Africa - DAG Repository

Chapter II Political and security questions

Africa

Conflicts in several African countries showedsigns of abatement in 2002, due in part to UnitedNations involvement in the peace processes andmediation efforts. While the most remarkableprogress was seen in Angola and Sierra Leone,improvements were also reported in Burundi, inthe dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia, and inthe Sudan. Although the fighting in most coun-tries was at reduced levels in 2002, Africa contin-ued to be plagued by other woes, such as povertyand economic stagnation, the spread of HIV/AIDS and other diseases, massive movements ofrefugees and displaced persons, natural disas-ters, the flow of illegal arms, and the illegal tradein raw diamonds, which perpetuated war.

During the year, the Security Council and theGeneral Assembly examined the causes of con-flict and ways to promote sustainable peace in Af-rica. At a series of open meetings on the issue,Council members proposed a number of meas-ures to prevent conflict on the continent and topromote peace, highlighting the importance ofcooperation with the Organization of AfricanUnity (OAU) (which became the African Union(AU) later in the year) and African subregional or-ganizations in implementing them. Those pro-posals were summarized in a document issued bythe Council President, which included ideas ex-pressed by members on lessons learned in plan-ning peacekeeping operations and the transitionfrom peacekeeping to peace-building. On thesame subject, the Secretary-General submitted tothe Council a July report following up on his1998 proposals on causes of conflict and the pro-motion of sustainable development in Africa. Hereviewed recent UN activities in peacemaking,peacekeeping and post-conflict peace-building.

After 27 years of war, the political and mili-tary situation in Angola entered a new phase in2002, with rapid changes that brought an end tothe fighting and an agreement between the Gov-ernment and the National Union for the TotalIndependence of Angola (UNITA). The Febru-ary death of Jonas Savimbi, the UNITA militaryleader, was followed by the signing in April of amemorandum of understanding. Under itsterms, the responsibilities of the Angolan armedforces and those of UNITA were defined with re-gard to observing a ceasefire, quartering UNITAsoldiers and collecting weapons. At Angola’s re-

quest, the United Nations increased its involve-ment in the peace process and transformed theUnited Nations Office in Angola into a peace-building mission, renamed the United NationsMission in Angola. The Monitoring Mechanismon Sanctions against UNITA concluded that thesanctions had greatly contributed to the down-fall of UNITA. After the Government and UNITAcontinued to demonstrate their intention to ful-fil the terms of the 1994 Lusaka Protocol andUNITA became a political party, the SecurityCouncil, in December, abolished the sanctions.

The Great Lakes region continued to be seri-ously affected by fighting among armed groupsand between rebel groups and Governments. Inthe Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) andBurundi, the year opened with heavy fighting thatdiminished by the end of the year, possibly indi-cating further progress in the peace processes inboth countries. Rwanda and Uganda, which hadprovided military support for the oppositionforces in the DRC, signed individual agreementswith the DRC on the removal of their forces fromthat country. Following the signing of the agree-ments, Angola, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda andZimbabwe began withdrawing troops from DRCterritory. In December, participants from numer-ous internal factions gathered in Pretoria, SouthAfrica, for the Inter-Congolese Dialogue andagreed on a two-year transitional governmentunder a power-sharing arrangement, to be fol-lowed by national elections.

In Burundi, where a Transitional Governmentwas established in late 2001, the lack of a ceasefireand general insecurity led to increased fightingin mid-2002. However, the situation becamemore hopeful when the Facilitator of the peaceprocess was able to bring three of the four rebelparties together to conclude ceasefire agree-ments with the Government.

The Central African Republic enjoyed relativestability and social peace in early 2002, despite itsdesperate economic situation. Relations betweenthe Government and the opposition improved asa result and a political dialogue was organizedwith UN assistance. However, a former militaryleader, François Bozizé, led an attempted coup inthe north, and the Government accused Chad ofinvolvement in an attack on Bangui, the capital,which Chad denied. The armed rebellion, to-

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gether with the insecurity suffered by the popula-tion, was a destabilizing development, and re-gional plans were drawn up to send a securityforce to the Central African Republic to observethe border with Chad and to ensure the safety ofthe President.

The situation improved in parts of West Af-rica, particularly in Sierra Leone, where the larg-est UN peacekeeping mission—the UnitedNations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL)—continued to monitor and supervise the ceasefiresigned in 2000 and to oversee the disarmamentprocess, which was completed in January. TheSecurity Council expanded UNAMSIL’s mandateto include assisting in the national elections,which were held on 14 May. The Council wel-comed the election results as a milestone in theSierra Leone peace process. The Special Courtfor Sierra Leone was established after the an-nouncement of the election results, and theCouncil decided in September to gradually re-duce the size of UNAMSIL in order to avoid a sud-den security vacuum.

In Liberia, on the other hand, the conflict be-tween government forces and armed dissidentsescalated, resulting in flows of refugees and dis-placed persons, and elements from both sides ofthe conflict crossed into Sierra Leone to findfood and refuge. A Panel of Experts set up by theCouncil to investigate violations of the arms em-bargo against Liberia and the ban on the exportof rough diamonds from Sierra Leone issued re-ports in April and October.

The situation in Guinea-Bissau remained frag-ile due to its political, economic and social diffi-culties, but there was no armed conflict. Thecountry’s newly established democratic systemwas strengthened with the National Assembly’sresumption of work, preparations for local elec-tions and the establishment of a court system.However, the political opposition and competinginterests among the branches of Governmentbrought the process to a standstill, and the Pres-ident dissolved Parliament.

When rebels in Côte d’Ivoire attempted tooverthrow the elected Government in Septem-ber, France sent troops there to prevent furtherfighting and monitor a ceasefire, pending the de-ployment of a West African peacekeeping force.The Security Council, in December, expressedsupport for the planned deployment of such aforce by the Economic Community of West Afri-can States.

The peace process between Eritrea and Ethio-pia, which were involved in a border dispute, pro-gressed steadily in the wake of the signing of aceasefire agreement and the establishment of theTemporary Security Zone in 2000. The Bound-

ary Commission completed its work on the delim-itation of the border and, with the assistance ofthe United Nations Mission in Ethiopia andEritrea (UNMEE), began demarcation of the bor-der. Despite some resistance by both parties,UNMEE was generally able to monitor the bound-ary area and the Security Council adjusted itsmandate to include assisting the Boundary Com-mission in demarcation work, demining activitiesand administrative and logistical support.

Somalia remained a country of warring fac-tions, despite considerable progress in reachingagreement on the national reconciliation process.The Transitional National Government, estab-lished in 2000, continued efforts to bring to-gether the Somali factions that had not joinedearlier reconciliation attempts. Mediation effortswere led by the Intergovernmental Authority onDevelopment (IGAD) and the United Nations.After months of delay, IGAD was successful in or-ganizing a conference in Eldoret, Kenya, at-tended by many political factions and civil societyrepresentatives, which culminated in the adop-tion of the “Declaration on Cessation of Hostili-ties and the Structure and Principles of the Soma-lia National Reconciliation Process”, in which theparticipants agreed to set up governance struc-tures and guarantee the security of humanita-rian personnel and installations. Although thedocument provided a method to achieve nationalunity, Somaliland remained outside the processand there was an increase in factional as well asinter- and intra-clan fighting. Somalia remainedone of the most dangerous environments inwhich the United Nations operated.

The United Nations continued to face opposi-tion to implementation of the 1990 settlementplan for Western Sahara, by which Morocco andthe Frente Popular para la Liberación de Saguíael-Hamra y de Río de Oro (POLISARIO) hadagreed to hold a referendum for the self-determination of the Territory. The parties werenot willing to cooperate fully on the plan or tofind another political solution, as proposed bythe United Nations, either by dividing power be-tween a local administration and Morocco or bydividing the Territory. Despite the stalled negoti-ations, Morocco and POLISARIO agreed to someconfidence-building measures such as familialvisits, exchange of communications and releaseof prisoners. The United Nations Mission for theReferendum in Western Sahara continued tomonitor the ceasefire.

The internal conflict in the Sudan intensifiedin early 2002 and casualties increased in fightingbetween the Government and the Sudan People’sLiberation Movement/Army. Through the medi-ation efforts of IGAD and the President of Kenya,

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the parties reached an agreement, signed inMachakos, Kenya, in July, on solving contentiousissues.

In the light of the 9 July transformation of OAUinto the AU, the Secretary-General reported thatthe changes implied that the AU would assumethe rights and responsibilities of OAU to partici-pate in UN meetings as an observer, and the Gen-eral Assembly concurred with that determina-tion. The Secretary-General also reported oncooperation between the United Nations andOAU/AU. He noted that the United Nations wassupporting the organization in the process of es-tablishing new organs and structures, and in thedrafting of terms of reference and rules of proce-dure. The Assembly, in December, welcomedthe cooperation between the organizations andoutlined areas for strengthening UN assistanceto the AU.

Promotion of peace in Africa

During 2002, the General Assembly and theSecurity Council continued to examine thecauses of conflict in Africa to and to considerways to promote sustainable peace and develop-ment in the continent.

The Council held open meetings in January toconsider the situation in Africa and the Council’srole in conflict prevention and sustainable peace.It issued a 31 January statement highlighting theimportance of cooperation between the UnitedNations, the Organization of African Unity(OAU) and subregional organizations in Africa inpromoting regional peace and stability and call-ing for further measures, such as the exchangeof information at the conflict prevention stage.The Council affirmed that good governance,democracy, the rule of law, respect for humanrights, the fight against poverty, and addressingthe problem of refugees and internally displacedpersons were essential in order to maintain peaceand sustainable development in Africa. It estab-lished the Ad Hoc Working Group on ConflictPrevention and Resolution in Africa, which con-sidered a range of issues: the improvement ofrelations with OAU/African Union (AU) and sub-regional organizations; the Council’s use of“groups of friends” to handle country-specificissues; and the follow-up to thematic debates onAfrica. An interactive Council session on 22 Mayincluded an exchange on the Working Group’swork with non-members of the Council.

The Council, in July, held a workshop session,which focused on lessons learned from the UN

peacekeeping experience in Sierra Leone andways to encourage peace in the Mano RiverUnion (MRU) region (Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Le-one). After the discussion, the Council Presidentsummarized those issues on which members hadexpressed agreement on lessons learned in re-gard to planning peacekeeping operations andthe transition from peacekeeping to peace-building.

Recommendations issued by the WorkingGroup in August covered the following issues:the concept of the group of friends; cooperationbetween the Council and the AU; and cooperationon Guinea-Bissau between the Security Counciland the Economic and Social Council. In Decem-ber, the Working Group made recommendationson enhancing the effectiveness of the representa-tives of the Secretary-General in Africa.

The Secretary-General, in July, reported tothe Assembly on follow-up to his 1998 recom-mendations on the causes of conflict and the pro-motion of durable peace and sustainable devel-opment in Africa, describing specific actiontaken in the areas of peacemaking, peacekeepingand post-conflict peace-building. He also gavean overview of recent UN activities to promotegood governance and sustainable developmentin Africa. Underlining the link between peaceand sustainable development, he pointed to theneed for the international community to supportAfrican countries’ efforts to sustain the reformof their economic and political systems. In De-cember, the Assembly, noting that the challengesof conflict prevention and post-conflict develop-ment remained daunting, urged the interna-tional community to implement the Secretary-General’s recommendations.

Security Council consideration (January). Inlate January, the Security Council held a series ofpublic meetings to discuss the situation in Africaand the role the Council might play in conflictprevention and resolution. Following debates on29, 30 and 31 January [meetings 4460 & 4465], theCouncil President issued a statement on behalf ofthe members (see below).

Mauritius, on 10 January [S/2002/46], had pro-posed a number of subjects that the Councilshould address at those meetings: cause of con-flict situations; UN cooperation with OAU; therole of subregional organizations; mediationefforts; the effect of sanctions and embargoes; therole of small arms and the illegal exploitation ofnatural resources; humanitarian issues; and thetransition of OAU to the AU and the implementa-tion of the OAU New Partnership for Africa’s De-velopment (NEPAD) (see p. 907).

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SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION

On 31 January [meeting 4465], following consul-tations among Security Council members, thePresident made statement S/PRST/2002/2 onbehalf of the Council:

The Security Council expresses its appreciation toMr. Amara Essy, Secretary-General of the Organiza-tion of African Unity, as well as to the Ministers whoparticipated in the public meeting on the “situationin Africa”, held on 29 January 2002, for their invalu-able contributions to the debate thereon.

The Council reaffirms the principles of politicalindependence, sovereignty and territorial integrityof all States, and their obligation to settle their dis-putes by peaceful means.

The Council, recalling its primary responsibilityfor the maintenance of international peace andsecurity as well as the provisions of Chapter VIII ofthe Charter of the United Nations, underscores theimportance of partnership and enhanced coordina-tion and cooperation, based on complementarityand comparative advantage, between the UnitedNations, the Organization of African Unity and sub-regional organizations in Africa in the promotion ofregional peace and stability. It welcomes the decisionof the Assembly of Heads of State and Governmentof the Organization of African Unity, at its thirty-seventh ordinary session, held in Lusaka from 9 to 11July 2001, to undertake a review of the structures,procedures and working methods of the Central Or-gan of the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Man-agement and Resolution. It emphasizes the impor-tance of enhanced cooperation and of ensuringbetter coordination between the United Nations andthe Organization of African Unity in order toachieve a lasting solution to conflicts. In this regard,it requests the Secretary-General to encourage theUnited Nations Liaison Office to the Organizationof African Unity in Addis Ababa to interact moreclosely with the Organization of African UnityMechanism on the conflicts in Africa. The Councilexpresses its readiness to deepen its cooperationwith the Organization of African Unity and sub-regional organizations, and invites them to inform itat the earliest possible stage of their decisions andinitiatives that could have implications relating to itsresponsibilities under the Charter.

The Council calls upon the United Nationssystem to intensify its cooperation, including assist-ance, within existing resources, to the Organizationof African Unity and subregional organizations inAfrica in the field of capacity-building, particularlyin early warning, conflict prevention and peace-keeping. It also stresses the importance of effectiveinteraction between the United Nations system, theOrganization of African Unity and subregional or-ganizations through the exchange of informationand analysis at the conflict prevention stage; coordi-nation and clear understanding of respective roles inforwarding peace processes; and coordinated sup-port to national and regional peace-building efforts.In this regard, the Council welcomes the establish-ment of the United Nations Office in West Africaand requests the Secretary-General to take all neces-sary measures for that Office to be fully operational.

The Council notes with satisfaction that good of-fices missions carried out by prominent politicalleaders of Africa facilitated significant progress inthe political settlement of certain conflicts. It en-courages the Organization of African Unity and sub-regional organizations, taking into account the spe-cific situation of conflicts, to seek the appointmentof such figures as special envoys as well as to employ,where appropriate, the traditional methods of con-flict resolution, including the establishment ofcouncils of elders. The Council stresses the impor-tance of the preventive character of such efforts andemphasizes the need for their proper coordination.The Council stresses the specific needs of womenand children in peace processes and encourages thestrengthening of the role of women and youth in thesearch for solutions to conflicts in Africa.

The Council encourages the ongoing efforts un-dertaken by the international community in address-ing the root causes of conflicts in Africa, as indicatedin the report of the Secretary-General on the causesof conflicts and the promotion of durable peace andsustainable development in Africa. The Council,bearing in mind the linkages between conflicts in Af-rica and, inter alia, poverty and development, the il-licit proliferation of small arms and light weapons,the problems of refugees and internally displacedpersons, the illegal exploitation of natural resourcesand social exclusion, as a source of intra-State con-flicts, reaffirms its continued commitment in ad-dressing these problems and encourages the Organi-zation of African Unity as well as subregionalorganizations and international financial institu-tions to do likewise. The Council stresses that theearly resumption of international cooperation anddevelopment aid to countries where a peace processis being implemented is of critical importance forthe success of that process and also stresses the im-portance of the role of the donor community and in-ternational financial institutions in this regard.

The Council stresses that good governance,democracy, rule of law, the respect for human rightsand the fight against poverty are essential for peace,stability and sustainable development in Africa. Italso stresses the importance of national reconcilia-tion through dialogue in respective countries. It ex-presses its strong support for the decision of the As-sembly of Heads of State and Government of theOrganization of African Unity at its thirty-fifth ordi-nary session, held at Algiers from 12 to 14 July 1999,denying recognition to Governments that come topower through unconstitutional means, and noteswith satisfaction that the decision is being imple-mented. It reaffirms that the resolution of conflictsin Africa requires, above all, the political will andcourage of the parties themselves to seek peace.

The Council expresses concern over the effects ofconflicts on civilian populations, including viola-tions of human rights, in particular those affectingthe most vulnerable groups such as the elderly,women and children. It emphasizes the responsibil-ity of States concerned to put an end to impunity andto prosecute those responsible for such acts.

The Council underlines the need to address theproblem of refugees and internally displaced per-sons, which, in addition to its humanitarian conse-



quences, constitutes a burden on the affected coun-tries and may become a source of conflict. It notesthe shortfall in funding for refugee and internallydisplaced persons programmes in Africa and reiter-ates its call upon the international community toprovide such programmes with the necessary finan-cial resources, taking into account the substantialneeds in Africa.

The Council, recalling its resolution 1308(2000)of 17 July 2000, inter alia, recognizing that theHIV/AIDS pandemic is also exacerbated by condi-tions of violence and instability and constitutes a po-tential risk to stability and security, reiterates that thepandemic, if unchecked, may pose a risk to stabilityand security. The Council urges the internationalcommunity and donors to coordinate their efforts inthe fight against HIV/AIDS.

The Council reiterates the importance of disarm-ament, demobilization and reintegration in the pro-cess of conflict resolution and post-conflict peace-building, and notes the lack of adequate resourcesfor effective reintegration programmes. In this re-gard, it urges the international community to sup-port such programmes, including through the im-plementation of quick-impact projects.

The Council notes that African States can contrib-ute to peace and security in the continent by imple-menting transparency and confidence-buildingmeasures. In this regard, the Council reiterates itscall upon all States to implement the United NationsProgramme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradi-cate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weap-ons in All Its Aspects.

The Council welcomes the participation of theEconomic and Social Council in its public meetingon the situation in Africa, held on 29 January 2002.It reaffirms the importance of strengthening its co-operation, through greater interaction, with the Eco-nomic and Social Council, in accordance with Arti-cle 65 of the Charter, in the area of the prevention ofarmed conflicts, including in addressing the eco-nomic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems.The Security Council, noting the time it devotes todiscussing African conflicts and the specificity of theproblems of Africa, underlines that economic reha-bilitation and reconstruction constitute importantelements in the long-term development of post-conflict societies and the maintenance of lastingpeace, and calls for greater international assistancein this regard. The Council expresses its resolve toseek to establish the political conditions for non-recurrence of a particular conflict before withdraw-ing any peacekeeping operation.

The Council commends and supports the effortsof African countries within the framework of thefight against international terrorism.

The Council welcomes the ongoing transforma-tion of the Organization of African Unity into theAfrican Union and encourages and supports theprinciples of the New Partnership for Africa’s Devel-opment to create the conditions for developmentand to enhance economic integration in Africa. Itrecognizes that sound economic policies will furtherenhance peace and stability in the region. It callsupon the donor countries and the Bretton Woods in-stitutions to continue to assist Africa in implement-

ing the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiativesand to work with African Governments, through theNew Partnership, to create necessary conditions toattract and mobilize public and private sector re-sources in support of economic growth and povertyreduction.

The Council notes the usefulness of its meetingwith the Secretary-General of the Organization ofAfrican Unity and stresses the importance of hold-ing such consultations on a regular basis, at leastonce a year, in the future.

The Council recognizes the need for adequatemeasures to prevent and resolve conflicts in Africa,and will consider the setting up of an ad hoc workinggroup to monitor the above recommendations and toenhance coordination with the Economic and SocialCouncil.

Working Group. To monitor the implementa-tion of the recommendations contained in state-ment S/PRST/2002/2 (above), the SecurityCouncil established the Ad Hoc Working Groupon Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africaat the end of February, under the chairmanshipof Jagdish Koonjul (Mauritius). The CouncilPresident, in a 1 March note [S/2002/207], outlinedthe terms of reference for the Working Group,the decisions of which would be taken byconsensus.

During the Council’s consideration of theWorking Group’s activities on 22 May [meeting4538], Mr. Koonjul indicated that a programme ofwork had been agreed upon. Following theCouncil’s debate, the President, in summarizingthe discussion, stated that several general pointshad been made: effective strategies to deal withconflict prevention and recovery required a com-prehensive approach; Council members shouldcarefully consider all the points of view put for-ward, especially by African Member States; theWorking Group might work out a balance sheetof successes, failures and lessons learned in tack-ling the problems in Africa; the Working Group,as an informal and ad hoc body, could be moreproactive than the Council and could experimentwith innovative measures; and the WorkingGroup should not duplicate the work carried outby the Council but should assist the Council in itswork and provide value-added contributions.The President also noted a number of morespecific suggestions concerning the WorkingGroup’s programme of work.

By a 31 May note [S/2002/607], the Council Pres-ident submitted consolidated summary conclu-sions drawn from the Council’s 22 May meeting,which he put forward as a starting point for fur-ther discussion in the Working Group. Proposalsconcerned: enhancing cooperation between theSecurity Council and the Economic and SocialCouncil; confidence-building steps in the MRU

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countries; expanding the role of the Secretary-General’s special representatives in Africa; assist-ing electoral processes; establishing groups offriends; cooperation with OAU and subregionalorganizations; and inviting non-governmentalorganizations (NGOs) and academics to partici-pate in the Group’s work. Other issues that couldbe considered by the Working Group included:applying schemes to eliminate the illicit armstrade; encouraging local initiatives in preventingconflicts, particularly through civil society andcouncils of elders; and improving the implemen-tation of sanctions, especially in terms of how exitstrategies could be devised.

