the view that naming names could hurt the feelings of States should also think about the feelings - the physical and emotional pain - of the unfortunate and innocent victims of this conflict over diamonds. We maintain that the illicit export of Sierra Leonean diamonds not only is the root and fuel of the conflict, but also constitutes a major obstacle to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. My delegation is grateful to the Security Council for the decision it is about to take. Although we wish it had come earlier, we regard it as a major contribution to the search for peace and stability in Sierra Leone. We have already seen some positive signs of the impact that this resolution could have on the trade in Sierra Leonean diamonds; we are encouraged by this emerging trend.”
2000-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4168 (2000) · source
“It is a peaceful means of applying political and moral pressure on the principal transit route of such trade to help facilitate an early and peaceful end to the conflict. It is also a reminder that an early end to the conflict is in the interests not only of Sierra Leone but also of all the citizens of the entire West African subregion. We make no apology for requesting that the Security Council name names. We did so in the name and on behalf of the victims of rebel atrocities, particularly the children whose hands and arms have been deliberately amputated - children whose future has been virtually destroyed by the illicit trade in diamonds.”
2000-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4168 (2000) · source
“Now the Security Council and the international community know why the rebels reneged on the Lome Agreement, which they signed one year ago the day after tomorrow - on 7 July 1999, to be precise - and why they continue to illegally occupy the diamond areas of the country in violation of that Agreement. Last year, my delegation told the Security Council that we supported the idea of naming names in connection with the illegal trade in what have been described as "conflict diamonds". We had already seen the political and moral impact that naming names has had on the situation concerning Angola; we wanted the same for Sierra Leone. At this point in time, naming names should be seen as an expression of serious concern about the role played by the illicit trade in our diamonds in fuelling the conflict.”
2000-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4168 (2000) · source
“At last, the Security Council has come to realize that the war in Sierra Leone is cast in gemstones. The Security Council has also come to realize that, in addition to encouraging the Government of Sierra Leone to negotiate peace with the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels, it could have taken effective action to deal with the role of diamonds in the conflict. Now, it is no longer a secret that the first objective of Mr. Foday Sankoh, the RUF and their supporters at home, in the neighbourhood and abroad, has always been to gain access to the nation's diamonds. Their attempt to seize political power by amputations, rape, arson, killings and other terrorist acts is only a means to achieve the second, principal, objective: the complete control over and occupation of the diamond fields of Sierra Leone.”
2000-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4168 (2000) · source
“In adopting this draft resolution today, the Security Council will, for the first time, go to the root of the conflict in Sierra Leone. We have always maintained that the conflict in Sierra Leone is not about ideology or tribal or regional differences. It has nothing to do with the so-called problem of marginalized youths. Nor is it, as some political commentators have characterized it, an uprising by the rural poor against the urban elite. The root of the conflict is, and remains, diamonds, diamonds, diamonds. All along, we have been telling the international community that ours is not a civil war, but a rebel war based on brutality, supported by regional, subregional and international surrogates and, more importantly, financed by illicit trade in Sierra Leone's diamonds.”
2000-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4168 (2000) · source
“My delegation is delighted to see a representative of our sister Commonwealth nation of Jamaica, which has strong historical and cultural links with Sierra Leone, in the presidential Chair of this body. I would like to join others in extending our warmest congratulations to you, Madam President, and to assure you of our cooperation during your term of office. I would also like to take this opportunity, Madam President, to thank your predecessor, Ambassador Levitte of France, for successfully directing the affairs of the Council during the busy month of June. Let me also commend other members of the Council for their patience and cooperation in bringing this phase of the Council's preoccupation with the situation in Sierra Leone to a successful end.”
