Security Council Voices Strongest Condemnation of Hostile Acts in Sierra Leone

The UN Security Council Tuesday condemned "in the strongest terms the hostile and destructive actions" against UN peacekeepers in Sierra Leone, where 20 UN personnel were taken hostage by former rebel fighters, and said that those responsible should be brought to justice.

In a statement read to the press in the United Nations, the president of the 15-nation Security Council for May, Wang Yingfan of China, said, " Council members condemn in the strongest terms the hostile and destructive actions of the RUF (the Revolutionary United Front) against UNAMSIL (the UN Mission in Sierra Leone) and other international personnel, and strongly believe those responsible should be brought to justice."

Council members, who met in an urgent closed-door session on Tuesday afternoon, "expressed grave concern at turn of events in recent days" in the war-torn country, the statement said.

The Security Council demanded "the RUF release detained UN and other international personnel immediately," and considered "RUF's behavior criminal, and failure of Foday Sankoh to take measures to stop is tantamount to violation of his obligations under the Lome Agreement," the statement said.

The Security Council called upon Sankoh, a RUF leader, to " give instructions to his followers to end these attacks, withdraw immediately and fulfill his obligations under the Lome Agreement," signed by warring parties in July 1999, the statement said.

Also Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who is currently on Africa tour, condemned the "outrageous and criminal acts" against UN peacekeepers in Sierra Leone, calling upon former rebel leaders in the West African country "to cease these acts immediately."

Annan voiced his condemnation in a statement issued in the United Nations by his spokesman just before the UN Security Council is scheduled to meet at 4:30 pm EST on Sierra Leone, saying that he "condemns these outrageous and criminal acts against UN peacekeepers and calls upon the leadership of the RUF, in particular Foday Sankoh, to cease these acts immediately and to cooperate in good faith in the implementation of the commitment he freely entered into under the Lome Peace Agreement."

The commander of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), Major General Vijay Kumar Jetley, told a press conference in the Sierra Leonean capital of Freetown that 10 Kenyan members of the force had been seized in one incident on Monday, and seven Indians and a helicopters in another.

Council members "commend UNASMIL troops and Force Commander General Jetley for their courage and resolve in attempting to bring this situation under control, and express full support for the continued efforts being made to this end," said the Council statement.

Earlier on the same day, the UN spokesman, David Wimhust, told a press conference in United Nations that UNAMSIL "is seeking to obtain the rapid release of its personnel."

The United Nations is trying to obtain the release of its personnel "as rapidly as possible and as safely as possible," Wimhurst said, adding that there would be negotiations at "all levels."

The recent events had created obstacles to the ongoing peace process in the West African nation, which suffered a nine-year civil war until last July.

A Nigerian UN peacekeeper wounded in a weekend shooting incident by rebels in Sierra Leone has been sent home for treatment, the UN spokesman said.

The shooting was the first of its kind since the force was sent to police a peace deal signed by the warring parties in July 1999.

The attackers were supporters of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, a military movement which held power briefly after toppling President Ahmad Kabbah in 1997.

The incidents took place as the Nigerian-led West African intervention force, known as ECOMOG which halted Sierra Leone's civil war and restored President Kabbah to power completed its final withdrawal Tuesday, leaving the United Nations to police the fragile peace process in the war-torn country.

UNAMSIL deployed in April to monitor the implementation of the Lome Peace Agreement, signed by warring parties in Togo's capital in July 1999. It is scheduled to reach its target strength of 11, 100, which would make it the world's largest UN peacekeeping operation, by July this year.



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