On 29 August [S/2002/979], Mr. Koonjul for-warded to the Council recommendations of the AdHoc Working Group on the group of friends con-cept, cooperation with the AU and recommenda-tions on Guinea-Bissau, which had been agreed toby Council members during informal consulta-tions in July and August. Having considered infor-mation provided by the UN Department of Politi-cal Affairs on the working of the group of friends ofthe Secretary-General, the Working Group recom-mended a similar arrangement to provide an infor-mal framework for more in-depth discussion ofissues relating to Africa. The composition and sizeof the group, which would be open to all members,would depend on the issue under discussion.Neighbours of countries whose conflict situationwas under consideration could be included. Withregard to cooperation between the Council andOAU/AU, the Working Group called for, amongother things: circulation to the Council of relevantdecisions of the AU central organ; periodic interac-tion between the Council and members of thecentral organ; regular briefing by the special repre-sentatives of the Secretaries-General and specialenvoys of the two organizations; possible appoint-ment of joint special envoys for African conflicts;possible joint missions to the field; and cooperationin disarmament, demobilization and reintegrationwithin the process of conflict resolution and peace-building.

The Working Group Chairman, by a 12 De-cember letter [S/2002/1352], transmitted to theCouncil a set of recommendations relating to theenhancement of the effectiveness of the repre-sentatives and special representatives of theSecretary-General in Africa, which were agreedby Council members during informal consulta-tions on 9 December. With regard to appoint-ment procedures, the Working Group affirmedthat the Secretary-General should retain sole au-thority to appoint and determine the mandatesof special representatives and consult with theCouncil on appointments to ensure success. Inselecting a special representative, he should give

equal attention to managerial abilities and otherqualifications, should strive for gender diversityand not limit the applicant pool. Mandatesshould be established on a case-by-case basis and,in most instances, the special representativeshould be given clear authority over all in-country UN agencies and peacekeeping opera-tions. The Secretary-General should appoint astrong, empowered deputy for special representa-tives and set forth clearly the responsibilities of thespecial representative and those of a peacekeepingoperations force commander. The special repre-sentatives should be held accountable by theSecretary-General for mission safety/security.The Secretary-General should encourage co-ordination between regional and national specialrepresentatives and should encourage specialrepresentatives to coordinate with regional andsubregional organizations. As to improving thecapabilities/training of special representatives,the Secretary-General should continue theefforts of the United Nations Institute for Train-ing and Research to provide “lessons-learned”training and encourage special representatives tofocus on results and not the process.

Meeting of African Group. At a solemn meet-ing held by the African Group and the OAU Per-manent Observer Mission to the United Nationsin commemoration of Africa Day on 25 May,the Security Council President, on behalf ofCouncil members, made a statement expressingthe Council’s support for efforts to promote du-rable peace and sustainable development in thecontinent [S/2002/597]. He recognized importantinitiatives owned and led by Africa, notablyNEPAD, a recent AU programme to place Africancountries on a path to sustainable growth and de-velopment and to enable them plug into theglobal economy (see p. 907). NEPAD could help toinitiate the transition of OAU to the AU, which inturn would advance peace and development inAfrica. For its part, the Council had increasinglyplaced African concerns at the centre of itsagenda. Over the preceding decade, the Councilhad spent nearly 60 per cent of its time on Africa,and half of all current UN political and peace-building missions were in Africa.

Security Council consideration (July). On 18July [meeting 4577], the Security Council held aworkshop on the situation in Africa, which ad-dressed lessons learned in Sierra Leone and howto apply them in other parts of Africa and ways toencourage peace in the MRU region. Addressingthe meeting, the Secretary-General said that thediscussion came at a critical juncture, when theUnited Nations Mission in Sierra Leone(UNAMSIL) was about to begin a new phase of itsoperations. At the same time, however, the esca-



lating conflict in Liberia threatened to destabi-lize the whole area. In its early stages, UNAMSILhad encountered problems of command andcontrol, and mistakes were made in taking overfrom a subregional peacekeeping operation.Lack of adequate preparation and an attempt toimplement an ambitious mandate without ade-quate resources resulted in a crisis in May 2000[YUN 2000, p. 190]. Swift action was taken by theCouncil, the Secretariat and individual MemberStates, particularly the United Kingdom, to cor-rect the situation. The lesson learned in that casewas that the United Nations had to be preparedfor the unpredictable and to have the politicalwill to stay the course until objectives wereachieved. It was also a question of preparation,adequate resources and enough analysis and in-formation to anticipate developments.

Summarizing the debate, the Council Pres-ident stated that speakers had agreed that the sit-uation in Sierra Leone could not be viewed in iso-lation; there was a need to address the instabilityof the region as a whole. Reconciliation effortswithin Liberia and between Liberia and its neigh-bours needed to be encouraged, and MRU, sup-ported by the Economic Community of West Afri-can States (ECOWAS), should continue to promotegreater security and confidence-building measuresamong the three member countries. The newly es-tablished United Nations Office for West Africawas recognized as a focal point for UN supportfor regional efforts within Liberia itself. Anothertheme that emerged from discussions was theneed to control the flow of small arms and to stopillegal exploitation of economic resources. Al-though sanctions had played a role in bringingpeace to Sierra Leone, it was also possible thatdifferences could emerge between the SecurityCouncil and others on the future of sanctions,particularly in relation to Liberia. It was impor-tant to strengthen the capacity of ECOWAS interms of mediation and conflict prevention, witha possible role for the European Union.

The United Kingdom, as Council President,issued a 26 July summary [S/2002/836] of keythemes of the workshop with regard to peace-keeping operations: there was a need for early in-ternational action; there should be rapid agree-ment on a clearly defined and robust mandate,backed up by adequate resources; the key playersshould share a common purpose and the deter-mination to drive it forward; there should be aclear understanding of the mandate and therules of engagement to allow clarity of purposeand objective about an operation’s aims; peace-keeping operations should be prepared for theworst-case scenario; a strong military postureshould be complemented by political engage-

ment; it could be valuable to have a lead nationfrom the start; a regional strategy was neededfrom the start; interventions should be properlycoordinated; UN efforts should be integratedwithin the mission; flexibility was needed to re-spond to changing circumstances; and thebenchmarks for the drawdown of forces needed tobe planned early on. The transition from peace-keeping to peace-building should be plannedfrom an early stage to include: security sector re-form; reform of the judicial and penal systemsand building respect for human rights; economiccauses of conflict had to be addressed; adequatefunding should be allocated to post-conflictpeace-building; and the World Bank could helpGovernments in the transition process. The hu-manitarian aspects of a mission also needed to beaddressed, such as: the aide-memoire on protec-tion of civilians in conflict had to be used whendrawing up peacekeeping mandates; special at-tention should be paid to gender issues in justiceand reconciliation; refugee flows needed to beaddressed in building regional security; and ade-quate funding was necessary to address humani-tarian problems.

The Council also drew up a coordinated planfor peace-building measures in the Mano Riverregion (see p. 147).

Security Council consideration (December).On 3 December [meeting 4652], the Council consid-ered the related issue of Africa’s food crisis as athreat to peace and security. It heard a briefing bythe Executive Director of the World Food Pro-gramme (WFP), James Morris, who described theproblems the continent faced in feeding the hun-gry and WFP’s challenges in distributing food toAfrica, where 60 per cent of WFP’s work tookplace. The areas most affected were Southern Af-rica (Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland,Zambia and Zimbabwe), the greater Horn of Af-rica (Eritrea, Ethiopia and the Sudan) and WestAfrica (Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and SierraLeone). While Mr. Morris drew a link betweenthe lack of food security and the threat it posed tointernational peace and security, he emphasizedthat WFP’s focus was on providing food to thehungry. By a 20 December note [S/2002/1392], theCouncil President circulated detailed responsesto questions addressed to Mr. Morris by Councilmembers.

Report of Secretary-General. In response toGeneral Assembly resolution 56/37 [YUN 2001,p. 114], the Secretary-General submitted a July re-port [A/57/172] on implementation of the recom-mendations contained in his 1998 report on thecauses of conflict and the promotion of durablepeace and sustainable development in Africa[YUN 1998, p. 66]. The July report updated infor-

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mation contained in a 2001 follow-up report onthe subject [YUN 2001, p. 112].

The Secretary-General reported that furtheradvances had been made in responding to con-flict situations. He continued to appoint specialenvoys and representatives to prevent or manageand resolve conflict in affected countries (An-gola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Ethio-pia and Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Somalia, Sudan)and to work closely with regional arrangementsin mediating conflicts. Recognizing the volatilesituation in the MRU countries in November 2001,the Secretary-General assisted those States(Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone) to reactivate theUnion. In addition, African countries werehelped by UN departments and organizations tobuild a spirit of peace and reconciliation throughpositive inducements, including an improvedwater supply, the “Food for Assets” projects, the“Imagine Coexistence” programme, a local infra-structure, economic livelihood programme, andaide-memoire centres to train young persons andex-combatants. Efforts were made to improve theeffectiveness of sanctions, and, at the Council’srequest, assessments were made of the humanimplications of such measures. The Secretary-General observed that the effectiveness of sanc-tions could be improved if arms-exporting coun-tries exercised responsibility and restraint insmall arms and light weapons transactions. Tostop the proliferation of arms, some West Africancountries had set up joint patrols along theircommon borders to prevent cross-border traf-ficking in arms. In the Great Lakes region, theUnited Nations Development Programme(UNDP) fielded an assessment mission in Marchto map out the scope, nature and developmentimpact of small arms use and proliferation, witha view to developing a strategy for further re-gional programme operations. The 15 memberStates of ECOWAS decided in July 2001 to renewthe 1998 Moratorium on the Importation, Expor-tation and Manufacture of Small Arms and LightWeapons in West Africa [YUN 1998, p. 537], whichwas supported by the UN system. The participa-tion by African countries in the United NationsRegister of Conventional Arms and in the systemfor standardized reporting on military mattersremained low, and the Secretary-General recom-mended that the Department for DisarmamentAffairs could hold workshops to promote greaterparticipation. The United Nations, in coopera-tion with OAU, could encourage regional and sub-regional organizations to stimulate greater open-ness and transparency in the region and promoteparticipation in the Register.

The United Nations, together with OAU andsubregional organizations, continued to play an

important role in the management, mediationand resolution of conflicts in Africa. It assisted inimplementing ceasefire agreements, promotednational reconciliation and laid the basis for de-velopment activities. In 2002, four UN peace-keeping missions were operational in Africa, in-cluding the largest, UNAMSIL. The others werethe United Nations Mission for the Referendumin Western Sahara, the United Nations Missionin Ethiopia and Eritrea and the United NationsOrganization Mission in the Democratic Repub-lic of the Congo. As part of its support for Afri-can initiatives to resolve disputes, the UnitedNations established the Office of the SpecialRepresentative of the Secretary-General for WestAfrica in support of ECOWAS efforts to promotepeace in the subregion. It was also actively sup-porting the Intergovernmental Authority on De-velopment peacemaking efforts in the Sudan andthe efforts of the Facilitator for the Inter-Congolese Dialogue. Through UNAMSIL, it wascooperating closely with ECOWAS in Sierra Leone.Various entities of the UN system were involvedin protecting civilians in conflict situations and inaddressing refugee security issues.

Post-conflict peace-building efforts were ad-dressed through various means, including emer-gency assistance to reconstruction and develop-ment (see also PART THREE, Chapter III) and byincorporating peace-building elements in severalpeacekeeping operations. In view of the specialneeds of post-conflict countries, the report sug-gested that the Secretary-General encourage theBretton Woods institutions (the World BankGroup and the International Monetary Fund) toconsider more flexible measures, including re-laxing some conditionalities concerning eco-nomic performance, scaling up post-conflictfunds, special assistance for reconstruction andpoverty reduction interventions. Creditors anddonors were urged to provide support for post-conflict Africa.

The report proposed a number of ways tobuild durable peace and sustainable develop-ment, including: promoting good governance byencouraging transparency and accountability inpublic administration and enhancing adminis-trative capacity; creating a positive environmentfor investment and economic growth; investingin human resources; establishing public healthpriorities; eliminating discrimination againstwomen; restructuring international aid; reduc-ing the debt burden; opening international mar-kets; supporting regional cooperation and inte-gration; and harmonizing international andbilateral initiatives. The Secretary-General, inconcluding observations, noted that his 1998 re-port had underscored the strong link between



peace and sustainable development in Africa. Byadopting NEPAD (see p. 907), African leaders hadacknowledged that link and committed them-selves to strengthening Africa’s capacity for con-flict prevention, management and resolution.They were also increasing their resolve to pro-mote democracy and human rights by develop-ing standards for accountability, transparencyand participatory governance. The voluntary es-tablishment of the African Peer Review Mecha-nism to monitor compliance with such standardsdemonstrated their resolve to achieve those ob-jectives. African Governments were increasinglyenabling civil society, including women’s organi-zations, to work with Governments in promotingpeace, security and development.

Since the Secretary-General’s 2001 report, pro-gress had been made towards restoring peaceand stability in the region, notably in Ethiopiaand Eritrea and in the Great Lakes region, as wellas in Angola and Sierra Leone. However, the sit-uation in Liberia was of concern as the crisis wasspreading to Guinea and could thus endangerthe fragile peace in Sierra Leone.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION

On 20 December [meeting 79], the General As-sembly adopted resolution 57/296 [draft: A/57/L.69 & Add.1] without vote [agenda item 33].

Causes of conflict and the promotion of durablepeace and sustainable development in Africa

The General Assembly,Having considered the progress report of the

Secretary-General entitled “Implementation of therecommendations contained in the report of theSecretary-General on the causes of conflict and thepromotion of durable peace and sustainable develop-ment in Africa”,

Recalling its resolutions 53/92 of 7 December 1998,54/234 of 22 December 1999, 55/217 of 21 December2000 and 56/37 of 4 December 2001 on the causes ofconflict and the promotion of durable peace and sus-tainable development in Africa,

Recalling also section VII of the United Nations Mil-lennium Declaration, which highlights the specialneeds of Africa,

Recalling further the United Nations Declaration onthe New Partnership for Africa’s Development of 16September 2002 and its resolution 57/7 of 4 Novem-ber 2002 on the final review and appraisal of theUnited Nations New Agenda for the Development ofAfrica in the 1990s and support for the New Partner-ship for Africa’s Development,

Reaffirming that the implementation of the recom-mendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General on the causes of conflict and the promotion ofdurable peace and sustainable development in Africamust remain a high priority on the agenda of theUnited Nations system and Member States,

Underscoring the need to strengthen further the pol-itical will to ensure the required political, financial

and technical support critical for the effective imple-mentation of the recommendations in all the areasincluded in the report of the Secretary-General,

Welcoming the commitment of African countries, asreaffirmed in the New Partnership for Africa’s Devel-opment, to promote peace, democracy, good govern-ance, human rights and sound economic managementin their respective countries,

Welcoming also the establishment of the Ad HocWorking Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolu-tion in Africa of the Security Council and of the AdHoc Advisory Group on African Countries Emergingfrom Conflict, within the framework of the Economicand Social Council,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the progress reportof the Secretary-General entitled “Implementation ofthe recommendations contained in the report of theSecretary-General on the causes of conflict and thepromotion of durable peace and sustainable develop-ment in Africa”;

2. Notes with concern that notwithstanding someprogress made towards restoring peace and stability inthe African region, the challenges of conflict preven-tion and post-conflict development remain daunting,and the progress in effectively implementing the rec-ommendations in the peacemaking, economic, socialand other areas as contained in the report of theSecretary-General remains slow and uneven;

3. Urges Member States, as well as the internationalcommunity, to strengthen their efforts towards effec-tively implementing the recommendations in all theareas mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General;

4. Decides to include a sub-item entitled “Causes ofconflict and the promotion of durable peace and sus-tainable development in Africa” under a single agendaitem on the development of Africa, entitled “New Part-nership for Africa’s Development: progress in imple-mentation and international support”, beginning at itsfifty-eighth session;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to continue moni-toring progress in the effective and timely implementa-tion of the recommendations contained in his reporton the causes of conflict and the promotion of durablepeace and sustainable development in Africa and tosubmit a comprehensive report on the sub-item to theGeneral Assembly at its fifty-eighth session.

In other action on promoting peace and sus-tainable development in Africa, the Assembly, inresolution 56/263, called for implementation ofmeasures targeting the illicit trade in rough dia-monds that played a role in fuelling conflicts (seep. 44). In resolution 57/2, it supported NEPAD(see p. 908); in resolution 57/7, it reviewed actionto implement the United Nations New Agendafor the Development of Africa in the 1990s (seep. 910); and in resolution 57/294, it supportedefforts to combat malaria, particularly in Africa(see p. 1223).

Africa 97


Central Africa

and Great Lakes region

Throughout much of the year, the Great Lakesregion, in particular the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo (DRC) and Burundi, remained in tur-moil amid renewed and continued fightingamong armed groups, mostly ethnic-based. Inboth countries, however, the situation showedsigns of change by the end of the year, openingthe door for possible progress in the peace pro-cess.

The path towards an improved atmospherewas not without obstacles in the DRC where theopposition forces were supported for much ofthe year by forces from Burundi, Rwanda andUganda, while the Government was supportedby forces from Angola, and to a lesser degree bythose from Namibia and Zimbabwe, which hadsignificantly reduced their military assistance inlate 2001. Renewed fighting in eastern DRC ham-pered progress towards implementation of the1999 Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement [YUN 1999,p. 87], which outlined terms for a ceasefire moni-tored by a UN force and others, withdrawal offoreign forces and restitution of State adminis-tration throughout the DRC. Despite the fighting,efforts were made to establish a transitional gov-ernment under a formula for power sharingamong the political parties.

Political developments took a new direction inlate 2002 with the signing of the Pretoria Agree-ment between the DRC and Rwanda, and of theLuanda Agreement between the DRC andUganda on the withdrawal of their respectivetroops from DRC territory, followed by actualtroop reductions by Angola, Burundi, Rwanda,Uganda and Zimbabwe. Rwanda announced inlate October that all its forces, numbering over20,000, had been officially repatriated. On 17 De-cember, the participants in the Inter-CongoleseDialogue, which brought together representa-tives from numerous factions, under the aegis ofa neutral Facilitator, signed in Pretoria an all-inclusive agreement on a transitional govern-ment. Under its terms, the DRC Governmentwould be led by President Joseph Kabila during atwo-year transition, following which elections fora new government would be held.

The United Nations Organization Mission inthe Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)continued to monitor the situation and to pre-pare for the third phase of its deployment thatwould involve the disarmament, demobilizationand reintegration of armed forces. In anticipa-

tion of those tasks, the Security Council author-ized the expansion of MONUC to 8,700 personnel.

The Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploita-tion of Natural Resources and Other Forms ofWealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congoissued its final report in 2002. Among its find-ings, it determined that the many parties to theconflict were mainly motivated by economic in-terests, rather than security or territory.

The situation in Burundi followed a similartrack in 2002. The recently formed TransitionalGovernment of Burundi, during the earlymonths of the year, was hindered from imple-menting the 2000 Arusha Agreement on Peaceand Reconciliation [YUN 2000, p. 146] by the lack ofa ceasefire and insecurity in the country, a situa-tion that deteriorated as fighting intensified inmid-2002. However, diplomatic efforts led by theFacilitator of the peace process, Vice-PresidentJacob Zuma of South Africa, reversed the trendby bringing the opposing parties to the negotiat-ing table. In late 2002, three of the four mainarmed groups signed ceasefire agreements withthe Transitional Government, thus providing anopportunity for the Government to make realprogress in efforts to implement the laws it hadpassed and to provide provisional immunity forpolitical leaders returning from exile.

In support of the peacemaking efforts in theDRC and Burundi, the Security Council sent amission to the Great Lakes region in April/Maywith the objective of obtaining ceasefire agree-ments in both countries. The mission, which tookplace after the Inter-Congolese Dialogue hadmet in Sun City, South Africa, also put forward aproposal to facilitate the withdrawal of foreignforces from the DRC by establishing a mechanismfor military cooperation along its borders withBurundi, Rwanda and Uganda. In Burundi, themission stressed the need to implement the re-forms called for in the Arusha Agreement, withor without a ceasefire, to the extent possible.

In the Central African Republic, the year be-gan with a return to relative stability and socialpeace despite dire economic circumstances. Re-lations between the Government and the opposi-tion improved, and a political dialogue betweenthe majority and the opposition was organized bythe United Nations Peace-building Support Of-fice in the Central African Republic. The im-provement in the atmosphere was compromisedin late October by the attempted takeover of theGovernment by partisans of François Bozizé, aformer military leader, and an armed rebellionin the northern part of the country. TheGovernment accused Chad of involvement in anattack on Bangui, a claim denied by Chad. Underregional initiatives, a plan was drawn up to send



security forces to the country to ensure the safetyof the President and to monitor the border withChad.

In October, the Council considered strength-ening cooperation between the UN system andthe broad region of Central Africa (identified asAngola, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central Afri-can Republic, Chad, the Congo, the DRC, Equato-rial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda and Sao Tome andPrincipe). Seven of those 11 countries were facedwith ongoing conflicts and five had UN missionsin place. The Council, in a presidential state-ment, observed that the inadequacy of institu-tional and human capacities had hindered social,economic and political integration in Central Af-rica, and it welcomed subregional efforts to pro-mote conflict prevention, management and reso-lution there.

Advisory Committee on Security Questions.The seventeenth and eighteenth ministerialmeetings of the United Nations Standing Advi-sory Committee on Security Questions in CentralAfrica were held in 2002 (Kinshasa, DRC, 22-26April [A/57/79-S/2002/551], Bangui, Central Afri-can Republic, 26-30 August [A/57/380-S/2002/988]).In addition to participating member States (An-gola, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central AfricanRepublic, Chad, the Congo, the DRC, EquatorialGuinea, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe), repre-sentatives of the United Nations, OAU and theEconomic Community of Central African States(ECCAS) took part in formulating recommenda-tions pertaining to particular States and to thesubregion as a whole.

The Committee took note with satisfaction ofthe actions and initiatives taken by member coun-tries on security matters, aimed, in particular, atlessening tensions, combating insecurity in theborder areas and facilitating exchanges betweenthe various national structures. In view of thecross-border nature of most of the security prob-lems in the subregion, it recommended contin-ued cooperation among the security forces ofCentral African countries, particularly periodicmeetings and joint operations. It expressed con-cern about persistent organized crime and inse-curity in the subregion, particularly the phenom-enon of roadblocks, and recommended furtherinformation exchanges, large-scale joint opera-tions and a high-level meeting to set up a legalframework for inter-State cooperation. Recallingthe protocol relating to the Council for Peace andSecurity in Central Africa (COPAX) and the Mu-tual Assistance Pact concluded by Central Afri-can countries in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in2000 [YUN 2000, p. 528], the Committee recom-mended that its Bureau encourage those coun-tries that had not already done so to sign and/or

ratify those instruments. It welcomed the adop-tion by the heads of State and Government ofECCAS in Malabo on 17 June 2002 of the rules ofprocedure of COPAX organs, namely, the Defenceand Security Commission, the Central AfricanMultinational Force and the Central AfricanEarly Warning System.