2000-07-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4168 (2000) · source
“This is in line with the position taken in Abuja on 9 May by the ECOWAS heads of State members of the Committee on Sierra Leone of the Lome Peace Agreement." My delegation hopes that the Council will find this statement issued by the Government of Sierra Leone useful in the Council's current deliberations and in considering possible options for immediate action to deal with the situation in our country.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“Government is also aware that a large proportion of the members of the RUF were not in support of the abductions of UNAMSIL personnel and the refusal by Foday Sankoh to voluntarily disarm his combatants. They are fed up with war and want the country to move ahead. Government therefore urges all those RUF members interested in sustainable peace in Sierra Leone to take advantage of the amnesty granted them under the Lome Peace Agreement, and cooperate with Government in the continued implementation of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme. Failure to do so will result in the amnesty being forfeited. This will result in their being declared war criminals, with all the consequences flowing from that, including being hunted around the world.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“In closing, I would like to quote the following excerpts from the latest official communique issued by the Government of Sierra Leone earlier today: "Government wishes to reiterate its continued commitment to the Lorne Peace Agreement, which it views as a key step in the achievement of sustainable peace in Sierra Leone. In the first place, Government is convinced that the people of Sierra Leone and the international community are generally in support of the provisions of the Agreement. Secondly, the continued involvement of the international community in Sierra Leone is contingent upon the implementation of the Lome Peace Agreement. "While acknowledging that the RUF has seriously violated the provisions of the Agreement, Government still believes that the Agreement is generally implementable.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“In this regard, my delegation welcomes current initiatives to strengthen UNAMSIL through the rapid deployment of additional troops. We hope that this process will be expedited in order to avoid any deterioration of a situation which, we are happy to report, continues to improve to the extent that civilians can now go about their business without hindrance. We expect the Council to consider its options and to take appropriate and effective measures - I emphasize the word "effective" - to deal with the new situation that has emerged in our country. The Government of Sierra Leone still has faith in the United Nations and in the ability of the Security Council to fulfil its responsibilities under the Charter.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“Today, we would like to appeal to the Security Council, as the organ primarily responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, to take the lead in ensuring the safety and security of the people of Sierra Leone and those whom the Council deployed to give effect to its mandatory decisions on Sierra Leone. For their part, the heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States members of the committee on Sierra Leone, in their communique issued in Abuja on Tuesday, have, among other things, reaffirmed that UNAMSIL's presence in Sierra Leone is not only in accordance with the Lome Peace Agreement, but is also supported by the Security Council. Therefore, UNAMSIL must be allowed to freely operate throughout the territory of Sierra Leone without hindrance.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“Much has also been said about the impact that these latest events in Sierra Leone could have on the future of United Nations peacekeeping in Africa and other parts of the world. We have also heard and read a lot about who should or should not be blamed. It is the View of my Government that it is about time we move ahead. It is about time we move ahead because the situation in Sierra Leone is still serious. It is still a threat to international peace and security. It is a situation that the Security Council must resolutely address as a matter of urgency.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“It was based on their perception and expectation of the role of UNAMSIL in Sierra Leone. As far as they are concerned, UNAMSIL is in Sierra Leone to replace the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). I need not remind the Council that the average person in Sierra Leone, and in the world at large, does not know the difference between Chapter VI and VII of the United Nations Charter. He or she does not know exactly who in the United Nations, be it the Force Commander on the ground or the Secretary-General, should give UNAMSIL the green light to take appropriate action when elements of RUF rebels decide to take matters into their own hands and resort to violence. Much has been said about failures and credibility.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“My delegation would like to reiterate our shock and dismay at the sad turn of events and to reassure you, Mr. Secretary-General, and the troop contributors that the Government of Sierra Leone stands ready to provide all necessary assistance to ensure that the UNAMSIL peacekeepers who are still illegally detained by armed rebel elements are released immediately and unharmed. My Government would like to express its gratitude to the Governments of troop contributing countries for their decision to keep their troops in Sierra Leone, notwithstanding these unfortunate incidents. The people of Sierra Leone are indeed grateful. Much has been said about the obvious disappointment of the people of Sierra Leone at the events of the past days. Their immediate or initial reaction to those events was not unexpected.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“The Government of Sierra Leone, consistent with its constitutional and moral responsibility, has always been concerned with efforts to ensure the safety and security not only of its own citizens, but also of people of other nationalities - humanitarian workers, peace observers, Secretariat staff and others - who have left their own homes and families to assist us in one way or another to safeguard the welfare of Sierra Leoneans. This is why President Kabbah has conveyed to the Secretary-General and to the heads of State of affected troop contributing countries the sympathy and concern of the Government and people of Sierra Leone for the tragic and criminal acts perpetrated by RUF rebels on the personnel of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL).”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“My delegation would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the important function of directing the affairs of the Security Council during the month of May. We also congratulate your predecessor, Ambassador Fowler of Canada. We would also like to thank you and the other members of the Council for the interest which this organ has demonstrated so far in response to the disturbing developments in Sierra Leone over the past several days. We note in particular your two statements to the media, as well as the presidential statement which you made on behalf of the Council last Thursday. Every individual, irrespective of nationality, race or creed, has an inalienable right to the safety and security of his or her person.”
