YouSaid · the spoken record

Koffigoh

lines on the record
13
first
1999-09-30
most recent
1999-09-30
sittings or episodes
1
sources
un-security-council

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  1. “I listened with great interest yesterday to the comment of the representative of Algeria, who said that "suffering knows no colour". On 21 September, President Chiluba underlined that same point in his briefing to the Council on the situation in the Great Lakes region when he quite rightly said that when the international community deals with issues relating to Africa, cost is always the decisive factor and almost becomes an obstacle to effective United Nations participation. It is to be hoped that the current operations and future initiatives will help correct this tendency to marginalize Africa, which asks only that it be accompanied in its efforts to promote durable peace and sustainable development.”

    1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source

  2. “The international community should not use its financial and logistical assistance to African States, modest as it is, as a pretext to disengage from the continent. It seems likely that Africa will continue to need logistical support and financial resources for a long time to come, particularly if it is to succeed in re-establishing and maintaining peace. Furthermore, the recent conflicts more or less throughout Africa have shown how historical or even linguistic considerations can complicate regional efforts to settle conflicts. In such situations, the direct involvement of the United Nations is sometimes essential if peace is to be preserved. Given these requirements, it is regrettable that equal attention has not been given to all crises and conflict situations.”

    1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source

  3. “While the efforts made to date to strengthen African peacekeeping capacity are commendable, they of course do not absolve the international community or the Security Council from their responsibilities, particularly in that the Charter of the United Nations gives the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Public opinion in West Africa is that the international community is tending to rely primarily on the regional efforts that are under way and not providing sufficient support. Our countries are still economically and socially weak, and the burden of trying to resolve regional conflicts has a very negative impact on our national budgets, on our education programmes, and so on.”

    1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source

  4. “There is no doubt, therefore, that the initiative currently under way with respect to Sierra Leone will help to ease the justified concern recently expressed by the Sierra Leonean Government with respect to the implementation of that programme. Peace in Sierra Leone is indispensable, because any delay in this respect would have a negative impact on the situation in Guinea, which has shouldered a heavy burden in terms of refugee flows, and on Liberia, for which great sacrifices have already been made.”

    1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source

  5. “Let me recall that a delay in the deployment of troops had significant repercussions on the development of the situation last May in Guinea-Bissau. We strongly hope that, having learned from that experience, and with the commitments just made to strengthen, with the support of the Security Council, the peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone, the deployment will take place in that country as soon as possible. Guinea-Bissau had been expecting at least 1,500 troops. With France's help, 600 men were deployed, but with tensions high the poorly equipped troops were not, unfortunately, able to do anything when the situation deteriorated.”

    1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source

  6. “It is therefore imperative that the international community, on the basis of the relevant recommendations of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, support the countries concerned in carrying out their programmes for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. It should also respond immediately to their long-term needs in the areas of reconstruction and recovery. In this connection, I welcome the proposal by the Secretary-General in his recent report on Sierra Leone to establish a United Nations force in that country, pursuant to the Lome Peace Agreement. I believe that the Security Council will authorize the prompt deployment of that force, which, in accordance with the mandate to be given it, will help the Sierra Leonean Government to implement the plan for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration.”

    1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source

  7. “Let me take this opportunity to express once again the appreciation of the current Chairman of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS - the President of my country, Mr. Gnassingbe Eyadema - for the sustained attention given by the Security Council to the preservation of peace and security in our subregion. Managing post-conflict situations is another matter that we should focus on, because often the post-war period has not been managed adequately in Africa. In many cases, parties to a conflict have stockpiled large reserves of weapons, which are often distributed in an uncontrolled manner and can thus contribute to the resumption of hostilities.”

    1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source

  8. “Here I would mention the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), since more authoritative voices than mine spoke yesterday about the continent as a whole. ECOWAS, for its part, is striving to strengthen its Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, whose establishment was a major milestone in the strengthening of West Africa's capacities for preventive diplomacy and the re-establishment and maintenance of peace. The ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) enabled ECOWAS to cope - with varying degrees of success, admittedly, but nevertheless fairly effectively - with the crisis situations in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau.”

    1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source

  9. “Much has been said since yesterday about African States, so I would like simply to pay tribute to the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity and to its Chairman, through his representative, who spoke yesterday on his behalf, as well as to the other representatives who fully assessed the situation and proposed solutions in support of initiatives currently under way. In many parts of Africa, democratic elections are gradually becoming the rule, not the exception. Good governance, transparency and a state based on the rule of law are now slowly but surely becoming established in all parts of our continent. African conflict-settlement mechanisms have also developed significantly in the last few years.”

    1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source

  10. “In addition, the Council advocated strengthening the partnerships between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations. As one can see, the process that is now under way is an encouraging one and offers some grounds for optimism. It is to be hoped that it will lead to concrete steps that will enable Africa resolutely to set forth on the road to progress and development. In this connection, we should remember that under the provisions of its resolution 1170 (1998), the Security Council was to assess the progress made in the promotion of peace and security in Africa only next year. The recent progress report of the Secretary-General and the convening under your presidency, Sir, of this meeting, is proof of the heightened awareness of our continent, Africa, and we would express our appreciation.”

    1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source

  11. “That process led to some soul-searching about various problems and to major statements of commitment on the part of members of the Council. Thus we welcomed the Council's backing of regional and subregional initiatives and its strong support for strengthening the ability of African States to combat illicit flows of small arms and light weapons into and within Africa. In the presidential statement issued following its ministerial meeting of 24 September 1998, the Council called on all Member States and organizations concerned to provide the necessary financial and technical support so as to strengthen existing African regional and subregional arrangements for conflict prevention, the maintenance of peace and security, and the settlement of disputes.”

    1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source

  12. “In his first report (5/1998/318) on the causes of conflict and the promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa the Secretary-General set out the great problems confronting our continent and the fundamental principles that should provide a basis for resolving them. He called on African States to take the steps needed to bring about democracy and the rule of law and to enter into reforms to promote good governance and good management of public affairs. He also urged the international community to cooperate with regional and subregional organizations by supporting their initiatives on the maintenance and consolidation of peace. After the report was issued, the Security Council undertook an in-depth analysis of the recommendations contained in it, inter alia with the assistance of a working group set up for that purpose.”

    1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source

  13. “Mr. Koffigoh (Togo) (spoke in French): It is a great honour for me to speak before the Security Council as it once again considers the situation in Africa, in the light of the report on the state of that continent introduced yesterday morning by the Secretary-General. Allow me first to congratulate you most warmly, Mr. President, on the most outstanding way in which your country, the Netherlands, has been handling the presidency of the Council at this particularly busy time. I likewise pay special tribute to the Secretary-General for his progress report, which tells of the steps that have been taken in the course of a little over a year. This exercise once again illustrates his ongoing interest in Africa, which is unfortunately still grappling with all kinds of difficulties.”

    1999-09-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4049Resumption2 (1999) · source