The Committee welcomed the commence-ment of activities at the United Nations Sub-regional Centre for Human Rights and Democ-racy in Central Africa (Cameroon) and theestablishment of a subregional parliament, withheadquarters to be located in Malabo.

The Committee reiterated its commitment toorganize, in cooperation with ECCAS, a jointmilitary exercise in 2003 in Gabon to simulatepeacekeeping operations and decided on aschedule of planning conferences for the exer-cise. Other Committee action included: a requestto ECCAS to organize a workshop on its memberStates’ implementation of the Programme of Ac-tion adopted at the 2001 United Nations Confer-ence on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and LightWeapons in All Its Aspects [YUN 2001, p. 499]; a rec-ommendation to intensify cooperation betweennational security forces in the campaign againstthe illicit traffic in small arms; an invitation to theDepartment for Disarmament Affairs to partici-pate in the Committee’s next ministerial meetingto present the objectives of the UN Register ofConventional Arms and of the standardized re-porting instrument for military expenditures;and a decision to hold a seminar of experts fromthe subregion in order to harmonize nationalpolicies on the Rome Statute of the InternationalCriminal Court [YUN 1998, p. 1209].

In August, the Committee adopted its pro-gramme of work for 2002-2003.

Security Council mission. The President ofthe Security Council, in a 17 April letter [S/2002/430], informed the Secretary-General of theCouncil’s decision to send a mission to the GreatLakes region from 27 April to 7 May. Annexed tothe letter were the terms of reference for the mis-sion, which pertained specifically to the situa-tions in the DRC and Burundi. The mission’s re-port [S/2002/537 & Add.1], which was consideredby the Council on 14 May [meeting 4532], con-tained recommendations on ways to pursue thepeace process in the two countries (see pp. 109and 137).

Appointments. The Secretary-General, in aletter to the Security Council President of 27June [S/2002/719], noted that his Special Represen-tative for the Great Lakes Region, BerhanuDinka, was serving as Chairman of the Imple-mentation Monitoring Committee (IMC) inregard to the Arusha peace process on Burundi

Africa 99


(see p. 137). Following recent developments inBurundi, the Secretary-General asked Mr. Dinkato devote full time to that country, becoming hisSpecial Representative for Burundi on 1 July. Inthat capacity, he would head the strengthenedUN political presence there and continue to serveas IMC Chairman. On 2 July [S/2002/720], theCouncil took note of the decision.

The Secretary-General, on 11 July [S/2002/772],announced his intention to appoint IbrahimaFall, former Assistant Secretary-General for Pol-itical Affairs, as his Special Representative forthe Great Lakes Region, effective mid-July. Theintention was noted by the Council on 16 July[S/2002/773]. On 9 October [S/2002/1174], theSecretary-General informed the Council thatMr. Fall was pursuing consultations on an inter-national conference on the Great Lakes, on thebasis of which he would finalize the conceptpaper that the Secretary-General had provided tothe leaders of the region and submit an assess-ment and proposals on the way forward. TheSecretary-General therefore intended to extendhis Special Representative’s mandate, due to ex-pire at the end of 2002, to 31 December 2003. TheCouncil, on 18 October [S/2002/1175], noted his in-tention.

Security Council consideration. On 21 Octo-ber [S/2002/1179], Cameroon forwarded to theSecurity Council a document entitled “Strength-ening of cooperation between the United Nationssystem and Central Africa in the maintenance ofpeace and security”, to serve as a backgroundnote for the Council’s public meeting on the sub-ject on 22 October. Cameroon pointed out that,despite enormous potential resources, CentralAfrica in the broad sense (Angola, Burundi,Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad,the Congo, the DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon,Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe) had been slowin embarking on economic and social develop-ment, and projected to the world the least posi-tive image of all the subregions of Africa. Sevenof the 11 countries were racked by devastatingconflicts and five peacekeeping, peace-buildingor peacemaking missions out of the 12 currentlyunder way in Africa were in the subregion.

Regional cooperation was based on three or-ganizations: the Economic and Monetary Com-munity of Central Africa (Cameroon, the CentralAfrican Republic, Chad, the Congo, EquatorialGuinea, Gabon); the Economic Community ofthe Great Lakes Countries (Burundi, the DRC,Rwanda); and ECCAS (Angola, Burundi, Camer-oon, the Central African Republic, Chad, theCongo, the DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon,Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe). An increasingcollective awareness among States of the sub-

region had permitted a revival of the activities ofECCAS, which had been virtually inactive from1992 to 1998. Currently, its newly expanded activ-ities included a collective security component,while its regular activities included the establish-ment of COPAX, comprising a Non-AggressionPact and a Mutual Assistance Pact. The objectiveof COPAX was to prevent, manage and settle con-flicts in Central Africa, in partnership with theUnited Nations. It was based on three organs: theCentral African Early Warning System; the De-fence and Security Commission; and the CentralAfrican Multinational Force.

Cameroon said that the region was graduallyemerging from the conflicts that had affected itfor more than 20 years, which posed the problemof building peace, including the need forresources to support demobilization, disarma-ment and reintegration operations. The meetingof the Security Council on 22 October would beaimed at strengthening cooperation between theUN system and Central Africa in conflict preven-tion and the maintenance of peace and security,strengthening capacities in the subregion inthose areas, as well as economic integration, im-proving the effectiveness and cohesion of sub-regional organizations, and mobilizing the re-sources required to build peace.

On 22 October [meeting 4630], the Council dis-cussed strengthening cooperation between theUN system and the Central African region in themaintenance of peace and security. AssistantSecretary-General Tuliameni Kalomoh, on be-half of the Secretary-General, stated that the pol-itical, social, economic, security and humanita-rian situation in several countries of the CentralAfrican subregion was a source of serious con-cern. Several ECCAS member States had been af-flicted by armed conflicts, cross-border tensionsand armed incursions resulting in the deaths ofinnocent people, the wanton destruction of infra-structure and millions of refugees, returnees anddisplaced persons. Troubling violations of hu-man rights had also been widely reported, con-tributing to a climate of tension. It was importantthat the international community undertake theeconomic stabilization of Central African coun-tries that were emerging from conflicts and em-barking on democratic reforms. In addition, pol-icies promoting human rights and the rule of lawand the development of inclusive and responsivegovernance would facilitate the consolidation ofpeace and the stabilization of the countries of thesubregion.

The Congo, speaking on behalf of ECCAS, saidthat the August meeting of the UN StandingAdvisory Committee on Security Questions inCentral Africa (see p. 99) had noted a positive



trend in the geopolitical and security situation inthe subregion, due in particular to the goodwillof the parties to the conflict and to various medi-ation efforts, and especially of the actors in-volved. In Angola, Burundi, the Central AfricanRepublic and the DRC, real progress had beenmade and it was therefore necessary to developpeace-building capacities through disarmament,demobilization and reintegration of former com-batants; for that purpose, assistance from the in-ternational community was needed.

At the conclusion of the debate, the Presidentsaid there had been general agreement on identi-fying several causes of the regional conflicts—endemic poverty, above all. Improvements couldbe seen as a result of political commitment on thepart of regional leaders. The new situation re-quired peace-building measures backed by majorfunding. Appreciation was expressed for thecommitment of the World Bank and UNDP to as-sist post-conflict operations in Central Africa.


On 31 October [meeting 4640], following consul-tations among Security Council members, thePresident made statement S/PRST/2002/31 onbehalf of the Council:

The Security Council recalls all the statements byits President concerning the situation in Africa andthe action taken by the United Nations, in particularthe Council, in the field of preventive diplomacy,peacemaking, peacekeeping and peace-building.

The Council emphasizes the importance of the re-port of the Secretary-General on the causes of con-flict and the promotion of durable peace and sus-tainable development in Africa.

The Council recognizes that, despite its enormouspotential which could make it one of the poles of de-velopment of the continent, Central Africa has yet toachieve the stability that would enable it to utilize itsresources to the maximum benefit of its populationin an equitable manner.

The Council notes that five of the twelve peace-keeping and peace-building missions under way onthe continent are established in Central Africa. TheCouncil also notes that, of the sixteen Special Repre-sentatives and Special Envoys of the Secretary-General in Africa, six are in Central Africa. In thisregard, it notes the work being done by the Ad HocWorking Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolu-tion in Africa to improve the effectiveness of the of-fice of the special representative of the Secretary-General in Africa.

The Council observes that the inadequacy of insti-tutional and human capacities, particularly those di-rected towards the integration process, has hinderedsocial, economic and political integration in CentralAfrica.

The Council takes note with satisfaction of theefforts made by the Central African States, both ontheir own initiative and with the support of the inter-national community, to focus on the difficulties af-

flicting this key region of Africa. It also commendsthe progress made by certain Central African coun-tries with regard to the promotion of democracy, theprotection of human rights and sustainable develop-ment and encourages further efforts in this regardthroughout the region.

The Council welcomes the increasing awarenessof these difficulties among the Central AfricanStates which, at the ninth session of the Summit ofHeads of State and Government, held at Malabo on24 June 1999, permitted a revival of the activities ofthe Economic Community of Central African States,and in particular the incorporation of a collectivesecurity component. In that connection, the heads ofState and Government set three principal priorities:

(a) To develop sufficient capacities to ensurepeace, security and stability in the region, as a pre-requisite for economic development;

(b) To promote the social, economic and mone-tary integration of Central Africa;

(c) To develop within the subregion a genuineculture of integration.

The Council also welcomes subregional efforts topromote conflict prevention, management and reso-lution in Central Africa. In that connection, theCouncil recognizes the steps taken by Central Afri-can countries to settle conflicts by peaceful means,including through the conclusion, with the strongsupport of the United Nations Standing AdvisoryCommittee on Security Questions in Central Africa,of a Protocol establishing, on 24 June 2000, theCouncil for Peace and Security in Central Africa,comprising a Mutual Assistance Pact and a Non-Aggression Pact. In this regard, it encourages itsspeedy ratification and implementation by all thecountries concerned and urges States Members ofthe United Nations that are in a position to do so tosupport the operationalization of its main struc-tures, inter alia, the Central African Early WarningMechanism, the Defence and Security Commission,and the Central African Multinational Force, withthe full support of the United Nations system.

The Council recognizes the important role that re-gional and subregional organizations can play inpreventing the illicit traffic of small arms and lightweapons and the flow of such arms to conflicts, andunderscores the importance of regional agreementsand cooperation as well as strengthening sub-regional technical capacities to prevent such flows.

The Council notes with satisfaction that, as a re-sult of all these efforts, the subregion is graduallyemerging from the conflicts that affect it, which of-fers an opportunity to build peace, to be seized by allparties, with a requirement for the mobilization ofsignificant resources to support demobilization, dis-armament and reintegration programmes.

The Council affirms the need to promote andstrengthen the partnership between the UnitedNations system and Central African States in rela-tion to the maintenance of peace and security, and,in that connection, it emphasizes that capacities inthe subregion, inter alia, in the area of conflict pre-vention and the maintenance of peace and security,as well as economic integration, should be strength-ened. It also calls upon the Central African States,with the support of the United Nations system, to

Africa 101


improve the effectiveness, coordination and cohe-sion of the subregional organizations.

The Council reaffirms the importance of disarma-ment, demobilization and reintegration programmesin the process of conflict resolution in Central Africa.In that connection, it urges the Central African Statesto initiate such programmes where they are needed,inter alia, through the implementation of quick-impact projects, and calls upon the international com-munity to support them. The Council expresses itsappreciation of the renewed commitment of theWorld Bank and the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme to assist post-conflict operations inCentral Africa in the short, medium and long termsand encourages the organizations to coordinate theirefforts closely with the Secretary-General and hisRepresentatives in the field to ensure more efficiencyand complementarity.

The Council recommends the inclusion, whereappropriate, of support for disarmament, demobili-zation and reintegration in the mandates of peace-keeping and peace-building operations. It recog-nizes the interlinkage between peacekeeping andpeace-building activities, and will continue to takeinto account the need for coordination and smoothtransition from one phase to the other during its con-sideration of peace operations.

The Council emphasizes the urgency of reachingan appropriate solution to the problem of refugeesand internally displaced persons in Central Africa.

The Council emphasizes the importance of a com-prehensive, integrated, resolute and concerted ap-proach to the issues of peace, security and develop-ment in Central Africa. In that connection, it invitesthe Secretary-General to brief the Council, withinsix months, on ways to implement such an approachfor Central Africa, including through the dispatch tothe region of an inter-agency evaluation mission.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The situation in the DRC deteriorated in early2002 due to intensified fighting between gov-ernment forces and numerous rebel groups,which were supported by Burundi, Rwanda andUganda. For its part, the Government continuedto receive assistance from Angola, Namibia andZimbabwe, all of which had sent forces to the DRCat its request. By the beginning of 2002, however,most troops from Namibia and Uganda had beenwithdrawn. Progress towards implementation ofthe 1999 Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement [YUN 1999,p. 87], signed by the DRC Government, one of thetwo main rebel movements and five regionalStates, was impeded by the renewed fighting.The Agreement called for a ceasefire to be moni-tored by MONUC, OAU and Zambia, withdrawal offoreign forces and re-establishment of Stateadministration throughout the country.

The Inter-Congolese Dialogue, attended by 38delegates from eight delegations, was held from25 February to 18 April in Sun City, South Africa,under the aegis of the neutral Facilitator, Sir

Ketumile Masire. It concluded with the adoptionof 37 resolutions on political and legal issues;economy and finance; defence and security; hu-manitarian, social and cultural issues; and peaceand reconciliation. The key issue of power shar-ing during the transition period, however, re-mained outstanding.

The Security Council mission to the GreatLakes, in April/May, found that the parties to theLusaka Agreement continued to make progress,albeit slowly, in applying the peace process. Inmeetings with the parties, the mission proposedactions to advance the process. The mission notedthat some progress had been made in the with-drawal of foreign forces from DRC territory. How-ever, only Namibia had withdrawn all its combattroops; withdrawal of Angolan, Ugandan andZimbabwean troops was partial.

Between June and early October, several sig-nificant political and military developments,particularly the signing of bilateral agreementsbetween the DRC and Rwanda on 30 July and be-tween the DRC and Uganda on 6 September, bothconcerning troop withdrawals, as well as the with-drawals of troops by Angola, Burundi, Rwanda,Uganda and Zimbabwe, set the stage for furthersteps in the peace process. Despite those develop-ments and the ongoing consultations among theCongolese parties on the establishment of a tran-sitional government, ethnically targeted violencein the eastern DRC continued to cause instabilityand increased the numbers of displaced personsand refugees.

Following intensive negotiations and interna-tional pressure, the representatives to the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, on 17 December, signed inPretoria the Global and All-Inclusive Agreementon the Transition in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo. That Agreement provided that Pres-ident Joseph Kabila would remain head of Stateduring a 24-month transition period, at the con-clusion of which elections for a new governmentwould be held under a power-sharing formula.

MONUC expanded to approximately 3,000troops in early 2002. Throughout the year, theMission was preparing for the third phase of de-ployment and established four coordination cen-tres to provide command for military observersin regions distant from its headquarters. By a De-cember resolution, the Security Council author-ized the expansion of MONUC to 8,700 personnel,to be deployed on a phased basis when the dis-armament, demobilization and repatriation case-load could no longer be met by the smaller taskforce. It also welcomed the decision by all the for-eign parties to withdraw fully their troops fromthe DRC, and noted in particular the withdrawalof over 23,000 Rwandan troops by mid-October,



as well as withdrawals by Angola, Uganda andZimbabwe.

The Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploita-tion of Natural Resources and Other Forms ofWealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,established in 2000, issued an interim and a finalreport in 2002. The Panel determined that themultiple parties involved in the conflict wereprimarily motivated by economic gain and onlysecondarily by security, ethnic strife and/or polit-ical control. It listed those individuals and busi-nesses that it found to be involved in the illegalexploitation of resources from the DRC and madea number of recommendations to the SecurityCouncil.

Political and military developments

Report of Secretary-General (February). On15 February, the Secretary-General, in accord-ance with Security Council resolution 1355(2001)[YUN 2001, p. 127], submitted his tenth report onMONUC [S/2002/169], in which he also provided in-formation on the political, military, humanita-rian and human rights situation in the DRC. Hestated that the ceasefire along the confrontationline between the signatories to the Lusaka Agree-ment, which had been monitored by MONUC mi-litary observers stationed along the line, had heldfor one year. Further progress had been achievedin the withdrawal of foreign forces from the DRC;however, the security situation in many parts ofthe country remained volatile, especially in thenorth-eastern part of the country. The situationwas further complicated by the 17 January erup-tion of the volcano, Mount Nyiragongo, whichleft some 80,000 people homeless and destroyed20 to 30 per cent of Goma. Approximately350,000 inhabitants of Goma fled, mostly acrossthe border into Rwanda. During the four-monthperiod under review, some encouraging bilateraland multilateral contacts were made between thecountries involved in the conflict in the DRC. Pro-gress was also made in an attempt to harmonizethe positions of different Congolese actors vis-à-vis the Inter-Congolese Dialogue. However, theperiod also witnessed the realignment of politi-cal and military alliances of armed rebel groups,resulting in intensified fighting in the north-eastern part of the country. While MONUC gener-ally received cooperation from the parties con-cerned in implementing its mandate, theRassemblement congolais pour la démocratie–Goma (RCD-Goma) posed some difficulties overthe Mission’s deployment plans and no major pro-gress was made with regard to an agreement be-tween the Governments of the DRC and Rwandaon the disarmament, demobilization, repatriation,resettlement and reintegration (DDRRR) of armed

groups mentioned in the Lusaka Agreement.MONUC focused on securing the cooperation re-quired for its third phase of deployment, whichwould involve establishing reception centreswhere the DDRRR process would begin, and plan-ning the assistance the Mission could provide forthe demilitarization of Kisangani, in accordancewith Security Council resolution 1376(2001) [YUN2001, p. 134].

In a 26 January speech, President JosephKabila emphasized his Government’s commit-ment to the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, coopera-tion with the phase III deployment of MONUCand the need for Rwandan troops to withdrawfrom the DRC. He also announced that he had re-quested the Security Council to establish a com-mission of inquiry to investigate the nature of theRwandan armed groups in the DRC.

In follow-up to the beginning of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue in 2001 [YUN 2001, p. 132],when the parties did not succeed in addressingsubstantive issues, efforts were made to encour-age the parties to continue negotiations throughinformal channels, such as informal UN consul-tations with the Government, the Mouvementpour la libération du Congo (MLC) and RCD. Atthe invitation of Belgium, representatives of thepolitical opposition and civil society met infor-mally in Brussels from 14 to 17 January to harmo-nize their views on the issues of transition, elec-tions, citizenship and the constitution, and thearmed forces.

Representatives of the Mai-Mai militia (localarmed Congolese groups in opposition toRwandan forces) released a 5 February pressstatement urging a peaceful resolution to theconflict and a ceasefire, and demanding that theMai-Mai have the same representation as the sig-natories to the Lusaka Agreement at all negotia-tions. MONUC, which was expanding its contactswith the Mai-Mai, was following up on the initia-tive.

MONUC faced serious obstruction and delaysin its phase III deployment to Kisangani andKindu in eastern DRC, as well as in its efforts to re-patriate a group of combatants from Kamina. Nomajor change was observed in the positions of thecountries with foreign forces stationed in theDRC, and Uganda had even announced its inten-tion to send some troops back into the north-east.The Secretary-General called on all foreigncountries with troops in the DRC to withdrawthem. Little progress was made on the demilita-rization of Kisangani, despite an earlier commit-ment made by the RCD leadership in November2001.

The Secretary-General observed that MONUCwould require significant additional financial

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and human resources to carry out the tasks of itsphase III mandate and recommended that theSecurity Council consider increasing the Mis-sion’s authorized military strength by 850 troopsso that it could provide support for the demilita-rization of Kisangani. He also proposed a train-ing programme for local police, a more securepresence at the two airports in Kisangani and as-sistance to operationalize both airports, riverports and the Kisangani-Ubundu railway. TheSecretary-General suggested that the civilian po-lice strength be increased by 85 members from itscurrent force of 15, and that MONUC place someassets at the temporary disposal of relief effortsin Goma following the eruption of MountNyiragongo.

The Secretary-General stated that RCD andthe Government of Rwanda had a particular re-sponsibility in implementing the Lusaka Agree-ment; MONUC was currently deploying andphase III DDRRR operations would be conductedin territory under their control; he also expectedthe DRC to assume its responsibilities. Notingthat failure to repatriate the Rwandan combat-ants from Kamina was a source of concern, theSecretary-General called on the DRC Govern-ment to promote the early return of all Rwandancombatants on its territory. The Governments ofthe DRC and Rwanda were encouraged to enterinto an agreement to create a legal and politicalframework to achieve that goal.

Communications (January/February). TheDRC, in January and February letters to theSecurity Council, described troop movements of,and actions by, foreign forces in its territory. On3 January [S/2002/20], the DRC requested thatthe Council convene to discuss: Rwandan troopmovements in the eastern part of the country;tension in the town of Bukavu due to attacks byunpaid soldiers of the Rwandan Patriotic Army(RPA) and RCD-Goma; demilitarization of thetown of Kisangani; and the killings of Congolesenationals during ethnic conflicts in Orientaleprovince in the territories under Ugandan occu-pation. It called on the Council: to impose sanc-tions on RCD-Goma, Rwanda and Uganda; toaccelerate deployment of MONUC; to hold an in-ternational conference on the Great Lakes re-gion; to establish a court to prosecute those in-volved in the illegal exploitation of DRC naturalresources and other wealth; to place an embargoon Congolese goods transiting through aggressorcountries; and to freeze the financial assets ofleaders of aggressor countries.