2000-05-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4139 (2000) · source
“The adoption of this draft resolution will cast another ray of hope across Sierra Leone. It will serve as an additional assurance that this Council cares about their safety and security. It is also another confidence-building measure. The timely implementation of its relevant provisions should also contribute immensely to the consolidation of peace in the country.”
2000-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4099 (2000) · source
“No one who has seen evidence of, or has read about, the conflict in Sierra Leone should be surprised by our elation over the fact that the Security Council is again authorizing UNAMSIL to afford protection to civilians under imminent threat of physical violence. We consider this one of the most significant provisions of the new resolution. In closing, I would like to assure the Council that notwithstanding some problems of unfortunate events, such as those of January 1999, the overwhelming majority of Sierra Leoneans who want genuine peace continue to have faith in the ability and commitment of ECOMOG to protect the nation. They trusted and still trust ECOMOG. I know they are already developing the same degree of confidence in UNAMSIL's ability to facilitate the disarmament and demobilization process.”
2000-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4099 (2000) · source
“The new timetable for the withdrawal of the remaining Nigerian contingent of ECOMOG, as well as the Security Council's decision to expand the military component of UNAMSIL to a maximum of 11,100 personnel, should allay some of our fears about the security of the State. The same applies to the Council's decision to give UNAMSIL, if not all, at least many, of the functions being performed by ECOMOG. In this regard, the Sierra Leone Government welcomes wholeheartedly the fact that the revised mandate and additional responsibilities of UNAMSIL are fully backed by Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.”
2000-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4099 (2000) · source
“The Government of Sierra Leone was seriously concerned about the possibility of a security vacuum in the country at the time of the imminent withdrawal of the remaining Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) troops from Sierra Leone. This, coupled with the relatively slow pace of the disarmament and demobilization process, was why we kept appealing to the international community to assist ECOMOG in ensuring the security of the State - a function which, under the terms of the Lorne Agreement, was linked to the phased creation and deployment of the restructured Sierra Leone armed forces. In this regard, let me emphasize here that Sierra Leone did not expect ECOMOG to remain in the country indefinitely.”
2000-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4099 (2000) · source
“Of course, African States would welcome the adoption of action-oriented resolutions on those issues. For our part, we are grateful to the Council as a whole and to those Member States which helped lay the foundations for today's action on the situation in Sierra Leone. We should also like to commend the Secretary-General for translating his knowledge of the peculiar circumstances in Sierra Leone and the subregion into bold and appropriate recommendations to the Security Council on our behalf, especially since the signing of the Lorne Peace Agreement last July. My delegation also welcomes the stance which the Secretary-General's Special Representative in Sierra Leone took recently in response to unwarranted remarks about the Secretary-General and the role of the United Nations in the peace process.”
2000-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4099 (2000) · source
“Joint sessions on silent but potentially deadly conflict-related phenomena such as refugees, HIV/AIDS, malaria and malnutrition, which plague Africa today, would highlight the interrelationship between the roles of the two Councils as far as peace and human security are concerned. The situation in Sierra Leone was not discussed formally in open meetings of the Security Council in January. However, intensive consultations were conducted behind the scenes on the draft resolution now before the Council. In our View, the decision to authorize an expansion of the peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone - the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) - is so far the most significant outcome of the "month of Africa" in the Security Council. Highlighting African issues in open and formal meetings of the Council is useful.”
2000-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4099 (2000) · source
“Now that the Council has apparently refuted the notion that African issues were being given far less attention than those of other parts of the world, we hope that the Council will take appropriate and concrete action to help resolve the various conflicts which it considered during the month of January before they escalate further. Perhaps as an extension of its work in January, the Security Council may wish to consider holding occasional joint sessions with the Economic and Social Council, another principal organ of the United Nations, whose functions also touch on the very survival of peoples throughout the world.”
2000-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4099 (2000) · source
“First of all, I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Council. My delegation has no doubt that with your diplomatic experience, you will successfully direct the affairs of this important organ during your tenure of office. At the same time, permit me to pay tribute to your predecessor, the representative of the United States, who, in the course of his presidency, declared January the "month of Africa" in the Security Council and worked tirelessly not only to make his declaration meaningful, but also to ensure that the Council did not ignore other areas of conflict on its agenda. It is our hope that the momentum which was generated during the month of January will be maintained as far as possible in the coming months.”