On 23 January [S/2002/112], following the erup-tion of the Nyiragongo volcano, the DRC askedthe Council to demand that Rwanda and RCD-Goma facilitate humanitarian assistance and

operations in the Goma area. On 24 January[S/2002/113], the DRC stated that Rwanda and RCD-Goma were impeding the delivery of humanita-rian assistance to Goma and again requested theCouncil to demand that they facilitate such deliv-ery and open corridors for relief efforts.

The DRC, on 30 January [S/2002/132], claimedthat MLC and RCD-Goma had created a joint forcewith a battalion of 800 men, to be based in thetown of Kalemie, Katanga province. The choiceof that town, it said, revealed the scope of the de-ployment by RPA, whose troops were moving to-wards the south in the direction of Moba andMoliro along Lake Tanganyika and other posi-tions in Katanga province. In addition, Ugandantroops had created a climate of terror in northernOrientale province where at least 60 persons haddisappeared. On 25 February [S/2002/198], theDRC said that RPA and RCD-Goma troops had at-tacked Congolese armed forces based in Molirobut had been repelled. Referring again to the at-tack on Moliro in a 28 February letter [S/2002/217],the DRC denounced the attempt of RCD-Gomaand MLC to torpedo the Inter-Congolese Dia-logue process. It said that it was declaring a uni-lateral ceasefire and its troops had begun pullingback to their original position. It urged theSecurity Council to pressure Rwanda to allowRCD-Goma to join the peace and national recon-ciliation process, and to send MONUC observersto the conflict zone at Moliro to monitor theceasefire and withdrawal of forces.

Following the visit of the Foreign Minister ofBurundi to the DRC (6-8 January), the two coun-tries issued a joint communiqué [S/2002/36],in which they declared their intention to restorea climate of trust between them. They agreedto relaunch bilateral consultation mechanismsand conclude an agreement defining modalitiesfor implementing commitments on a non-aggression pact. Burundi agreed to withdraw itstroops from the DRC under certain conditions(see also p. 136).

In a 1 February letter [S/2002/141], Uganda in-formed the Security Council President of contin-ued fighting in eastern DRC. It added that, in theBunia area, Uganda had withdrawn its forcesfrom the countryside and concentrated them atthe airport. The security situation in eastern DRCwas threatening Uganda’s border and had impli-cations for the stability and future of the DRC.Uganda might have to redeploy its military.Uganda, on 13 February [S/2002/170], stated that itwould immediately redeploy in the areas of tribalconflict to restore security.

Rwanda, on 8 February [S/2002/196], called fora meeting of all signatories to the LusakaAgreement in order to return to the path of



DDRRR and the Inter-Congolese Dialogue. Iturged the United Nations to play a role in facili-tating the implementation of the Agreement andto take measures against the perpetrators ofgenocide, the Interahamwe and the formerForces armées rwandaises (ex-FAR). Rwanda saidthe United Nations should focus on the primarycause—the presence in the DRC of ex-FAR/Interahamwe, who were responsible for thedeaths of over a million people in Rwanda.

The Southern African Development Com-munity (SADC), at its Extraordinary Summit ofHeads of State and Government (Blantyre, Ma-lawi, 14 January), issued a communiqué [S/2002/180] in which it welcomed the partial withdrawalof Ugandan forces from the DRC, and called onRwandan and Ugandan forces to complete theirwithdrawal as a matter of urgency. The Summittasked the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence andSecurity with the responsibility to formulate astrategy for speeding up implementation of theLusaka Agreement, in collaboration with theJoint Monitoring Committee.

The European Union (EU), in a 22 Februarystatement [S/2002/216] issued by its Presidency, ex-pressed concern that some parties to the Inter-Congolese Dialogue had threatened not to attendthe talks in Sun City, and called on all parties tothe dialogue to honour their obligations.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (February)

On 25 February [meeting 4476], following consul-tations among Security Council members, thePresident made statement S/PRST/2002/5 onbehalf of the Council:

The Security Council welcomes the tenth reportof the Secretary-General of 15 February 2002 on theUnited Nations Organization Mission in the Demo-cratic Republic of the Congo and expresses its inten-tion to consider the recommendations therein. TheCouncil calls upon all the parties to the conflict todisplay their political will in order to achieve a peace-ful settlement and reconciliation. The Council urgesall the parties to the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreementsigned on 10 July 1999 to fulfil all their commitmentsunder the Agreement and under the relevant resolu-tions of the Council.

The Council stresses the importance of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, which is an essential elementfor the achievement of lasting peace. It reiterates itsstrong support for the Facilitator of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue and his team. It calls upon allCongolese parties to participate in this process, andto do so in a constructive spirit.

The Council reiterates its call for the withdrawalof all foreign troops from the territory of the Demo-cratic Republic of the Congo. It also stresses that thedisarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettle-ment and reintegration process of the armed groupsmentioned in chapter 9.1 of annex A to the CeasefireAgreement is another key element for the settlement

of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of theCongo, and in this regard:

— Reiterates its support for the Mission, which isdeploying in the east of the country in order to facili-tate this process;

— Calls upon the Government of the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo to fulfil its commitments re-garding the repatriation of the ex-combatants inKamina;

— Taking note of the request expressed by thePresident of the Democratic Republic of the Congoto the Council, requests the Mission to make a firstassessment of the number of members of theRwandan armed groups (ex–Rwandese ArmedForces and Interahamwe) in the territory of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, and to report tothe Council by the end of March. Based on this as-sessment, the Council will examine whether any fur-ther support should be given to the Mission in the ex-ecution of this task;

— Recalls that all the parties have a major respon-sibility to contribute to the disarmament, demobili-zation, repatriation, resettlement and reintegrationprocess and that the Joint Military Commission has arole in this respect, in cooperation with the Mission.

The Council takes note of the reinforcement ofthe Mission presence in Kisangani and reiterates itsdemand that the city be demilitarized, in accordancewith its relevant resolutions. In this regard, it alsostresses the importance of the full reopening of theCongo River, including to commercial traffic, andcalls upon all parties to cooperate in this regard.

The Council expresses its concern at the persist-ent human rights violations, in particular in the eastof the country, and calls upon all parties to put anend to these violations.

Assessment of armed groupsIn response to the request contained in the 25

February statement by the Security Council Pres-ident (above), the Secretary-General transmittedon 1 April [S/2002/341] MONUC’s first assessmentof armed groups in the DRC. MONUC presentedinformation not only on the number of membersof the Rwandan armed groups (ex-FAR andInterahamwe), but also the number, location,leadership, structure and armaments of allarmed groups listed in the Lusaka Agreement.Data on the Mai-Mai were included in an appen-dix. MONUC observed that any presence of troopsof the National Union for the Total Indepen-dence of Angola in the DRC would be isolatedgroups or individuals not under coherent com-mand. It was noted that alliances within and be-tween the groups were constantly shifting, andoften linked to short-term goals or individual op-erations. The groups were also subject to leader-ship struggles linked to political, economic orother objectives, and were constantly changingtheir locations. The preliminary information wascollected and analysed in the framework of theimplementation of phase III of MONUC’s man-

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date, a principal objective of which was theDDRRR of armed groups.

Specific information was provided on the Al-lied Democratic Forces/Front (ADF) of Uganda;the Forces pour la défense de la démocratie (FDD)of Burundi; and the Armée pour la libération duRwanda (ALIR I and ALIR II of Rwanda).

MONUC concluded that only one of the sixUgandan armed groups mentioned in theLusaka Agreement was still active in the DRC,namely, ADF, with 200 to 300 fighters near theUgandan border. From Burundi, FDD, with 3,000to 4,000 troops, mainly in South Kivu andKatanga provinces, and the Forces nationalespour la libération, with only a small force, main-tained a presence in the DRC. From Rwanda, ex-FAR and the Interahamwe had apparently com-bined as ALIR, which was divided into two parts,ALIR I (between 4,000 and 6,000 troops, in Northand South Kivu and Maniema provinces) andALIR II (4,000 to 6,000 troops, based in SouthKivu and Katanga provinces). Together, theyrepresented the bulk of the foreign fighters to bedisarmed in the DRC.

In contrast to those foreign forces, the Mai-Maiwere a distinctly Congolese phenomenon. Theterm generally referred to community-basedfighters who came together to defend their localterritory. A high proportion of Mai-Mai militiawere reported to be child soldiers and theirmilitary capacity and political orientation variedconsiderably. The militias were known to shift al-liances to achieve their interests. In South andNorth Kivu, the territory under control of RCD-Goma, two Mai-Mai groups were reported to havereceived support from the DRC Government. Thetotal number of Mai-Mai active in the Kivus wasestimated at 20,000 to 30,000. There was also alarge presence around Kindu and Kalemie.

Renewed fightingThe DRC, on 18 March [S/2002/286], informed

the Security Council President that RPA, assistedby RCD-Goma, had besieged the town of Moliroin flagrant violation of the ceasefire. Informa-tion on the build-up of forces, estimated at 10,000men, had been conveyed to MONUC, which con-firmed the movement of the Rwandan troops buttook no action. The resumption of hostilities wasliable to jeopardize the Inter-Congolese Dia-logue, which began on 25 February in Sun City,and thus the entire peace process in the DRC. As aresult of the resumed aggression, the DRC de-cided to suspend its participation in the plenarymeetings of the dialogue until a solution wasfound, including a ceasefire and the return ofRwandan troops to Kalemie, a position allocatedto RPA and RCD-Goma by the Harare sub-plans

for disengagement and redeployment [YUN 2000,p. 137] under the Lusaka Agreement. The DRCcalled on the Security Council to: denounceRwanda and RCD-Goma for the resumption ofhostilities; demand that they withdraw to theirinitial positions; call on MONUC to deploy observ-ers in the conflict zone to monitor the ceasefireand withdrawal of forces; and demand thatRwanda and RCD-Goma implement the LusakaAgreement, the Kampala disengagement plan[ibid., p. 126] and the Harare sub-plans for disen-gagement and redeployment.

Rwanda, on 18 March [S/2002/287], refuted theDRC’s account of the action at Moliro, stating thatthe DRC had seized the town, a former militaryposition of RCD-Goma, in violation of the LusakaAgreement, but lost that position when it wastaken back by RCD, which the DRC wanted to dis-lodge from Kamamba, the next town to Moliro.Rwanda said its forces had not participated in thecurrent fighting in the Moliro area and furtherclaimed that the DRC Government was sabotagingthe Inter-Congolese Dialogue of Sun City whileRwanda supported that process.


On 19 March [meeting 4495], the Security Coun-cil unanimously adopted resolution 1399(2002).The draft [S/2002/290] was prepared in consulta-tions among Council members.

The Security Council,Recalling its previous resolutions and the statements

by its President,Recalling also the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement

signed on 10 July 1999 and stressing that the ceasefireamong the parties to this agreement had been re-spected since January 2001,

Recalling further that the Inter-Congolese Dialogueis an essential element of the peace process for theDemocratic Republic of the Congo,

Determining that the situation in the Democratic Re-public of the Congo poses a threat to internationalpeace and security in the region,

1. Condemns the resumption of fighting in theMoliro pocket and the capture of Moliro by theRassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie-Goma,and stresses that this is a major violation of theceasefire;

2. Stresses that no party to the Lusaka CeasefireAgreement should be allowed to make military gainswhile a peace process is under way and while a peace-keeping operation is deployed;

3. Demands that the Rassemblement Congolais pourla Démocratie-Goma troops withdraw immediately andwithout condition from Moliro, and also demands thatall parties withdraw to the defensive positions called forin the Harare disengagement sub-plans;

4. Demands also that the Rassemblement Congolaispour la Démocratie-Goma withdraw from Pweto,which it occupies in contravention of the Kampalaplan and the Harare disengagement sub-plan, so as to



permit the demilitarization of this location, and thatall other parties also withdraw from locations theyoccupy in contravention of the Kampala plan and theHarare disengagement sub-plan;

5. Recalls that Kisangani also has to be demilita-rized;

6. Reminds the Rassemblement Congolais pour laDémocratie-Goma and all other parties that they mustcomply with their obligations with regard to theCeasefire Agreement, the disengagement plans andrelevant resolutions of the Security Council;

7. Calls upon Rwanda to exert its influence on theRassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie-Gomaso that the Rassemblement Congolais pour laDémocratie-Goma will implement the demands of thepresent resolution;

8. Welcomes the deployment of the United NationsOrganization Mission in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo in Moliro and in Pweto, and calls upon allthe parties to provide full cooperation to the Missionand to ensure the safety and security of Mission per-sonnel on the ground;

9. Calls upon the parties to the Ceasefire Agreementto refrain from any military action or other provoca-tion especially while the Inter-Congolese Dialogue istaking place;

10. Stresses the importance of continuing the Inter-Congolese Dialogue and calls upon the Government ofthe Democratic Republic of the Congo to resume im-mediately its participation in the Dialogue;

11. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

Communications. During April and May, theDRC [S/2002/364, S/2002/548, S/2002/553, S/2002/556]and Rwanda [S/2002/335, S/2002/420, S/2002/422,S/2002/559] exchanged charges regarding the re-newed fighting in eastern DRC. The DRC citedRPA’s failure to demilitarize Kisangani and Pwetoby the prescribed deadlines and called on theSecurity Council to impose sanctions againstRwanda and to expand MONUC’s mandate toinclude protection of the Congolese people.Rwanda complained that the DRC had attackedMoliro, which it wished to use for infiltration intoBurundi, Rwanda and areas in the DRC under thecontrol of others. Rwanda denied the claims bythe DRC that its forces were in Kisangani, Pwetoor Moliro. Rwanda also listed what it called the le-gitimate security concerns in Rwanda caused bythe situation in the DRC, which had led Rwanda tointervene militarily in the DRC. Reiterating itsclaim that RPA had withdrawn from Kisangani,Rwanda called on the Council to impose sanc-tions against the DRC.

Inter-Congolese DialogueThe Inter-Congolese Dialogue (Sun City, 25

February–18 April), conducted under the aegis ofthe neutral Facilitator, Sir Ketumile Masire, con-cluded with the adoption by consensus of 37 reso-lutions on political and legal issues; economy andfinance; defence and security; humanitarian, so-

cial and cultural issues; and peace and reconcilia-tion. The plenary sessions were attended by 358delegates comprising eight delegations. The keyissue of power sharing during the transition pe-riod, however, remained outstanding.

Although important advances were made inthe negotiations, as reported by the Secretary-General in June [S/2002/621], the Congolese par-ties were still not able to reach an all-inclusiveagreement. Meanwhile, the Government andMLC concluded a bilateral agreement on powersharing on the sidelines of the negotiations andthe majority of other delegations joined later,with the exception of RCD-Goma and some majorpolitical parties. Talks among the Congolese par-ties on an all-inclusive agreement continued afterthe Sun City meeting.

On 26 April [S/2002/621], RCD-Goma, togetherwith the Union pour la démocratie et le progrèssocial, announced the creation of the Alliancepour la sauvegarde du dialogue inter-congolais.The Alliance, committed to the continuation ofthe Dialogue, established itself in Kisangani.

The United Nations Standing Advisory Com-mittee on Security Questions in Central Africa, atits seventeenth ministerial meeting (see p. 99),welcomed the signing of the political agreementon consensual management of the transitionin the DRC concluded on 19 April by theGovernment, MLC and the other participants inthe Inter-Congolese Dialogue, and called on par-ties that had not been signatories to join the pro-cess. The meeting also expressed concern at thecontinued infringements on the national sover-eignty and territorial integrity of the DRC, in par-ticular the recent confrontations in the Moliroarea and the Kivu provinces, troop movements inthe east, and the clashes involving rebel forcesand other armed groups in the eastern andnorth-eastern parts of the country.

By a 4 March letter [S/2002/229], the LibyanArab Jamahiriya informed the Security CouncilPresident that it had contributed $200,000 to-wards the expenses of national reconciliation inthe DRC. The sum had been placed at the disposalof the Facilitator.

Communications (March-June). On 20 March[S/2002/292], the DRC said that, in implementa-tion of Security Council resolution 1399(2002)(above), it had decided to resume participationin the ongoing Inter-Congolese Dialogue. Iturged the Council to ensure the withdrawal ofthe Rwandan troops from Moliro and Pweto, theimplementation of the Kampala plan [YUN 2000,p. 126] and the Harare sub-plans [ibid., p. 137], thedemilitarization of the town of Kisangani and theestablishment of a neutral environment in Kinduin order to facilitate MONUC operations. The

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DRC’s decision was welcomed by the OAU PoliticalCommittee on the implementation of the Cease-fire Agreement in the DRC at a meeting on20 March [S/2002/305]. The Committee urged theparties to implement the disengagement planand to accelerate the demilitarization ofKisangani by 6 April at the latest.

The DRC notified the Council on 26 March[S/2002/314] that it had withdrawn its forces fromthe towns of Kayaya and Yayama in accordancewith resolution 1399(2002). It reported fightinginvolving RPA in South Kivu, requested the Coun-cil to dispatch a MONUC team to assess the con-flict there and indicated that there were risingtensions in Goma.

On 27 March [S/2002/317], Rwanda said that theDRC needed to refrain from continually usingRwanda as a pretext to abandon the inter-Congolese political negotiations, which it period-ically sabotaged. Rwanda welcomed the recentreturn of the DRC to those negotiations.

The EU Presidency issued a statement on 22March [S/2002/328] on recent events in the DRC,condemning the outbreak of fighting in Moliro.Welcoming the resumption of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, it urged Rwanda to ensurethe withdrawal of RCD-Goma from Moliro andcalled for redeployment and strengthening ofMONUC observers in the areas concerned and forMONUC to report on the taking of Moliro. Franceand the United Kingdom, on 10 April [S/2002/429], issued a statement on the Dialogue, callingon the participants to reach the political compro-mise necessary for establishing a transitionalgovernment that would lead to democratic elec-tions. They welcomed the proposals put forwardin Sun City on the sharing of power around Pres-ident Kabila and hoped that they would serve asthe basis for an agreement.

On 26 April [S/2002/488], Rwanda expressed re-gret that two of the parties to the Dialogue (theDRC Government and MLC) had concluded anagreement without taking into account the inter-ests of the Congolese people as a whole. Rwandaappealed to all the Congolese parties to safeguardthe Dialogue aimed at establishing transitionalinstitutions, a unified army and a reunified terri-tory, and recommended that negotiations resumethrough the Follow-up Committee proposed bythe Facilitator on 19 April.

By a 1 May letter [S/2002/513], Uganda transmit-ted to the Security Council President the text ofthe common understanding it had reached withRwanda on 26 April on the way forward for thepeace process in the DRC. The two countries wel-comed the considerable results already achievedat theInter-CongoleseDialogue in theareasofde-fence, economy, social and humanitarian affairs,

and national reconciliation, and noted that the in-stitutions agreed upon should contain the keyelementsofpowersharing inallState institutions,separation of powers and inclusiveness. Theycalled on all the Congolese parties to continueto participate in the finalization of the power-sharing agreement through the Follow-up Com-mittee set up by the Facilitator. On 15 May [S/2002/545], Rwanda forwarded to the Council Presidentcommon proposals of 2 May by Uganda andRwanda on the way forward for the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo peace process, relating tothefunctioningandstructureof theexecutiveandlegislative branches of government and the judi-ciary. On 16 May [S/2002/549], Rwanda transmitteda press release and summary report issued by ameeting of 13 Congolese political parties (CapeTown, South Africa, 9-10 May), in which theycalled for continuation of the Dialogue on the ba-sis of the Facilitator’s proposals, withdrawalof foreign troops and disarmament of armedgroups, and maintenance of the Lusaka Agree-ment as the political and legal framework for con-tinuation of the Dialogue.

On 23 May [S/2002/596], the EU Presidency de-nounced the resurgence of violence in areas oc-cupied by RCD-Goma, notably in Kisangani, andthe repression of the Congolese people by RCD-Goma and Rwandan troops.

Appointment of Special Envoy. The Secretary-General, on 4 June [S/2002/619], informed theSecurity Council that although the Congoleseparties were not able to reach an all-inclusiveagreement on power sharing at the Sun Citymeeting of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, theyagreed to continue negotiations with a view to ar-riving at an acceptable formula. That need wasalso expressed at a meeting of several interna-tional stakeholders involved in the peace processconvened by the Secretariat in New York on 17May. That meeting had also requested theSecretary-General, in consultation with OAU andthe Facilitator, to appoint a Special Envoy to assistin the negotiations. In that connection, he haddecided to appoint Moustapha Niasse, formerPrime Minister of Senegal, as his Special Envoy.

Security Council missionBy a 17 April letter [S/2002/430], the Security

Council informed the Secretary-General of itsdecision to send a mission to the Great Lakes re-gion and outlined its terms of reference. Be-tween 27 April and 7 May, the mission, whichcomprised all 15 Council members, met with nu-merous regional leaders to assess and give newimpetus to the implementation of the LusakaAgreement, to encourage the Congolese partiesto work together through the Inter-Congolese



Dialogue, and to facilitate both the withdrawal offoreign forces from the DRC and the DDRRR pro-gramme. In its report, issued on 13 May [S/2002/537], the mission made recommendations on theDRC and Burundi (see below). An addendum tothe report [S/2002/537/Add.1] contained a non-paper on a proposed international conference onpeace, security, democracy and development inthe Great Lakes region, and a communiquéissued by the joint meeting of the Political Com-mittee on the Implementation of the LusakaCeasefire Agreement in the Democratic Repub-lic of the Congo and the Council mission (An-gola, 2 May).

The mission, carried out immediately follow-ing the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, underlinedthe need for further talks among the Congoleseparties in order to develop an inclusive agree-ment on a transitional government. It suggestedto facilitate the withdrawal of foreign forces,creating a “curtain” of troops along the DRC’seastern borders that would involve the DRC,Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi working outmechanisms for military cooperation along theircommon borders, with a military presence of thecountries concerned in a portion of DRC territoryfor a limited period.

The mission found that the parties to theLusaka Agreement continued to make progress,albeit slowly, in the application of the peace pro-cess. To advance the process, the mission sug-gested that a transitional authority could pave theway for free and fair democratic elections. Itnoted with satisfaction that the Government, MLCand RCD-Goma met on the margins of the Politi-cal Committee on 2 May to initiate further dis-cussions in that regard. Once a transitionalgovernment was established, the mission pro-posed that the Council expand MONUC’s man-date to include the organization of free and fairelections. While noting that some foreign forceshad withdrawn from DRC territory, the missionobserved that, of all the original belligerents,only Namibia had withdrawn all its troops. An-gola, Uganda and Zimbabwe had reduced theirforces and there were reported withdrawals byRwanda, which had not been verified.

The mission commended MONUC for the pro-gress achieved in the disarmament, demobiliza-tion and repatriation of the Rwandan combatantsat Kamina. It was aware, however, that DDRRR inthe east would pose serious security problems,necessitating a robust MONUC force at Kindu. Apositive development was the signing in Aprilby the Government, MLC and RCD-Goma of anagreement to reopen the River Congo to com-mercial traffic, which was important to the eco-nomic and social life of the country.

The mission recommended that attention begiven to the implementation of the MONUC man-date in the fields of human rights and humanita-rian assistance to populations in need, taking intoaccount the needs of women and girls. The pro-gressive deployment of MONUC human rightsand humanitarian personnel in the eastern DRCshould lead to improvements in that area. Effortsshould be made to ensure that humanitarian aid,and longer-term economic and development as-sistance, were provided to the DRC in support ofthe peace process. The mission reiterated its pro-posal for an international conference on security,development and peace in the Great Lakes re-gion.

Once the Inter-Congolese Dialogue developedpositively and UN forces were deployed inKindu, the peace process was poised to enter anew dynamic. The mission proposed that the re-gional leaders, in coordination with the UnitedNations, establish a follow-up mechanism withthe tasks of: coordinating the peace process; ap-plying the results of the Dialogue throughout thecountry; preparing elections; facilitating the Dia-logue among regional heads of State on furtherMONUC deployment, DDRRR, border security,and withdrawal of foreign forces; and preparingan international conference on the Great Lakesregion.

Report of Secretary-General (June). TheSecretary-General, in his eleventh report onMONUC, dated 5 June [S/2002/621], described de-velopments since his February report. Duringthat period, in addition to the Inter-CongoleseDialogue and the Security Council mission to theregion (see above), the DRC Government andMLC began consultations on implementing theiragreement that stipulated a 30-month transi-tional period prior to elections. Other diplomaticactivity included the visit of the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, to the region from 21 Februaryto 4 March to promote a comprehensive solutionto the conflict, a meeting on 17 May between Mr.Guéhenno and various international actors, in-cluding the Facilitator and OAU representatives,to discuss future steps to support the peace pro-cess, and the appointment by the Secretary-General of a Special Envoy (see above).

In mid-May, the city of Kisangani witnessed afresh outbreak of violence that led to the death ordisappearance of over 100 persons. The crisis be-gan when dissident RCD-Goma soldiers seized aradio station and called on the population to riseup against the “Rwandan invaders”, which wasfollowed by several days of killing and looting.The violence took place against a backgroundof long-standing popular hostility towards the

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Rwandan forces occupying eastern DRC and theirlocal allies. MONUC provided shelter to seven in-dividuals who claimed that their lives were at riskat the hands of RCD-Goma. That faction accusedthe Secretary-General’s Special Representative,Namanga Ngongi, of bias in favour of theGovernment, banned him from territories underits control and expelled three senior MONUC offi-cers from Kisangani and Goma.

In the north-east, tension was high in Ituriprovince, especially in Bunia. The situation wascharacterized by severe insecurity, the lack ofclear political authority and the presence of a for-eign army, the Ugandan People’s Defence Force.The Hema-Lendu ethnic conflict was continu-ing, with allegations of killings by both groups.Lack of security prevented UN military observ-ers from entering the area to verify the differingfigures of the dead, wounded and disappeared.

Despite the volatility of the situation in someareas, MONUC continued to pursue step 1 of thethird phase of its deployment and to implementits phase II tasks related to the monitoring andverification of the new defensive positions, andMONUC military observer teams conducted inves-tigations of reported ceasefire violations. Someissues linked with the disengagement of forceswere still pending: Moliro, Pweto, Bakamba andthe four new defensive positions still controlledby MLC in the north-west, in violation of theagreement. Pursuant to Security Council resolu-tion 1399(2002), RCD-Goma withdrew fromMoliro on 27 March; although that resolutionalso demanded that it withdraw from Pweto, RCD-Goma maintained a civilian administration andpolice presence in the town. In Bakamba/Tshilunde, DRC troops had not vacated the town,which fell under RCD-Goma control according tothe disengagement plans. In Kisangani, MONUCwas enlarging its troop size to approximately1,150 to increase extensive patrolling and confi-dence-building activity. A major problem facingMONUC as it prepared for the main task of phaseIII, which involved the facilitation of voluntaryDDRRR in eastern DRC, was the lack of a capableforce. In the absence of a country willing to pro-vide the necessary troops, phase III of MONUC’sdeployment would have to be delayed. Althoughthe Secretary-General, in his previous report,had sought an increase of 850 military personnel,he currently anticipated that only 400 morewould be required for the key tasks in Kisanganiand Kindu, due to changed circumstances.

In May, a MONUC team was sent to prepare theestablishment of DDRRR offices in Masisi,Walikale, Shabunda, Goma and Bukavu, but itwas able to visit only two locations due to thesecurity situation. Civilian police attached to the

mission evaluated and assessed the Congolesenational police, but training was delayed untilJuly when 85 authorized UN police personnelwere expected to arrive. Other functions carriedout by MONUC and described in the report in-cluded activities in public information, humanrights, child protection, gender issues, humanita-rian assistance, mine action and quick-impactprojects. MONUC continued to pose the greatestlogistics challenge in the history of UN peace-keeping operations.

The Secretary-General remarked that theceasefire had continued to hold during the re-porting period along the entire length of the for-mer confrontation line, and the Congolese repre-sentatives had conducted a dialogue on thegovernance of their country, achieving agree-ment on several issues. Large numbers of foreignforces had been withdrawn, including all theNamibian forces. MONUC forces stood at 3,800troops and observers. Nevertheless, many diffi-culties remained. Fighting had intensified in theeast, mostly involving clashes between armedgroups that were not signatories to the LusakaAgreement, RCD-Goma and RPA. The agreementreached at Sun City was not an all-inclusive one,and the Secretary-General had appointed a Spe-cial Envoy to assist the parties in achieving anagreement that would lead to a transitional au-thority. There had been no talks between theGovernments of the DRC and Rwanda on their re-spective security concerns. Grave violations ofhuman rights persisted. The great majority ofCongolese still suffered the effects of war, hun-ger and poverty, disease, lack of access to cleanwater and inadequate living conditions. Hun-dreds of thousands had been displaced by con-flict and insecurity. Contrary to the undertakingsof RCD-Goma, the city of Kisangani had not beendemilitarized. MONUC would gather informa-tion on the events that began in that city on14 May.

MONUC continued to explore the feasibility ofthe proposal of the Security Council mission forthe establishment of a “curtain” of troops alongthe borders of the DRC with Rwanda, Burundiand Uganda, which could facilitate the finalwithdrawal of foreign forces from the DRC. Thewidth of such a security zone, its regime and du-ration would be decided in consultation with thecountries involved. The Secretary-General notedthat MONUC, despite public expectations, did nothave the means to provide broad protection tocivilians at large, although it could protect a smallnumber of civilians under imminent threat ofphysical violence. If the Mission was to take thesteps necessary to protect more effectively civil-ians under imminent threat, the Security Council



would need to adjust MONUC’s strength and re-equip contingents to permit them to intervenemore actively. In that regard, the Secretary-General stated that the basic responsibility forproviding protection to civilians rested withthe local authorities. He called on the DRCGovernment, in the light of commitments madeby President Kabila during the recent SecurityCouncil mission, to fully support the DDRRR pro-cess, and urged RCD-Goma to allow the process tobe carried forward. He added that RCD-Gomashould understand that it was in their own inter-est and that of the Congolese people to stopharassing UN personnel and unblock the peaceprocess.

In the light of the current circumstances, theSecretary-General recommended the extensionof the Mission’s mandate for a further 12 months,until 15 June 2003, and an increase of 400 troops,to a total of 4,200.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (May/June)

On 24 May [meeting 4544], following consulta-tions among Security Council members, the Pres-ident made statement S/PRST/2002/17 on be-half of the Council:

The Security Council strongly condemns the kill-ings, in particular of civilians, that recently tookplace in Kisangani. The Council calls for an immedi-ate cessation of all violations of human rights andinternational humanitarian law. It reiterates its de-mand that the city be demilitarized in accordancewith relevant resolutions, in particular resolution1304(2000) of 16 June 2000, and with the pledgemade by the Rassemblement Congolais pour laDémocratie-Goma to the last Security Council mis-sion. The Council also calls upon the parties to co-operate in the full reopening of the Congo River, in-cluding to commercial traffic.

The Council invites the Secretary-General to con-sider whether a temporary increase in the deploy-ment in Kisangani of the United Nations Organiza-tion Mission in the Democratic Republic of theCongo, within the current authorized troop level,may contribute to easing tensions. The Council re-quests the Mission to continue to monitor reports ofextrajudicial violence and report to the Council.

The Council draws the attention of the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Human Rights tothe seriousness of the events that took place inKisangani on 14 May 2002 and immediately there-after.

The Council stresses the importance of the Mis-sion assisting, within the current mandate, in the fulldemilitarization of Kisangani. In this respect, theCouncil welcomes the proposal by the Secretary-General in paragraph 50 of his tenth report, of 15February 2002, in accordance with resolution1355(2001) of 15 June 2001 and 1376(2001) of 9 No-vember 2001, to reinforce the civilian police unit of

the Mission with eighty-five officers to assist in thetraining of the local police.

The Council expresses its intention to consider ex-peditiously any further recommendation that theSecretary-General may deem necessary.

On 5 June [meeting 4548], following consulta-tions among Council members, the Presidentmade statement S/PRST/2002/19 on behalf ofthe Council:

The Security Council condemns in the strongestterms the acts of intimidation and unfounded publicstatements against the United Nations OrganizationMission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, inparticular attempts by the Rassemblement Congolaispour la Démocratie-Goma to “ban” the Special Rep-resentative of the Secretary-General and the “expul-sion” of several personnel of the Mission and otherUnited Nations personnel from areas under its con-trol. It reaffirms its full support for the Special Rep-resentative and for the dedicated staff of the Mission.

The Council stresses that these unjustifiableattacks are directly contrary to the process of peaceand national reconciliation in the Democratic Re-public of the Congo and to the interests of theRassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie-Goma.

The Council reiterates its condemnation of thekillings and attacks against civilians and soldiers thatfollowed the events that took place on 14 May 2002and thereafter in Kisangani and looks forward to re-ceiving the joint report and recommendations of theMission and the Office of the United Nations HighCommissioner for Human Rights on the violence inKisangani. The Council holds the RassemblementCongolais pour la Démocratie-Goma, as de facto au-thority, responsible for bringing to an end all extra-judicial executions, human rights violations and ar-bitrary harassment of civilians in Kisangani and allother areas under the control of the RassemblementCongolais pour la Démocratie-Goma.

The Council demands that the RassemblementCongolais pour la Démocratie-Goma immediately:

— Cease its harassment of United Nations offi-cials and assist with the deployment and operationsof the Mission;

— Cooperate fully with all investigations of vio-lence in Kisangani and the surrounding areas;

— Comply with all relevant resolutions of theCouncil, in particular by demilitarizing Kisangani.

The Council calls upon Rwanda to exert its influ-ence to have the Rassemblement Congolais pour laDémocratie-Goma meet without delay all its obliga-tions under the resolutions of the Council and thispresidential statement.

The Council encourages the Government of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, the Mouvementpour la Libération du Congo and the Rassem-blement Congolais pour la Démocratie-Goma tohold new discussions as soon as possible and in goodfaith, taking into account the progress in the Inter-Congolese Dialogue achieved in Sun City, South Af-rica, in order to reach an all-inclusive agreement onthe political transition. In this respect, the Councilsupports the efforts of the newly appointed Special

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Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Inter-Congolese Dialogue, Mr. Mustapha Niasse.

Rwanda, in 5 June observations [S/2002/648], re-ferred to statement S/PRST/2002/19, gave itsversion of the events in Kisangani of 14 May andmade allegations about the work of the SpecialRepresentative and MONUC staff. Rwanda said ithad heeded the Council’s call to exert its influ-ence to have RCD-Goma meet all its obligationsunder Council resolutions.

Extension of MONUCOn 14 June [meeting 4554], the Security Council

unanimously adopted resolution 1417(2002).The draft [S/2002/621] was prepared in consulta-tions among Council members.

The Security Council,Recalling its resolutions and the statements by its

President regarding the Democratic Republic of theCongo, in particular resolution 1355(2001) of 15 June2001,

Reaffirming the sovereignty, territorial integrity andpolitical independence of the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo and of all other States in the region,

Reaffirming also the obligation of all States to refrainfrom the use of force against the territorial integrityand political independence of any State or in any othermanner inconsistent with the purposes and principlesof the United Nations,

Reaffirming further the sovereignty of the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo over its natural resources, andin this respect looking forward to receiving the reportof the Expert Panel on the Illegal Exploitation of Nat-ural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo and the link be-tween the exploitation and the continuation of the con-flict,

Recalling the responsibilities of all parties to co-operate in the full deployment of the United NationsOrganization Mission in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo,

Acknowledging the positive role of the Facilitator ofthe Inter-Congolese Dialogue and of the President ofthe Republic of South Africa in the conduct of theInter-Congolese Dialogue in Sun City, South Africa,

Taking note of the idea of a curtain of troops, whichwas raised during the Security Council mission to theGreat Lakes region, and encouraging the Secretary-General, if asked to do so by the parties, to instruct theMission to facilitate the development of this idea, witha view to possible support for its implementation, in-cluding by sending observers,

Recognizing the importance of electoral support inachieving governmental transition in the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, and expressing its intention,once an all-inclusive transitional Government is inplace, to consider the role the international commu-nity, in particular the Mission, might play in support ofthe electoral process,

Underlining the fact that the main responsibility forresolving the conflict rests with the parties,

Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General of5 June 2002 and the recommendations therein,

Determining that the situation in the Democratic Re-public of the Congo continues to pose a threat to inter-national peace and security in the region,

1. Decides to extend the mandate of the UnitedNations Organization Mission in the Democratic Re-public of the Congo until 30 June 2003;

2. Calls upon Member States to contribute person-nel to enable the Mission to reach its authorizedstrength of 5,537, including observers, within the timeframe outlined in its concept of operations;

3. Takes note of the recommendation of theSecretary-General for a troop ceiling increase, and ex-presses its intention to consider authorizing it as soonas further progress has been achieved and the steps re-ferred to in paragraph 12 of resolution 1376(2001) of9 November 2001 have been taken;

4. Condemns ethnically and nationally based callsfor violence and the killings and attacks against civil-ians and soldiers that followed the events that tookplace on 14 May 2002 and thereafter in Kisangani,looks forward to receiving the joint report and recom-mendations by the Mission and the Office of theUnited Nations High Commissioner for HumanRights on the violence in Kisangani, and reiteratesthat it holds the Rassemblement Congolais pour laDémocratie-Goma, as the de facto authority, responsi-ble for bringing to an end all extrajudicial executions,human rights violations and arbitrary harassment ofcivilians in Kisangani and all other areas under thecontrol of the Rassemblement Congolais pour laDémocratie-Goma, and that it demands the demilita-rization of Kisangani;

5. Condemns also the exploitation of ethnic differ-ences in order to incite or carry out violence or humanrights violations, deplores the humanitarian impact ofsuch abuse, and in this regard expresses particularconcern at the situation in the Ituri region and inSouth Kivu, in particular in the Hauts Plateaux, andcalls upon the de facto authorities in the regions af-fected to ensure the protection of civilians and the ruleof law;

6. Reiterates its full support for the Special Represen-tative of the Secretary-General and for all the dedi-cated Mission personnel who operate in challengingconditions, demands that the RassemblementCongolais pour la Démocratie-Goma provide full ac-cess and lift all restrictions on Mission personnel andfully cooperate with the Mission in the implementa-tion of its mandate, and urges Rwanda to exert its in-fluence to have the Rassemblement Congolais pour laDémocratie-Goma meet without delay all its obliga-tions;

7. Recalls paragraph 8 of resolution 1291(2000) of24 February 2000 and paragraph 19 of resolution1341(2001) of 22 February 2001, supports the steps out-lined in paragraphs 25 and 71 of the report of theSecretary-General and reaffirms the mandate of theMission to take the necessary action in the areas of de-ployment of its armed units and as it deems it withinits capabilities:

— To protect United Nations and co-located JointMilitary Commission personnel, facilities, installa-tions and equipment;



— To ensure the security and freedom of move-ments of its personnel;

— To protect civilians under imminent threat ofphysical violence;

8. Requests the Mission to proceed expeditiously inthe deployment of the additional eighty-five policetrainers to Kisangani, as endorsed in the statement byits President dated 24 May 2002, once the Mission de-termines that the necessary security conditions are inplace;

9. Supports the role of the Mission in disarmament,demobilization, repatriation, resettlement and reinte-gration as authorized in relevant Security Council res-olutions, welcomes its deployment to Kisangani andKindu, encourages it to move quickly to respond to anysigns of interest in voluntary disarmament, demobili-zation, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration byuncontrolled armed groups in the eastern parts of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, within its currentmeans, and calls for the full cooperation of all theparties on disarmament, demobilization, repatriation,resettlement and reintegration, including on the dis-armament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlementand reintegration of the ex-combatants of Kamina,and for the provision of the necessary planninginformation referred to in paragraph 12 (ii) of resolu-tion 1376(2001);

10. Welcomes the commitments made by the Pres-ident of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dur-ing the Security Council mission to the Great Lakes,not to support the armed groups referred to in chapter9.1 of annex A to the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreementsigned on 10 July 1999 and regarding the cooperationwith the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwandaand in this regard urges the Government of the Demo-cratic Republic of the Congo fully to implement thesecommitments and urgently to take all necessary stepsto ensure that its territory is not used to support thosearmed groups;

11. Stresses that the reduction in the number of for-eign forces in the territory of the Democratic Republicof the Congo is encouraging, demands the total andexpeditious withdrawal of all foreign forces, in accord-ance with its previous resolutions, without which theconflict cannot be resolved, and in this regard reiter-ates that all parties must transmit to the Mission, inaccordance with the Ceasefire Agreement and Councilresolutions, in particular resolution 1376(2001), theplans and timetables for the total withdrawal of theirtroops from the territory of the Democratic Republicof the Congo;

12. Encourages the parties, especially the Govern-ment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and theGovernment of Rwanda, to address the fundamentalsecurity issues at the heart of the conflict and, in thiscontext, to explore the scope for further confidence-building measures, such as the idea discussed duringthe Security Council mission to the Great Lakes regionof a curtain of troops, as an interim measure aimed atensuring border security in the final stages of with-drawal, and encourages the parties to follow up ontheir initial positive reaction and develop this idea;

13. Reiterates its support for the Inter-Congolese Dia-logue and encourages the Government of the Demo-cratic Republic of the Congo, the Mouvement pourla Libération du Congo and the Rassemblement

Congolais pour la Démocratie-Goma to hold new dis-cussions as soon as possible, in good faith and withoutprecondition, taking into account the progress in theInter-Congolese Dialogue achieved in Sun City, SouthAfrica, in order to reach an all-inclusive agreement onthe political transition, with the support of all the Con-golese parties to the Inter-Congolese Dialogue;

14. Stresses, while reaffirming that the primary re-sponsibility for the Dialogue lies with the Congolesethemselves, the importance of a strong United Nationsrole in support of this process and in this respect sup-ports the efforts of the newly appointed Special Envoyof the Secretary-General for the Inter-Congolese Dia-logue, Mr. Mustapha Niasse;

15. Requests all parties and relevant States to extendtheir full cooperation to the Expert Panel on the Ille-gal Exploitation of Natural Resources and OtherForms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of theCongo and the link between the exploitation and thecontinuation of the conflict;

16. Requests the Secretary-General to report at leastevery four months to the Council on progress on theimplementation of the present resolution;


Communications. On 1 July [S/2002/718], theDRC informed the Security Council that Rwandaand RCD-Goma had seized the town of Pweto,which was a violation of the ceasefire and a fail-ure to respect the decisions of the Political Com-mittee of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement. TheCommittee, composed of representatives of allparties to the Agreement, had called on 22 Marchfor withdrawal from and the demilitarization ofPweto. The DRC called on the Council to demandthe unconditional withdrawal of those troopsfrom Pweto, demand that Rwanda and RCD-Gomademilitarize Kisangani, and consider transform-ing MONUC into an intervention force. The DRC,on 8 July [S/2002/735], described a build-up ofRwandan troops in Moba and in the highlands ofSouth Kivu where a large-scale humanitarian cri-sis was unfolding. It asked the Council to convertMONUC’s mandate into that of an interpositionforce. On 11 July [S/2002/750], the DRC notified theCouncil of further violence by RCD-Goma nearKisangani. Rwanda, on 12 July [S/2002/755], de-nied the DRC accusations and called on the Coun-cil to take action against the DRC Governmentand groups allied to it.

Report of UN High Commissioner for Hu-man Rights. In response to statement S/PRST/2002/17 (see p. 111), the United Nations HighCommissioner for Human Rights issued a reporton the events that occurred in Kisangani on 14and 15 May [S/2002/764]. The High Commissionerstated that those events had occurred in thebroader context of an ongoing conflict and, inthat regard, she recalled that numerous massa-cres and extrajudicial killings had occurred inthe country in the previous several years. She

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noted that impunity continued to be a majorcause of human rights violations in the DRC.After a thorough investigation, the High Com-missioner concluded that the de facto authorityof Kisangani—RCD-Goma—was responsible forthe massacres that took place after it regainedcontrol over the city’s radio station; its authoritieshad killed at least 103 civilians and 60 soldiersand police officers. The inquiry conducted byRCD-Goma had made a feeble attempt to exoner-ate the human rights violations carried out by itsrepresentatives. The RCD-Goma authorities hadtaken no confidence-building measures to allayfears of ethnic reprisals or to reach out to the gen-eral public to resolve the ethnic tensions thatmight be building in society.