2000-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4099 (2000) · source
“Undoubtedly, this is the first step towards lasting peace and reconciliation. It is our fervent hope that the adoption of this draft resolution will reassure the people of Sierra Leone that their plight, and international efforts to alleviate it, is still one of the priority items on the agenda of the Security Council.”
1999-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4054 (1999) · source
“Under the terms of the Lome Peace Agreement, the encampment, disarmament and demobilization process was to have commenced within six weeks of the signing of the Agreement. There has been a delay, which is primarily due to the lack of resources. Two days ago, as a symbolic demonstration of the urgency of the matter, the Government went ahead and launched the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process, in the hope that the United Nations would act quickly and deploy the new peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone. In his address on that occasion, President Kabbah said: "No more time should be wasted in the disarmament process, as combatants want to go back home to start rebuilding their lives." The people, victims of the conflict, and the combatants themselves are waiting anxiously for this to begin.”
1999-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4054 (1999) · source
“How soon will the international community provide the required resources for this sensitive process of disarmament and demobilization? How soon will the first contingent of the new United Nations peacekeeping force arrive in the area of operation? Will it take as long as the deployment of the 210 observers approved by the Security Council several months ago? In closing, let me recall that just over a year ago, and long before the devastating rebel onslaught on the nation's capital on 6 January last, and long before the peace talks between the Government and the RUF in Lome, the Sierra Leone Government had launched a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme for ex-combatants. It barely got off the ground due to lack of resources.”
1999-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4054 (1999) · source
“The presence of the two organizations in Sierra Leone and cooperation between them are required under the Lome Peace Agreement. In addition, the Security Council, in paragraph 7 of the draft resolution that we are about to adopt, has approved the new mandate given to ECOMOG by its parent body, the Economic Community of West African States. The third and last aspect of this draft resolution, which my delegation would like to stress, pertains to the implementation of the draft resolution. The people of Sierra Leone are grateful to the Security Council for the decision that is about to be taken to provide what I described earlier as a more durable security blanket for them, and to assist in the implementation of the Lome Peace Agreement. Here it is relevant to ask how soon this will take place.”
1999-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4054 (1999) · source
“As the Secretary-General points out in his recent report to the Security Council, even the deployment of a sizable United Nations force of up to 6,000 troops will not fully substitute for the functions so ably performed by ECOMOG. We agree with him that the concept of operations of the new force that will be approved by the Council today is predicated upon ECOMOG's continued presence in Sierra Leone. While we welcome the contingency plan recommended by the Secretary-General in the event of a withdrawal by ECOMOG or the eventual withdrawal of Nigerian troops, my delegation would like to take this opportunity to appeal to the Security Council to do everything in its power to ensure that ECOMOG remains in Sierra Leone for the time being. ECOMOG and the United Nations are partners for peace and security in Sierra Leone.”
1999-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4054 (1999) · source
“In every presidential statement and in every resolution on the situation in Sierra Leone since 1997, the Security Council has emphasized the key or indispensable role that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) has played in the maintenance of security and stability in Sierra Leone. Led by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, ECOMOG'S performance has been exemplary. In the absence of a United Nations peacekeeping force, and in cooperation with UNOMSIL, ECOMOG has held the fort. It also enjoys the confidence of all the parties, especially the RUF, in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process for ex-combatants. The continued presence of ECOMOG in Sierra Leone is crucial for the successful implementation of the Lorne Agreement and the consolidation of peace in Sierra Leone.”
1999-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4054 (1999) · source
“In the View of my delegation, whatever interpretation others may give to this particular paragraph, we regard it as an insurance policy for both international peacekeepers and innocent civilians. We also believe that it sends a clear message to any potential violator of human rights on a gross scale: the international community will not turn a blind eye if and when innocent civilians are under threat of physical violence. A second aspect of the draft resolution that my delegation wishes to address is that it has underscored the efficacy of practical cooperation between the United Nations and African regional or subregional organizations in peacekeeping activities.”
1999-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4054 (1999) · source
“However, we must admit that it was not equipped to deal with certain situations before and after the Lome Peace Agreement signed by the Government of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). This is why the Sierra Leone delegation could not help but highlight paragraph 14 of the draft resolution, which says that acting under Chapter VII of the Charter, the new United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, in discharge of its mandate, may take the necessary measures to ensure the safety and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel and, circumstances permitting, to afford protection to civilians under imminent threat of physical violence.”
1999-10-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4054 (1999) · source