The High Commissioner recommended thatthe Council exert pressure on all parties to theconflict to respect human rights and humanita-rian law and call on all neighbouring countries tourge the parties to meet their human rights andhumanitarian law obligations. In the context ofthe Kisangani massacre, the de facto authoritieswere called on to arrest those who ordered orwere involved in the massacre. The Council wasurged to give guidance to MONUC and the Officeof the High Commissioner to enable them tofollow up with specific recommendations for thede facto authorities in Kisangani to carry out afull investigation and to end impunity, and toidentify ways by which protection could be pro-vided to civilians in the DRC.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (July)

On 23 July [meeting 4583], following consulta-tions among Security Council members, the Pres-ident made statement S/PRST/2002/22 on be-half of the Council:

The Security Council recalls the seriousness ofthe events that took place in Kisangani on 14 May2002 and immediately thereafter, and expresses itsappreciation for the report and recommendationssubmitted to the Council by the Office of the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Human Rights,building on the investigation conducted in associa-tion with the United Nations Organization Missionin the Democratic Republic of the Congo into theevents to which the Council had drawn the attentionof the United Nations High Commissioner forHuman Rights (S/PRST/2002/17). It reiterates itsstrong condemnation of the killings and attacksagainst civilians, soldiers and police officers thattook place on 14 May 2002 and thereafter inKisangani. The Council stresses that the Rassem-blement Congolais pour la Démocratie-Goma isresponsible for the massacres that took place after itregained control over the city’s radio station on 14May. The Council demands that the RassemblementCongolais pour la Démocratie-Goma take the neces-sary measures to bring the perpetrators and those

among them who ordered or were involved in themassacre to justice. The Council stresses thatRwanda has a duty to use its strong influence to en-sure that the Rassemblement Congolais pour laDémocratie-Goma complies with this demand.

The Council stresses that the RassemblementCongolais pour la Démocratie-Goma will be heldaccountable for any extrajudicial executions, includ-ing among members of the civil society or detaineesat the detention centres of the RassemblementCongolais pour la Démocratie-Goma in Kisangani.It also stresses that Rwanda has a duty to use itsstrong influence to ensure that the RassemblementCongolais pour la Démocratie-Goma takes no suchaction. It requests the Mission to continue its investi-gations in cooperation with the Office of the HighCommissioner in order to gather further informa-tion concerning the massacres in Kisangani and tomake recommendations on concrete measures to betaken to effectively end impunity. It recalls the man-date of the Mission to extend its protection, in ac-cordance with its resolution 1417(2002) of 6 June2002, to civilians under imminent threat of physicalviolence, in the areas of deployment of its armedunits and as it deems it within its capabilities.

The Council reiterates that the RassemblementCongolais pour la Démocratie-Goma must demilita-rize Kisangani without any further delay or condi-tion and stresses this would prevent any futurerecurrence of these recent tragic events. TheRassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie-Goma must also cooperate with the Mission and theOffice of the High Commissioner in their investiga-tions to identify all the victims and perpetrators inKisangani so that the latter will be brought to justice,and also to ensure an end to all violations of humanrights and to impunity in all areas under its control.

The Council expresses its serious concern at theabsence of accountability throughout the Demo-cratic Republic of the Congo noted in the report ofthe Office of the High Commissioner, and callsupon all parties to take immediate steps to ensure anend to impunity and full respect for human rights.

The Council also expresses its deep concern at thestrengthening of troops in eastern Democratic Re-public of the Congo. It expresses particular concernat the situation in South Kivu, in particular in theHauts Plateaux and around Minembwe, where fight-ing has increased between the Rwandan PatrioticArmy and Banyamulenge, supported by otherarmed forces. It calls for the cessation of this fight-ing, which is having a severe humanitarian impacton the population in the area. It calls upon theGovernment of Rwanda to cooperate with the teamsfrom the Mission and the Office for the Coordina-tion of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariatwhich are to be sent to the area as soon as possible toestablish the facts, including by providing the neces-sary security guarantees.

The Council also expresses its concern at the ris-ing tensions in the Ituri region and calls upon all par-ties to exert restraint. It also expresses concern at themilitary actions in Pweto. It requests the PoliticalCommittee for the Implementation of the LusakaCeasefire Agreement to address expeditiously theissue of Pweto, in accordance with the Kampala plan



and Harare sub-plans for disengagement and rede-ployment and with the decisions taken by the JointMilitary Commission, and in accordance with its res-olution 1399(2002) of 19 March 2002.

The Council welcomes the efforts and good of-fices of the Republic of South Africa, in its capacityas chair of the African Union, and of the Secretary-General, to help the Democratic Republic of theCongo and Rwanda to reach an agreement to tacklethe problem of the armed groups and to take for-ward the withdrawal of Rwandan troops, in the con-text of the full withdrawal of all foreign troops fromthe territory of the Democratic Republic of theCongo, in accordance with the Lusaka CeasefireAgreement signed on 10 July 1999 and relevantCouncil resolutions. In this regard, it encourages theleaders of the two countries to continue working outways to address their fundamental security con-cerns, and welcomes the discussions between repre-sentatives of the Democratic Republic of the Congoand Rwanda on the idea of a curtain of troops as amechanism for countries of the region to cooperateto ensure the security of their common borders. TheCouncil requests the Mission and the Joint MilitaryCommission to assist the parties in the developmentof the curtain mechanism.

The Council reiterates the importance it attachesto an all-inclusive agreement on the political transi-tion, taking into account the progress achieved inSun City, South Africa, and in this regard expressesits full support for the efforts of the Special Envoy ofthe Secretary-General for the Inter-Congolese Dia-logue and calls upon all actors in the Democratic Re-public of the Congo and in the region to cooperatefully with him. The Council welcomes the support ofthe African Union, in particular through the SpecialRepresentative of the Interim Chairman of its Com-mission, for this process.

The Council reaffirms the sovereignty, territorialintegrity and political independence of the Demo-cratic Republic of the Congo and all other States inthe region.

The Council reiterates its full support for the Spe-cial Representative of the Secretary-General forthe Democratic Republic of the Congo and for allMission personnel, and demands that the Rassem-blement Congolais pour la Démocratie-Goma fullycooperate with the Special Representative and theMission in the implementation of their mandate.

The Council, noting the encouraging political de-velopments both in terms of contacts among theCongolese parties and among regional States, callsupon all the parties to recommit themselves to ad-vancing these political processes and to refrain fromany military action that would undermine the pro-gress for peace.

Agreements on troop withdrawals

Pretoria AgreementAt a meeting in Pretoria, South Africa, on 30

July, Presidents Joseph Kabila of the DRC andPaul Kagame of Rwanda signed a peace agree-ment [S/2002/914], formally known as the Peace

Agreement between the Government of the Dem-ocratic Republic of the Congo and the Republicof Rwanda on the Withdrawal of the RwandanTroops from the Territory of the Democratic Re-public of the Congo and the Dismantling of theex-FAR and Interahamwe Forces in the Demo-cratic Republic of the Congo. The PretoriaAgreement, which was also signed by the “thirdparty” (the UN Secretary-General and PresidentThabo M. Mbeki of South Africa), was character-ized by the parties and the Facilitator as an effortto overcome the obstacles to the implementationof the 1999 Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, namely,the lack ofprogress in the withdrawal ofRwandantroops and in the DDRRR of ex-FAR/Interahamweelements operating in the DRC.

Key provisions of the Pretoria Agreement re-lated to the DRC’s undertaking to continue theprocess of tracking down and disarming theInterahamwe and ex-FAR within the territoryunder its control. The DRC also agreed to collabo-rate with MONUC, the Joint Military Commission(JMC) and “any other force constituted by thethird party, to assemble and disarm the ex-FARand Interahamwe” in the whole territory of theDRC. Rwanda committed itself to withdrawing itstroops from the DRC “as soon as effective meas-ures that address its security concerns, in particu-lar the dismantling of the ex-FAR and Inter-ahamwe forces, have been agreed to”. TheAgreement stipulated that Rwanda’s withdrawalshould start simultaneously with the implemen-tation of those two measures, both of whichwould be verified by MONUC, JMC and the thirdparty. The third party was entrusted with severaltasks, including the verification of information tobe provided by the parties on the armed groupsand of the implementation of measures on theirdismantling. MONUC was called on to completeits phase III deployment and to operationalizeand provide security at assembly points for ex-FAR/Interahamwe elements, as well as to facili-tate their repatriation. The Governments of theDRC and Rwanda agreed to provide the Facilita-tor and the Secretary-General with any informa-tion they had relating to those groups. The thirdparty committed itself to continually overseeingand verifying the processes undertaken by bothparties.

A programme of implementation outlined a90-day timetable for: the establishment of a third-party verification mechanism; the finalization ofMONUC phase III deployment; the establishmentof assembly points for ex-FAR/Interahamwe ele-ments; the dismantling of those armed groups;variousmonitoringand verification tasks; and thecomplete withdrawal of Rwandan troops fromDRC territory. Subsequently, the third party would

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conduct the final verification of the completionof that programme and submit a report within 30days. The MONUC concept of operations forphase III was revised to reflect the adjustmentsnecessary for implementation of the PretoriaAgreement, including tasks for the verificationmechanism and voluntary, progressive DDRRR ofthe armed groups in the DRC, with an emphasison the ex-FAR/Interahamwe elements.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (August)

On 15 August [meeting 4602], following consulta-tions among Security Council members, the Pres-ident made statement S/PRST/2002/24 on be-half of the Council:

The Security Council expresses its appreciation tothe Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo and South Africa, and to theSpecial Envoy of the President of the Rwandese Re-public on the Great Lakes Region, who participatedin its meeting on the Democratic Republic of theCongo.

The Council welcomes the Peace Agreement be-tween the Governments of the Democratic Republicof the Congo and the Rwandese Republic and theProgramme of Implementation for the Withdrawalof Rwandan Troops from the Territory of the Demo-cratic Republic of the Congo and the Dismantling ofthe ex–Rwandese Armed Forces and Interahamwe inthe Democratic Republic of the Congo, signed inPretoria on 30 July 2002. The Council commendsthe Governments of the Democratic Republic of theCongo and Rwanda for engaging in direct dialogueon their mutual security concerns and urges them tocontinue this dialogue.

The Council expresses its full support for the im-plementation of the Pretoria Peace Agreement. Inthis regard, the Council looks forward to consider-ing as soon as possible the recommendations of theSecretary-General on ways in which the UnitedNations Organization Mission in the Democratic Re-public of the Congo and, through the coordinationof the Mission, all relevant United Nations agenciescan assist the parties in fulfilling their responsibili-ties to implement the Peace Agreement.

The Council commends the Government of SouthAfrica for its facilitation of the Peace Agreement,and for its further role, together with the Secretary-General, regarding the Agreement.

The Council stresses, in particular, the responsi-bilities of the two parties set out in the Peace Agree-ment and Programme of Implementation and callsupon the international community to assist and ex-pedite the carrying out of those responsibilities.

The Council reiterates its support for the man-date of the Mission, as established by its resolution1417(2002) of 14 June 2002, in particular in the areaof voluntary disarmament, demobilization, repatria-tion, resettlement and reintegration.

The Council expresses the importance of closeconsultations and cooperation between the Govern-ments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,Rwanda and South Africa, and the Mission, and

through the coordination of the Mission, all relevantUnited Nations agencies, on measures that can helpto implement that Agreement and to facilitate volun-tary disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, re-settlement and reintegration.

The Council welcomes the commitments of theGovernments of the Democratic Republic of theCongo and Rwanda under the Peace Agreement tocooperate in the identification, disarmament and re-patriation of the ex–Rwandese Armed Forces andInterahamwe. The Council urges the parties to theAgreement to make every effort to comply fullywith all their obligations, in conformity with Councilresolution 1341(2001) of 22 February 2001 and theProgramme of Implementation of the Agreement.The Council also welcomes the commitment of theGovernment of Rwanda, under the Agreement, re-garding the withdrawal of its troops from the terri-tory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and,in this regard, notes the submission by Rwanda of itsinitial troop withdrawal plan to the “Third Party”.

The Council will remain seized of these matters.

Luanda AgreementThe Luanda Agreement—the Agreement be-

tween the Governments of the Democratic Re-public of the Congo and the Republic of Ugandaon the Withdrawal of Ugandan Troops from theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, Cooperationand Normalization of Relations between the TwoCountries—was signed by the two States con-cerned on 6 September in Luanda, Angola.Under the Agreement, Uganda committed itselfto the continued withdrawal of its forces from theDRC in accordance with an agreed calendar. Inparticular, the Ugandan troops were to withdrawimmediately from Gbadolite, Beni and their vi-cinities. Uganda also reaffirmed its readiness towithdraw its troops from Bunia following the es-tablishment of an administrative authority inIturi province. The Agreement further stipu-lated that Ugandan troops on Mount Ruwenzoriwould remain until the parties put in placesecurity mechanisms guaranteeing Uganda’ssecurity, including coordinated patrols along thecommon border of the two countries.

The two parties agreed to establish, with the as-sistance of MONUC, a Joint Pacification Commit-tee on Ituri, comprising representatives of thetwo Governments and various leaders on theground. An administrative authority would be setup following a decision on a mechanism to main-tain law and order in the province. Subsequently,Uganda would develop a plan for withdrawalfrom Bunia that would envisage the completionof the withdrawal of the Ugandan People’s De-fence Force (UPDF) within 100 days.

Other provisions concerned the normalizationof relations between the DRC and Uganda, in-cluding the restoration of the DRC’s sovereignty,



while Uganda’s security concerns were also ad-dressed by: refraining from all types of militaryand logistical support to the armed groups; expe-diting the pacification of the DRC territories cur-rently under Ugandan control and the normal-ization of the situation along the commonborder; exchanging intelligence on all matters ofsecurity interest; restoring full diplomatic rela-tions; and re-establishing the Joint MinisterialCommission for cooperation in defence, security,trade, investment, infrastructure, transport,communications and cultural exchanges. Theparties also agreed to resolve any future differ-ences through peaceful means.

Report of Secretary-General (September). In re-sponse to Security Council statement S/PRST/2002/24 (above), the Secretary-General issued on 10September a special report on MONUC [S/2002/1005].He stated that the signing of the two separate Agree-ments between the DRC and Rwanda and the DRCand Uganda was an important development in theDRC peace process, which had laid the foundationfor a lasting peace.

Following the signing of the Pretoria Agree-ment, the United Nations undertook consulta-tions with South Africa, the DRC and Rwanda toplan its role in support of the Agreement. Addi-tional clarifications were provided on 8 Augustwhen the Security Council held a meeting withthe Foreign Ministers of South Africa and theDRC and the Special Envoy of the President ofRwanda. The United Nations and South Africaestablished a third-party verification mechanismwith a secretariat in Kinshasa, DRC, and a liaisongroup in Kigali, Rwanda. MONUC would provideassistance to it. Rwanda had provided the third-party verification mechanism with initial infor-mation on its plan for withdrawing troops fromthe DRC, as well as information concerning theRwandan armed groups operating in thatcountry. The Secretary-General remarked, how-ever, that much more information was requiredin those areas. The verification mechanism wasalso awaiting information from the DRC on theex-FAR/Interahamwe elements allegedly in west-ern DRC, including, in particular, information onthe whereabouts of their leaders. The key tooperationalizing the Pretoria Agreement wouldbe the resolve of both parties to work closely witheach other, with the assistance of the third party,in a climate of confidence. In order to overcomethe remaining differences on such issues as thenumber and locations of Rwandan armed groupsand measures to dismantle ex-FAR/Interahamwe,the Secretary-General supported PresidentMbeki’s proposal for monthly review meetings atthe head of State level. While the continuing con-tacts between the parties since the signing of the

Agreement were encouraging signs of their com-mitment to the peace process, military activityhad intensified and public accusations weremade regarding non-compliance with the Agree-ment. The cessation of hostilities between theGovernments of the DRC and Rwanda had heldalong the disengagement line for some time, butthe parties needed to ensure that secure condi-tions were created both for MONUC’s deploymentand for the voluntary disarmament of the armedgroups. Although not directly linked to theAgreement, a political settlement among the par-ties to the Inter-Congolese Dialogue was a criticalelement for ensuring its implementation.

Following the signing of the Luanda Agree-ment, Uganda, at the time of the report, hadwithdrawn some 1,200 troops from Beni and 650troops from Gbadolite, and the withdrawal wasexpected to be completed by the end of Septem-ber. Uganda had decided to withdraw its battal-ion from Bunia, a key town in the resource-richIturi region that was a political hub for RCD-Kisangani/Mouvement de libération (RCD-K/ML)in an acutely contested territory. Ituri had fordecades been afflicted by violent clashes, particu-larly between the Lendu, the Hema and their af-filiated groups. Since June 1999, tension hadmounted with, according to the DRC, up to20,000 people having lost their lives. Of Ituri’spopulation of 4.6 million, some 500,000 peoplewere newly displaced, with 60,000 displaced inBunia.

The extreme violence was often attributed to alack of impartial administration, to the powerstruggle between the leaders of RCD-K/ML, to ri-valry between business people over economic in-terests, to perceived or real interference by someUPDF elements on the ground, and to efforts tobuild up ethnically based militias by varioussponsors. A Hema/Gerere militia group, theUnion des patriotes congolais (UPC), had gainedcontrol of towns near Bunia, thereby reducingthe RCD-K/ML power base, and the Lendu andHema communities had entered a cycle of re-venge killings. Given the circumstances, it wasunlikely that a national authority could readilytake control. UPDF troops were the only force inBunia that could provide security. The situationin the north-east was further destabilized by amilitary offensive conducted by RCD-National,reportedly backed by MLC.

The Secretary-General reported that over theprevious year, MONUC had made considerablestrides in its phase II activities and was preparingfor phase III, in particular by deploying civilianand military personnel in Kindu and Kisangani.However, in the absence of an overall politicalagreement, it had not been able to achieve much

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with regard to DDRRR. In its attempts to achieveDDRRR, MONUC would be guided by the followingprinciples: the DRC and Rwanda should provideall information they had on locations, numbersand weaponry of the armed groups; cessation ofhostilities was required; MONUC would not forci-bly disarm combatants; ex-combatants and theirfamily members would be repatriated in secureconditions; the question of ex-combatants whodid not wish to return to their home countrieswould be addressed; MONUC and UNHCR wouldwork with the Governments of the DRC andRwanda to ensure that persons sought by relevantinternational tribunals (see p. 1284) were madeavailable to them; in areas not under DRC control,MONUC would provide “point security” for thedisarmament sites, but local authorities would beresponsible for overall “umbrella security”; inareas controlled by the DRC, the Governmentwould provide security at the disarmament sites;and a clear understanding should be reached bythe DRC and Rwanda on their respective roles, aswell as those of MONUC, the Office of the UnitedNations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR) and other UN agencies, on DDRRR ofex-combatants.

The Secretary-General described the envis-aged arrangements for the DDRRR process, whichwould be carried out through 10 to 12 mobile re-ception centres, with a possible total caseload, in-cluding dependants, of up to 90,000. The third-party verification mechanism would play a vitalrole in implementing the Pretoria Agreement,and MONUC would serve as the operational armof the mechanism in its verification tasks. Theverification mechanism would also work with theDRC and Rwandan Governments to identify lead-ers of the ex-FAR/Interahamwe, establish theirwhereabouts and hand them over to the Interna-tional Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. A forwardMission headquarters would be established atKisangani in order to coordinate MONUC activi-ties in the east. To support the DDRRR process,the MONUC military component would need tobe significantly strengthened by creating a for-ward force. That force would comprise tworobust task forces (each with command, combatand support elements), based in Kindu andKisangani, as well as one reserve battalion,riverine units and specialized enabling units(logistics, demining, engineers). To undertakethe new tasks, the Secretary-General recom-mended that the authorized strength of MONUCbe increased from 4,240 to 8,700 military person-nel. The ability of MONUC to carry out its revisedconcept of operations would depend on the fullcooperation of the parties.

In addition to observing the withdrawal ofUgandan troops, MONUC was monitoring the re-patriation of a number of Zimbabwe DefenceForces from Mbandaka and Mbuji-Mai. It wasalso prepared to monitor the withdrawal ofRwandan troops, the largest foreign militarypresence. The initial withdrawal plan providedby the Rwandan Government lacked some re-quired information, including numbers, equip-ment and locations of RPA units, as well as theirexit routes.

Given the currently explosive situation in thenorth-east, and especially in Bunia, it was envis-aged that MONUC would need to defuse the situa-tion by promoting accountability from the defacto authorities and launching confidence-building measures. Security responsibilitiesshould continue to be discharged by UPDF, in animpartial manner, until it could be replaced by acapable police force representing a legitimate au-thority acceptable to the communities in Ituri. Adialogue between the Lendu and the Hema wasneeded in view of the pervasive fear and mistrustcharacterizing their relations.

Despite the signing of the Agreements on with-drawal of forces, reports of intensified militaryactivities in the east, especially in Ituri province,were a source of major concern. The Secretary-General called on the parties to do everythingpossible to achieve a ceasefire and to end allsupport to the armed groups. He also called onall concerned—in particular RCD-National, sup-ported by MLC, and RCD-K/ML—to cease allmilitary activities in the north-east. He urged theDRC and Uganda to continue their consultations,with a view to addressing the situation in Ituri,and in that connection welcomed their decisionto establish the Joint Pacification Committee onIturi.

The Secretary-General expressed the view thatthe Pretoria and Luanda Agreements had laidthe foundation for a lasting peace in the DRC.While Zimbabwe was not a party to those Agree-ments, its recent announced intention to repatri-ate its troops from the DRC was a welcome step.He called on Zimbabwe to work closely withMONUC to ensure that its withdrawal was trans-parent and orderly. Rwanda was encouraged alsoto demonstrate its willingness to withdraw itstroops from the DRC, in accordance with SecurityCouncil resolutions. MONUC’s ability to imple-ment its operations would depend on the full co-operation of the parties, including: the provisionof all necessary information; a full cessation ofhostilities, in particular the fighting between thenon-signatories to the Lusaka Agreement andthe Rwandan/RCD-Goma forces; the cessation ofsupport from the DRC Government and others



for ex-FAR/Interahamwe and other armed groups;and the parties’ provision of security, access andfreedom of movement to MONUC. The Secretary-General urged the Congolese parties to reach anall-inclusive agreement on a new political dispen-sation in the DRC as soon as possible, and pledgedthe assistance of his Special Envoy, Mr. Niasse, toachieve that goal. He called for the commitmentof the parties and the support of the interna-tional community to that end.

Communications (August-October). The EU,in letters of 2 August and 18 September to theSecretary-General [S/2002/874, S/2002/1054], wel-comed the Agreements on the withdrawal ofRwandan troops and Ugandan forces from theDRC. It expressed the hope that the Congoleseparties would use the momentum to promote anall-inclusive conclusion of the Inter-CongoleseDialogue.

On 12 August [S/2002/912], the DRC reported re-cent fighting in Bunia and continuing tensioncaused by the redeployment of the Ugandanarmy in the city. It claimed that the Ugandanarmy had used ethnic conflicts to gain control ofthe region’s natural resources, in particular goldand coltan. Since the DRC and Rwanda hadsigned the Pretoria Agreement, Uganda hadreoccupied the areas it had previously evacuated.The DRC called on the Security Council to de-mand that Uganda immediately arrest Ugandanmilitary officials and others involved in the fight-ing in the Ituri region and that it withdraw fromDRC territory.

On 19 August [S/2002/941], the DRC said thatRwanda had conducted large-scale military oper-ations in South Kivu in violation of the PretoriaAgreement, forcing the Congolese population toflee en masse. It called on the Security Council tocondemn the Rwandan operations in the DRC.Rwanda, on 20 August [S/2002/945], responded tothe DRC’s charges and said it had never ceased todemonstrate its commitment to withdraw itstroops from the DRC once its security concernshad been taken into consideration. Meanwhile,the DRC Government had demonstrated a lack ofcommitment to the Pretoria Agreement by sup-porting ex-FAR/Interahamwe militias. Thosesteps posed a threat to Rwanda.

By a 7 October letter [S/2002/1116], Rwanda in-formed the President of the Security Council thatit had withdrawn all its troops from the DRC, incompliance with the 1999 Lusaka CeasefireAgreement [YUN 1999, p. 87] and the 2002 PretoriaAgreement (see p. 115). Rwanda said it had ful-filled all its commitments within the given timeframe required by those agreements and UN res-olutions. Rwanda was awaiting action by othersignatories to bring peace to the DRC, especially

by effecting the full MONUC deployment of phaseIII and calling on the DRC to fulfil its engage-ments to track down, put in assembly areas, iden-tify, disarm and demobilize the ex-FAR andInterahamwe to avoid further hostilities.

On 14 October [S/2002/1143], the DRC trans-mitted a communiqué in which it called on theMai-Mai and RCD-Goma to observe the ceasefirein South Kivu, where there had been recentheavy fighting between them. It also invitedMONUC and the third party to the Pretoria Agree-ment to reinforce their presence in eastern DRCwith a view to prevailing on the parties to observethe ceasefire. In another 14 October letter[S/2002/1142], the DRC forwarded a joint communi-qué issued at the close of a visit of its ForeignMinister to Bujumbura, Burundi. The two coun-tries agreed to work towards restoring good rela-tions, including through such steps as establish-ing machinery for the surveillance and control oftheir common frontier, and refraining from sup-porting rebel movements. Burundi undertook toconclude the withdrawal of its troops as quicklyas possible and to prohibit the transit and market-ing in its territory of natural resources of theDRC. They agreed to conclude a bilateral agree-ment.

On 17 October [S/2002/1165], Rwanda expressedconcern over developments in Uvira, DRC,where, it said, there were troop movements, andboats with rocket launchers and other armamentshad attacked the town from Lake Tanganyika.The ex-FAR and Interahamwe were the majorforce operating in and around Uvira, and theMai-Mai were a smokescreen to give the new of-fensive by the DRC a semblance of logic. Themovement of forces towards the Rwandan borderposed a threat to Rwandan and regional securityand was a violation of the Lusaka and PretoriaAgreements. The next day [S/2002/1170], Rwandasaid that ex-FAR and Interahamwe had beenarmed and dispatched by the DRC Governmentto join a siege on Bukavu, near the border withRwanda, and to reinforce their forces in east-ern DRC. It said that the tactic of that Govern-ment to hide behind terrorist forces (ex-FAR,Interahamwe, Mai-Mai, FDD, ALIR and others) inorder to destabilize the Great Lakes regionshould be condemned, and called for an appro-priate response by the international community.

Troop withdrawal and other developmentsFollowing the signing of the bilateral agree-

ments in Pretoria and Luanda between the DRCand Rwanda and Uganda, respectively, the periodin mid-2002 was marked by troop withdrawalsundertaken by Angola, Burundi, Rwanda,Uganda and Zimbabwe. Those developments oc-

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curred while consultations among the Congoleseparties on the establishment of a transitionalgovernment continued.

Report of Secretary-General (October). TheSecretary-General, on 18 October [S/2002/1180],issued his twelfth report on MONUC, in responseto Security Council resolution 1417(2002) (seep. 112), describing developments since his pre-vious report of 5 June.

He noted that the initial round of consulta-tions among the signatories of the Sun Cityagreement for a transitional government hadopened at Matadi, DRC, in May. The talks, whichended on 6 July, highlighted serious differencesbetween the DRC Government and MLC concern-ing power-sharing arrangements for the Su-preme Council of Defence and the procedure fordesignating the Prime Minister. In August, how-ever, the participants reached agreement on the167 articles of the transitional constitution.

The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy,Moustapha Niasse, undertook missions to the re-gion in June, July/August and September to dis-cuss with the Congolese parties and others thepossibilities of reaching an all-inclusive politicalagreement, including on the structure of transi-tional institutions and the distribution of respon-sibilities among State organs.

Since the Secretary-General’s June report, theUgandan troop withdrawal had continued withthe exception of a battalion at Bunia and troopspatrolling the western slopes of the RuwenzoriMountains. As at 11 October, the Zimbabwe De-fence Forces had repatriated 3,477 troops; a smallnumber of Angolan military forces had with-drawn and some 700 Burundi forces were repatri-ated. Most significant was the RPA withdrawal,which commenced on 17 September, and reached20,941 by 11 October according to MONUC, and23,760 troops by RPA figures (see p. 122). Thosetroops left 32 positions in the east and transitedthrough 21 assembly areas to exit points underMONUC observation. The DRC Government, on24 September, declared all political leaders of theForces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda(FDLR) personae non gratae and ordered them toleave. FDLR had claimed leadership of many ofthe ex-FAR/Interahamwe elements in the DRC.

In the north-east, the overall security condi-tions continued to deteriorate, with recurrentethnic clashes and UPC, a primarily Hema militia,gaining control of some towns. In the Hauts Pla-teaux area and South Kivu, RPA and RCD-Gomabattled the Banyamulenge group of PatrickMasunzu, which broke away from RCD-Goma ear-lier in the year. In the town of Kindu, the mainfighting was between RCD-Goma and the Mai-Mai, and there were reports of indiscriminate

killing of civilians, including the burning alive of80 people, mostly women and children, inKitangi.

MONUC continued to monitor and verify thenew defensive positions of the parties, in accord-ance with its phase II mandate, and to preparefor phase III activities. It had a total of 4,258military personnel at that time, against a ceilingof 5,537. The situation along the disengagementline remained generally stable, although a fewpositions continued to be occupied in contraven-tion of the disengagement and redeploymentplan. The only major violation of the LusakaCeasefire Agreement during the reporting pe-riod was in June in Pweto, which had been occu-pied by RCD-Goma in violation of the LusakaAgreement, and was taken over by a group ofMai-Mai. As planning for phase III developed,MONUC was establishing additional observationsites in the east in order to create the conditionsfor future DDRRR operations and to monitor thewithdrawal of foreign troops. In the meantime,UN riverine operations continued, allowingMONUC to escort resupply and humanitarian re-lief barges. The first commercial barge convoy infour years, accompanied by MONUC vessels, wassent from Kinshasa to Lisala and Bumba on20 July.

With the conclusion of the Pretoria Agreementon 30 July, MONUC was able to commence DDRRRactivities. It established locations in Goma,Bukavu and Butembo for that purpose and begandemobilizing Rwandan combatants in Beni. Inconsultations with Uganda, MONUC discussedthe DDRRR process for 300 to 400 Allied Demo-cratic Front (ADF) combatants in the DRC. Its civil-ian police component began a pilot project fortraining local police in Kisangani, which in-cluded a refresher course for existing policeunits and specialized training for traffic andcourt police and criminal investigators. Publicinformation activities reinforced the visibility ofMONUC with radio news programmes broadcastfrom Kinshasa to eight locations in five lan-guages. Other products included posters,bumper stickers, a monthly magazine, a dailypress review and a weekly newsletter.

MONUC continued to receive information indi-cating that the human rights situation in the DRCremained precarious, including allegations of ar-bitrary killings, rapes and excessive use of forceby the security forces of all the parties. Through-out the country, people were detained withoutdue process and prisons were in a deplorablestate. A new wave of violence erupted in Kindu inAugust, shortly after RCD sent a new commanderand chief of staff to Kisangani. In several parts ofthe country, humanitarian conditions remained



deeply disturbing. Approximately 17 million peo-ple—almost a third of the country’s population of53 million—were in need of urgent food aid, andapproximately 2.2 million people were displacedwithin the country. During the reporting period,significant new displacement was reported inIturi and Maniema provinces. The deterioratinghumanitarian situation against the backdrop ofplanned DDRRR activities would require ex-panded humanitarian coverage to more loca-tions. Mines and unexploded ordnance were stillpresent in the DRC, particularly in the areas ofKisangani and Ikela. MONUC was collaboratingwith the Mine Action Coordination Centre, withwhich it shared a database on mines and unex-ploded ordnance. Mine-clearing was carried outmainly by a Belgian NGO.

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations(DPKO) sent a review and assessment mission toMONUC (28 July–8 August) to review its capabilityto implement its mandate. The mission foundthat the main areas in need of enhancement in-cluded the setting of overall strategic directionand communication of such direction; strength-ening management; reviewing the delegation ofauthority and ensuring appropriate commandand control; enhancing information flows andpolicy and analysis functions; and ensuring thatDDRRR was mainstreamed through MONUC.

The new phase of MONUC activities would re-quire strengthening its logistical capabilities.Setting up reception centres for former combat-ants and their families (estimated at around90,000 persons) would be complex, requiring twotask forces and a carefully planned engineeringeffort.

The Secretary-General remarked on the sig-nificant developments in the peace process dur-ing the reporting period—the signing of the Pre-toria and Luanda Agreements, the consequentwithdrawals of foreign forces, the banning of theFDLR leadership based in Kinshasa, the explor-atory visit to Rwanda of a group of ex-combatantsand their dependants from Kamina, and the in-creased contacts among the Governments of theDRC and Rwanda and Uganda. Nevertheless,there continued to be serious challenges, in par-ticular the heavy fighting in the north-east andeast. The recent gains in the peace process werein danger of being reversed because of themilitary offensive against Uvira and other loca-tions in the east, including the Ituri region. Thecurrent culture of impunity had to end, theSecretary-General stated, and those responsiblefor serious violations of human rights and inter-national humanitarian law should be held ac-countable. The recent arrests of individuals in-dicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for

Rwanda (see p. 1284) and their transfer toArusha, United Republic of Tanzania, were en-couraging in that regard.

As the peace process moved forward, theDDRRR measures would become a central part ofMONUC operations. The progress achieved in theInter-Congolese Dialogue was encouraging, andthe increasing willingness of the various politicalactors to engage in the Dialogue was a positivesign. The Secretary-General called on all partiesto cooperate in the mediation efforts of his Spe-cial Envoy and the Government of South Africa,with a view to reaching an understanding on thetransitional arrangements foreseen in theLusaka Agreement.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (October)

On 18 October [meeting 4626], following consul-tations among Security Council members, thePresident made statement S/PRST/2002/27 onbehalf of the Council:

The Security Council welcomes the progress onwithdrawal of foreign forces from the territory ofthe Democratic Republic of the Congo, stresses thatthe withdrawals must be completed, and calls for theimplementation of all the agreements signed by theparties and all relevant resolutions of the Council. Atthe same time, the Council expresses its strong con-cern at the rising tensions in the east of the country,in particular in Uvira and in the Ituri region.

The Council condemns the continuing violence inthe east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, inparticular the attack on Uvira by Mai-Mai and otherforces, and views with great concern the build-up offorces around Bukavu. The Council notes with con-cern that these actions add to the instability in theeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,threaten regional stability, have severe humanitarianconsequences, especially by increasing the numbersof internally displaced persons and refugees, andcould threaten the border security of Burundi andRwanda.

The Council calls upon all parties to the conflict tocease hostilities immediately and without precondi-tions, welcomes the call by the Government of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo in its communi-qué of 14 October 2002 for such a ceasefire and callsupon the Government of the Democratic Republicof the Congo and all Governments in the region toexert their influence on all the parties to this effectand to refrain from any action which would furtherexacerbate the situation or undermine the peaceprocess.

The Council invites the Secretary-General to re-port further on the events in the region of Uvira andstresses the importance for the United Nations Or-ganization Mission in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo to increase its monitoring presence in theeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, inparticular in the regions bordering Burundi andRwanda, as soon as security conditions allow such adeployment. It encourages all local actors, includingthe parties to the conflict as well as civil society and

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religious organizations, to engage in talks in order toend the hostilities and to agree on a basis for peace-ful coexistence in the region during the transitionalperiod in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Inthis regard, the Council encourages the Secretary-General to consider using his good offices to pro-mote and facilitate such talks, with the Mission pro-viding support where applicable.

The Council reminds all parties in Uvira and inthe area that they must abide by international hu-manitarian standards and ensure respect for humanrights in the sectors they control.

The Council expresses its deep concern over theintensification of ethnically targeted violence in theIturi region. It condemns all such violence or incite-ment to violence. It requests all parties to take imme-diate action to defuse those tensions, ensure the pro-tection of civilians and end violations of humanrights. The Council welcomes the efforts of the Gov-ernments of Uganda and the Democratic Republicof the Congo to set up the Ituri Pacification Commis-sion, as set out under the Luanda Agreement, andrequests the Mission to provide support in this re-gard, when applicable.

The Council stresses that no Government,military force or organization or individual shouldprovide military or other supplies or any other formof support to any of the groups involved in the fight-ing in the east of the Democratic Republic of theCongo and in Burundi.

The Council also expresses its concern at the situ-ation in Kisangani, and reiterates its demand thatthe city be demilitarized.

The Council urges all Congolese parties to accel-erate efforts to reach agreement on an all-inclusiveTransitional Government and expresses its supportfor the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General in this regard.

The Council calls on all parties and armed groupsinvolved in the conflict in the Democratic Republicof the Congo to commit themselves to achieving apeaceful settlement for the region, and condemnsany attempt to use military action to influence thepeace process.

The Council expresses its full support for theefforts of the Special Representative of theSecretary-General, the Mission and the Governmentof South Africa.

The Council calls upon regional leaders to con-tinue to support efforts to end the conflict in Bu-rundi, and in this regard welcomes the recent visit ofthe Minister for Foreign Affairs and InternationalCooperation of the Democratic Republic of theCongo to Burundi and the adoption of a joint com-muniqué by the two Governments. The Council callsupon the two Governments rapidly to conclude anagreement on the normalization of relations and co-operation in security matters.

Communications (October/November). Rwanda,on 18 October [S/2002/1171], called on the SecurityCouncil to exert influence on the DRC to cease vi-olations of the Lusaka Agreement and the Preto-ria process following the total withdrawal of RDFon 5 October, as monitored by MONUC and oth-

ers. The DRC, with its allies, the Mai-Mai, ex-FARand Interahamwe militia, as well as FDD, had at-tacked RCD-Goma and the war was still going onaround Bukavu. The Council needed to knowthat there was a joint command and structure ofthe Congolese armed forces, ex-FAR, FDD, theMai-Mai militia and Interahamwe.

On 22 October [S/2002/1182], the DRC informedthe Council of a wave of killings perpetrated byRCD-Goma and RPA in eastern DRC, especially inthe town of Uvira, on 19 October. The massacreof more than 100 Congolese began after the Mai-Mai combatants had evacuated the town at the re-quest of the Government and the internationalcommunity. The DRC suggested that the UnitedNations set up a commission of inquiry to investi-gate and requested the Council to condemn theredeployment of Rwandan troops in the DRC be-tween 16 and 20 October. The DRC wanted to seethe completion of the DDRRR process, and forthat purpose found it important to establish as-sembly centres for Rwandan ex-combatants to en-courage voluntary disarmament.

The EU Presidency, on 22 October [S/2002/1200], expressed concern about the violent clashesin eastern and north-eastern DRC and about thepolitical implications of the renewed fightingand the humanitarian consequences. Concernedthat the events could lead to an unravelling of theprogress recently made on the basis of the Preto-ria and Luanda Agreements, it called on allarmed groups to work for a political settlement inthe framework of the Inter-Congolese Dialogue.The EU called on the Council to consider increas-ing MONUC’s monitoring presence in the east,and urged the DRC to cooperate with DDRRRefforts.

Rwanda, on 25 October [S/2002/1206], for-warded to the Security Council President the textof a statement by the Third Party VerificationMechanism (TPVM), which stated that the with-drawal of Rwandan troops from the DRC, moni-tored by TPVM, MONUC and others, was com-pleted on 5 October, with a total of 20,593 troopswithdrawn. That figure was 2,807 less than thenumber counted by Rwanda, which provided anexplanation for the discrepancy. TPVM thereforeconfirmed Rwanda’s 23,400 figure. On 28 Octo-ber [S/2002/1207], Rwanda protested that the DRChad made false claims against Rwanda; it contin-ued to ignore Rwanda’s security concerns andencouraged the ex-FAR and Interahamwe mili-tiamen, while failing to acknowledge the with-drawal of Rwandan troops. Repeating thoseclaims on the same date [S/2002/1208], Rwanda re-quested the Council to condemn the DRC, whichit said had launched attacks with ex-FAR,



Interahamwe and Mai-Mai on Uvira in violationof the Pretoria Agreement.

The DRC, on 19 November [S/2002/1263], saidthat RCD-Goma had levied taxes in foreign cur-rency and devised new vehicle registration platesrecognized only by Rwanda, in moves designed tousurp the prerogatives of the DRC. It called on theCouncil to insist that the militia leaders work to-wards an inclusive agreement for transition in theDRC.

On 22 November [S/2002/1297], Uganda trans-mitted a statement entitled “The Kampala un-derstanding between the Congolese Rally forDemocracy-Liberation Movement (RCD-ML) andthe Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC)”, in whichthose two parties stated that they would cease hos-tilities on all fronts in Ituri. The two parties andUganda agreed to find a solution to the Ituriproblem through the Ituri Pacification Commit-tee, in accordance with the Luanda Agreement.As a gesture of good will, RCD-ML agreed to with-draw its forces around Bunia to areas beyondKomanda. Uganda agreed to deploy its troops atKomanda and Gety in the context of the Lusakaand Luanda Agreements.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (December)

On 4 December [meeting 4653], the SecurityCouncil unanimously adopted resolution 1445(2002). The draft [S/2002/1309] was prepared inconsultations among Council members.


President regarding the Democratic Republic of theCongo,

Reaffirming the sovereignty, territorial integrity andpolitical independence of the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo and of all other States in the region,

Reaffirming also the obligation of all States to refrainfrom the use of force against the territorial integrityand political independence of any State, or in anyother manner inconsistent with the purpose and prin-ciples of the United Nations,

Reaffirming further the sovereignty of the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo over its natural resources,

Recalling the responsibility of all parties to co-operate in the full deployment of the United NationsOrganization Mission in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo,

Recognizing the importance of a gender perspectivein peacekeeping operations, in accordance withSecurity Council resolution 1325(2000) of 31 October2000, and the importance of the protection of childrenin armed conflict, in accordance with Council resolu-tion 1379(2001) of 20 November 2001,

Taking note of the special report of the Secretary-General of 10 September 2002 and the recommenda-tions contained therein,

Determining that the situation in the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo continues to pose a threat tointernational peace and security in the region,

1. Welcomes the signature by the Democratic Re-public of the Congo and the Rwandese Republic of thePeace Agreement, at Pretoria on 30 July 2002, as wellas the signature by the Democratic Republic of theCongo and the Republic of Uganda of the LuandaAgreement, and welcomes also the efforts of South Af-rica, Angola and the Secretary-General in facilitatingthe adoption of those agreements;

2. Welcomes also the decision taken by all foreignparties to withdraw fully their troops from the terri-tory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as wellas progress in the implementation of those processes,in particular the withdrawal of 23,400 Rwandan troopsfrom the Democratic Republic of the Congo verifiedby the Third Party Verification Mechanism, on 24 Oc-tober 2002, as well as the withdrawals by Uganda, Zim-babwe and Angola, and stresses the importance forthese withdrawals to be completed in a transparent, or-derly and verified manner, and in this regard under-lines the need for the parties to facilitate the verifica-tion of these withdrawals, including through thecontinuous provision to the United Nations Organiza-tion Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congoof detailed information on these withdrawals, and re-quests the Secretary-General to report to the Councilon this matter;

3. Expresses its full support for the Third Party Verifi-cation Mechanism, welcomes its work in helping theparties to implement the Pretoria Peace Agreement, inaccordance with Security Council resolutions and thenorms of international law, and stresses the impor-tance of close cooperation between the Government ofSouth Africa and the Mission in the work of the Mech-anism;

4. Stresses the importance of the voluntary natureof the disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, re-integration or resettlement of the armed groups re-ferred to in chapter 9.1 of annex A to the CeasefireAgreement signed at Lusaka on 10 July 1999, callsupon the leaders and members of the armed groups toenter the disarmament, demobilization, repatriation,resettlement and reintegration process, also calls uponall concerned to work to this end, emphasizes the needto intensify the public information efforts of the Mis-sion in this regard and calls upon all parties to supportthese efforts;

5. Also stresses the importance of further early andsubstantial progress in the process of voluntary dis-armament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlementand reintegration throughout the country to match theprogress achieved on the withdrawal of foreign forces,and urges all parties concerned to cooperate fully withthe Mission in this regard;

6. Welcomes the repatriation of ex-combatants andtheir dependants from Kamina, while noting that thenumber of those repatriated falls short of the originalnumber of those assembled, and recognizes the goodwill and efforts of the Governments of the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo and Rwanda in cooperating onthis issue with the Mission thus far;

7. Welcomes also the efforts of the Government ofRwanda in providing guarantees that ex-combatantsand their dependants will be able to return in condi-tions of safety and security, stresses the importance ofsuch guarantees, stresses also the importance ofconfidence-building measures, including interna-

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tional monitoring and reintegration assistance, andcalls upon the Secretariat and other relevant bodies, inconsultation with the signatories of the CeasefireAgreement, to address the issue of the resettlement ofany ex-combatants who may not wish to return to theirhome country;

8. Welcomes further the statement of 24 September2002 of the Government of the Democratic Republicof the Congo banning the activities of the Forcesdémocratiques de libération du Rwanda throughoutthe territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congoand declaring the leaders of that movement personanon grata on its territory, and encourages it to imple-ment further its commitments to advance the disarma-ment, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement andreintegration of the armed groups in accordance withthe Pretoria Peace Agreement;

9. Welcomes the commitment of the Government ofthe Democratic Republic of the Congo and other Con-golese parties to achieve an inclusive agreement on thepolitical transition, stresses the importance of such anagreement to the wider peace process, calls upon allCongolese parties to cooperate actively with a view to aspeedy conclusion of such an agreement, and in this re-gard expresses its full support for the efforts of theSpecial Envoy of the Secretary-General;

10. Notes the encouraging developments on theground, endorses the recommendations of theSecretary-General in his special report, includingthose relating to the support of the Mission for theThird Party Verification Mechanism as well as the pro-posal to extend the funding of the quick-impact proj-ects of the Mission, endorses in particular the new con-cept of operations outlined in paragraphs 48 to 54 ofthe report, and authorizes the expansion of the Mis-sion to consist of up to 8,700 military personnel, prin-cipally composed of two task forces, to be deployed ona phased basis as follows: the second task force shall bedeployed when the Secretary-General reports to theCouncil that the first task force has been successfullydeployed and the disarmament, demobilization andrepatriation caseload cannot be met by the existingcapacity of the first task force alone;

11. Endorses, in regard to disarmament, demobiliza-tion and repatriation under the new concept of opera-tions of the Mission, the interim funding mechanismset out in paragraph 74 of the report for the voluntarydisarmament, demobilization and repatriation of mem-bers of foreign armed groups, recognizes the impor-tance of addressing the repatriation of the dependantsalong with the ex-combatants and calls upon the inter-national community to provide the funds for this pro-cess;

12. Calls upon the Mission to pay special attention incarrying out its mandate to all aspects relating togender perspective, in accordance with resolution1325(2000), as well as to the protection and reintegra-tion of children, in accordance with resolution1379(2001);

13. Stresses that the main responsibility for resolv-ing the conflict rests with the parties themselves, thatthey must continue to demonstrate their will to respectfully their commitments and that further efforts willbe necessary to reach a comprehensive solution to theconflict and, in this regard:

(a) Calls for a full cessation of hostilities involvingregular forces and armed groups throughout the terri-tory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in par-ticular in South Kivu and in Ituri;

(b) Calls for the cessation of all support to thearmed groups referred to in chapter 9.1 of annex A tothe Ceasefire Agreement;

(c) Calls upon all parties to provide full access forthe Mission and the Third Party Verification Mecha-nism throughout the territory of the Democratic Re-public of the Congo, including inside all ports, air-ports, airfields, military bases and border crossings;

(d) Calls for the surrender to the International Tri-bunal for Rwanda of any persons indicted by the Tribu-nal;

(e) Reiterates its demand for Kisangani to be demil-itarized without further delay or preconditions;

(f) Demands that all parties work towards the im-mediate full restoration of freedom of movement onthe Congo river;

14. Expresses its deep concern over the humanitariansituation throughout the country and, in particular, inthe Ituri region, calls upon the parties to allow human-itarian agencies and organizations full access to popu-lations in need and to ensure the safety and security ofhumanitarian workers, and condemns those who seekto hamper the provision of assistance to civilians inneed;

15. Also expresses its deep concern over the intensifica-tion of ethnically targeted violence in the Ituri region,condemns all such violence or incitement to violence,requests all parties to take immediate actions to defusethese tensions, ensure the protection of civilians andend violations of human rights, calls upon all parties,in particular the Union des patriotes congolais, to co-operate to set up the Ituri Pacification Commission,and requests the Secretary-General to increase thepresence of the Mission stationed in the area, if he de-termines that the security condition allows it, in orderto provide support to this process as well as to humani-tarian efforts, and to report back to the Council;

16. Notes the commitment of Uganda under theLuanda Agreement to complete the withdrawal of itsforces no later than 15 December 2002, welcomes thepositive interaction between the Governments of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda sincethe signing of the Agreement, and calls upon both par-ties to work, together and with the Mission, towardsconditions that will allow the Agreement to be imple-mented in full;

17. Reiterates that no Government, military force ororganization or individual should provide military orany other form of support to any of the groups in-volved in the fighting in the east of the Democratic Re-public of the Congo, in particular in Ituri;

18. Encourages the Mission to continue its assess-ment of police capabilities and training needs in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, including, whennecessary, at the level of local communities, with spe-cial attention to the Ituri area;

19. Calls upon all parties to pay special attention toall aspects relating to gender, in accordance with reso-lution 1325(2000), and to the protection of children, inaccordance with resolution 1379(2001);

20. Encourages the Governments of the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo and, respectively, Rwanda and



Uganda to take steps to normalize their relations andto cooperate to ensure mutual security along their bor-ders, as provided for in the Pretoria Peace Agreementand the Luanda Agreement, and also encourages theGovernments of the Democratic Republic of theCongo and Burundi to take similar steps;

21. Stresses the crucial importance of preventing thesituation in the Democratic Republic of the Congohaving a further destabilizing effect on the neighbour-ing States, in particular Burundi, Rwanda, Ugandaand the Central African Republic, and calls upon allparties concerned to cooperate in good faith to thatend and to facilitate in this regard the continuing ob-servation efforts by the Mission in the areas of its de-ployment, including eastern Democratic Republic ofthe Congo and border areas;

22. Reaffirms that an international conference onpeace, security, democracy and development in theGreat Lakes region, with participation by all the Gov-ernments of the region and all the other parties con-cerned, should be organized at the appropriate time,under the aegis of the United Nations and the AfricanUnion, with a view to strengthening stability in the re-gion and working out conditions that will enable ev-eryone to enjoy the right to live peacefully within na-tional borders;

23. Strongly condemns the repeated harassment ofRadio Okapi staff, and demands that all parties con-cerned desist from such actions;

24. Reiterates its full support for the Special Repre-sentative of the Secretary-General and for all the dedi-cated Mission personnel who operate in challengingconditions;


Communications (December). On 12 Decem-ber [S/2002/1360], the DRC claimed that heavycargo aircraft of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya hadflown into DRC territory controlled by MLC tosupply the faction with troops and weapons. TheDRC called on the Security Council to demandthat Libya withdraw its troops and cease assistingMLC and hold Libya responsible for any failure ofthe Pretoria Agreement. In an 18 December reply[S/2002/1389], Libya stated that it had no troops inCongolese territory and denied supplying MLC.It had landed two transport aircraft in Gbadoliteto prevent an accident when Bangui airport (Cen-tral African Republic) was threatened; its inten-tion was to transport troops from the Sahel-Saharan States and Libyan nationals who wereparticipating in a force supplied by the Commu-nity of Sahel-Saharan States present in the Cen-tral African Republic (see p. 143).

All-Inclusive AgreementFollowing intensive negotiations and interna-

tional pressure, the representatives to the Inter-Congolese Dialogue signed in Pretoria, on 17 De-cember, the Global and All-Inclusive Agreementon the Transition in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo. As reported by the Secretary-General

[S/2003/211], the Agreement provided that elec-tions should be held at the end of a 24-monthtransition period. During the transition period,President Joseph Kabila would remain head ofState, combining the function with that of Su-preme Commander of the Armed Forces. FourVice-Presidents would be in charge of govern-mental commissions, each comprising ministersand deputy ministers: a Political Commission(chaired by RCD-Goma); an Economic and Fi-nance Commission (chaired by MLC); a Re-construction and Development Commission(chaired by the government component); and aSocial and Cultural Commission (chaired by thepolitical opposition component). The Govern-ment would be composed of 36 ministers and 25deputy ministers. A bicameral Parliament com-prising a National Assembly (whose Presidentwould be nominated by MLC) and a Senate (whosePresident would be nominated by civil society)would also be established. Civil society represen-tatives would head five independent institutionsto be set up in support of democracy, includingan independent electoral commission and a hu-man rights monitoring body.

The neutral Facilitator of the Inter-CongoleseDialogue, Ketumile Masire, was expected to con-vene the Dialogue in early 2003 to adopt the tran-sitional constitution. The outstanding issues hehad identified included the formation of a na-tional army, security in Kinshasa and finalizationof thedraftconstitution.TheSecretary-General’sSpecial Envoy for the Dialogue was attempting tobring the parties to agreement on the outstandingissues.

Situation at year’s end

Despite the signing of the All-Inclusive Agree-ment, military activities continued, the Secretary-General reported [S/2003/211]. In the Beni area,the MLC/RCD-National offensive, which began inOctober, threatened the position of RCD-K/ML inlate December. Following the intervention ofMONUC, working with the Ambassadors of thefive permanent Security Council members andthose of Belgium and South Africa, MLC, RCD-National and RCD-K/ML signed a ceasefire agree-ment at Gbadolite on 30 December. That agree-ment provided for the withdrawal of forces topositions 40 kilometres apart and the demilita-rization of Mambasa and Komanda under the ad-ministrative control of RCD-K/ML.

On 31 December, as soon as security conditionsallowed, a MONUC multidisciplinary team investi-gated allegations that grave human rights viola-tions had occurred in Mambasa and surroundingareas. The accounts of over 350 witnesses stronglysuggested a pattern of looting, killing and vio-

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lence against women by MLC/RCD-National inOctober and December. Summary executionswere alleged to have taken place against theNande ethnic group and some pygmies; eyewit-nesses also reported cases of mutilation, followedby acts of cannibalism. Cases of forced disappear-ance, torture and looting of buildings were alsoreported. The situation in other parts of the Ituriregion continued to be characterized by wide-spread insecurity, massive displacement andseverely restricted humanitarian access. Thearmed wing of RCD-K/ML retook certain posi-tions and Lendu combatants strengthened somepositions. In late December, the military situa-tion stabilized when UPDF troops, whose numbersin Bunia had decreased in November, werebrought back to strength. However, relations de-teriorated between UPDF and UPC. UPC claimedthat Ugandan forces were supporting the RCD-K/ML/Lendu grouping.The Special Representa-tive continued to engage the parties to end hostili-ties and establish the Ituri Pacification Commis-sion, as envisaged in the Luanda Agreement. InNorth and South Kivu, RCD-Goma territorialcontrol was significantly reduced following thewithdrawal of Rwandan troops, leaving a patch-work of armed groups in control.

The main operational MONUC activity at the endof the year was DDRRR. In November, such opera-tions at the military base in Kamina were com-pleted with the repatriation of 735 Rwandans (402combatants and 333 dependants). Approximately1,300 Rwandan combatants fled Kamina followingarmed clashes with government forces on 1 No-vember that were related to the involuntary returnof FDLR personnel from Kinshasa to Rwanda. On16 December, MONUC opened its first DDRRR re-ception centre in Lubero, North Kivu, where it wasestimated that the majority of the 3,000-4,000Rwandan combatants in the vicinity might bewilling to be repatriated. Senior officials fromMONUC, DPKO, the Office of Legal Affairs andUNHCR met (Geneva, 16-17 December) to discussmodalities for implementation of Security Coun-cil resolution 1445(2002), including the repatria-tion of dependants of ex-combatants.

MONUC civilian police (CIVPOL) continued totrain DRC police officers. On 20 December, atraining programme in criminal law, criminalprocedure and human rights for 53 judicial po-lice officers in Kisangani was concluded. TheMONUC Public Information Division reinforcedits office in Kisangani to extend its activitiesthere, including coverage of DDRRR operationsand Ituri developments. Its Radio Okapi estab-lished a programme schedule, with magazinesand contributions from its eight local stations op-erating in the DRC. On 12 December, an FM trans-

mitter became operational from Butembo, NorthKivu, and others were planned. Since October, aspecific DDRRR programme was broadcast twice aday.

All parties in the DRC continued to commitgross violations of human rights with impunity.MONUC developed an expert capacity for investi-gating such violations through the establishmentof UN multidisciplinary teams, which includedhuman rights and civilian experts, CIVPOL andmilitary observers, in coordination with the Of-fice of the United Nations High Commissionerfor Human Rights (OHCHR). Child soldiers werestill present in all armed groups in the DRC, insome cases representing up to 35 per cent of thetroops, and were being sent to the front lines.MONUC’s Child Protection Advisers investigatedreports of military camps in which minors werebeing trained, raised those issues with the appro-priate authorities and participated in investiga-tions into human rights violations where chil-dren were among the victims.

There was an increase in the use of mines andexplosive devices in late 2002; the Mine ActionCentre coordinated efforts to dispose of any de-vicesreported.RCD-Goma, inkeepingwithacom-mitment made in May during a regionalworkshop on the 1997 Convention on the Prohi-bition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production andTransfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on TheirDestruction, destroyed 642 anti-personnel and 62anti-vehicle mines in Kisangani in December.

Overall, the humanitarian situation in easternDRC remained extremely difficult due to out-breaks of hostilities, resulting in as many as2.5 million internally displaced persons. Human-itarian access to people in need continued to beproblematic.


The General Assembly, by decision 56/476 of15 August, decided, at the request of the DRC[A/56/1020], to defer consideration of the item en-titled “Armed aggression against the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo” and to include it in theagenda of its fifty-seventh session.

By decision 57/585 of 20 December, the As-sembly decided that the item would remain forconsideration at its resumed fifty-seventh (2003)session.

In resolution 57/146 of 16 December, the As-sembly took action on special assistance for theeconomic recovery and reconstruction of the DRC(see p. 915).

MONUC financing

In a February report [A/56/825 & Corr.1], theSecretary-General submitted the financial per-



formance of MONUC from 1 July 2000 to 30 June2001. Expenditures during that period totalled$246,472,000 gross ($243,458,300 net), resultingin an unencumbered balance of $26,647,600 gross($26,627,300 net). The unencumbered balanceresulted from lower costs for military personnel,transport operations, air operations, communica-tions, equipment and freight. The Secretary-General recommended that the General Assem-bly appropriate the commitment authority of$41 million (gross and net) it had approved in res-olution 55/275 [YUN 2001, p. 137], and decide on thetreatment of the unencumbered balance, on thetreatment of other income for the periodamounting to $4,136,000 from interest income,other/miscellaneous income and savings on orcancellation of prior period obligations, and onspecial arrangements for settlement of claims.

The Advisory Committee on Administrativeand Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), also in Feb-ruary [A/56/845], commented on the Secretary-General’s report on the MONUC budget for 1 July2001 to 30 June 2002 [YUN 2001, p. 138]. In its view,an amount of $450 million was adequate to coverMONUC requirements for that period, and ac-cordingly recommended that the Assembly ap-propriate an additional amount of $56,757,600to supplement the amount of $393,242,400 al-ready authorized. In connection with the con-tract for the provision of airfield services toMONUC, ACABQ found that DPKO’s FieldAdministration and Logistics Division (FALD)had contravened procurement procedures inawarding the contract to a particular company. Ittherefore recommended two options for consid-eration: the airfield services contract should beresubmitted for tender at the end of the first year(by 30 June 2002); or a series of contracts shouldbe awarded to more than one provider.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION (March)

On 27 March [meeting 97], the General Assem-bly, on the recommendation of the Fifth (Admin-istrative and Budgetary) Committee [A/56/713/Add.1], adopted resolution 56/252 B without vote[agenda item 158].

Financing of the United Nations Organization Missionin the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The General Assembly,Having considered the report of the Secretary-

General on the budget for the United Nations Organi-zation Mission in the Democratic Republic of theCongo for the period from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002and the related report of the Advisory Committee onAdministrative and Budgetary Questions,

Bearing in mind Security Council resolution 1258(1999) of 6 August 1999, by which the Council estab-lished the United Nations Organization Mission in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the subse-quent resolutions by which the Council revised andextended the mandate of the Mission, the latest ofwhich was resolution 1376(2001) of 9 November 2001,

Recalling its resolution 54/260 A of 7 April 2000 aswell as subsequent resolutions on the financing of theMission, the latest of which was resolution 56/252 A of24 December 2001,

Reaffirming the general principles underlying the fi-nancing of United Nations peacekeeping operations,as stated in General Assembly resolutions 1874(S-IV)of 27 June 1963, 3101(XXVIII) of 11 December 1973and 55/235 of 23 December 2000,

Noting with appreciation that voluntary contributionshave been made to the Mission,

Mindful of the fact that it is essential to provide theMission with the necessary financial resources to en-able it to fulfil its responsibilities under the relevantresolutions of the Security Council,

1. Reiterates paragraph 1 of its resolution 55/275 of14 June 2001;

2. Takes note of the status of contributions to theUnited Nations Organization Mission in the Demo-cratic Republic of the Congo as at 31 January 2002, in-cluding the contributions outstanding in the amountof 294.8 million United States dollars, representingsome 75 per cent of the total assessed contributions, ex-presses concern that only 2 per cent of Member Stateshave paid their assessed contributions in full, andurges all other Member States concerned, in particularthose in arrears, to ensure payment of their outstand-ing assessed contributions;

3. Expresses its appreciation to those Member Statesthat have paid their assessed contributions in full andon time, and urges all other Member States to makeevery possible effort to ensure payment of their as-sessed contributions to the Mission in full;

4. Expresses concern at the financial situation withregard to peacekeeping activities, in particular as re-gards the reimbursements to troop contributors thatbear additional burdens owing to overdue payments byMember States of their assessments;

5. Also expresses concern at the delay experienced bythe Secretary-General in deploying and providing ade-quate resources for some recent peacekeeping mis-sions, in particular those in Africa;

6. Emphasizes that all future and existing peace-keeping missions shall be given equal and non-discriminatory treatment in respect of financial andadministrative arrangements;

7. Also emphasizes that all peacekeeping missionsshall be provided with adequate resources for theeffective and efficient discharge of their respectivemandates;

8. Reiterates its request to the Secretary-General tomake the fullest possible use of facilities and equip-ment at the United Nations Logistics Base at Brindisi,Italy, in order to minimize the costs of procurement forthe Mission;

9. Endorses the conclusions and recommendationscontained in the report of the Advisory Committee onAdministrative and Budgetary Questions, subject tothe provisions of the present resolution, and requeststhe Secretary-General to ensure their full implementa-tion;

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10. Requests the Secretary-General to take into con-sideration the concerns and options referred to inparagraph 99 of the report of the Advisory Committeeand any other relevant options that may arise, and tosubmit a progress report to the General Assembly forits consideration during the second part of its resumedfifty-sixth session;

11. Also requests the Secretary-General to submit, asa matter of priority, to the General Assembly duringthe second part of its resumed fifty-sixth session, thereport of the Office of Internal Oversight Services onthe audit it recently conducted regarding the award ofthe current contract on air services to the UnitedNations Organization Mission in the Democratic Re-public of the Congo;

12. Further requests the Secretary-General to take allnecessary action to ensure that the Mission is adminis-tered with a maximum of efficiency and economy;

13. Requests the Secretary-General, in order to re-duce the cost of employing General Service staff, tocontinue efforts to recruit local staff for the Missionagainst General Service posts, commensurate with therequirements of the Mission;

14. Decides to appropriate the amount of 56,757,600dollars gross (57,229,300 dollars net) for the mainte-nance of the Mission for the twelve-month period from1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002, in addition to the amountof 405,717,014 dollars gross (396,667,307 dollars net)for the maintenance of the Mission for the period from1 July 2001 to 31 March 2002, inclusive of the amountof 11,611,699 dollars gross (10,347,914 dollars net) forthe support account for peacekeeping operations andthe amount of 862,915 dollars gross (774,893 dollarsnet) for the United Nations Logistics Base appropri-ated and assessed by the General Assembly in its reso-lutions 55/275 and 56/252 A;

15. Decides also, taking into account the amount of405,717,014 dollars gross (396,667,307 dollars net) al-ready apportioned for the period from 1 July 2001 to31 March 2002 in accordance with the provisions of itsresolutions 55/275 and 56/252 A, to apportion amongMember States the additional amount of 56,757,600dollars gross (57,229,300 dollars net) for the periodfrom 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002 in accordance withthe levels set out in General Assembly resolution55/235, as adjusted by resolution 55/236 of 23 Decem-ber 2000, and taking into account the scale of assess-ments for the years 2001 and 2002 as set out in its reso-lution 55/5 B of 23 December 2000;

16. Decides further that, in accordance with the pro-visions of its resolution 973(X) of 15 December 1955,there shall be set off against the apportionment amongMember States, as provided for in paragraph 15 above,their respective share in the Tax Equalization Fund ofthe estimated decrease in the staff assessment incomeof 471,700 dollars approved for the Mission for the pe-riod from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002;

17. Emphasizes that no peacekeeping mission shallbe financed by borrowing funds from other activepeacekeeping missions;

18. Encourages the Secretary-General to continue totake additional measures to ensure the safety andsecurity of all personnel under the auspices of theUnited Nations participating in the Mission;

19. Invites voluntary contributions to the Mission incash and in the form of services and supplies accepta-

ble to the Secretary-General, to be administered, asappropriate, in accordance with the procedure andpractices established by the General Assembly;

20. Decides to keep under review during its fifty-sixth session the item entitled “Financing of theUnited Nations Organization Mission in the Demo-cratic Republic of the Congo”.

The Secretary-General, in April [A/56/897],submitted the proposed MONUC budget for1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003, which amounted to$603,911,000 gross ($593,799,300 net), exclud-ing budgeted voluntary in-kind contributionsamounting to $2,747,400. Operational costs ac-counted for 50 per cent of the budget, militarypersonnel costs 32 per cent, civilian personnelcosts 16 per cent and staff assessment 2 per cent.He recommended that the Assembly appropriatethat amount for the maintenance of the Missionand assess countries at a monthly rate, should theSecurity Council continue the mandate.

ACABQ, at meetings from 5 February to5 April, considered the financial performance re-ports for the period from 1 July 2000 to 30 June2001 and proposed budgets for 1 July 2002 to30 June 2003 for 11 peacekeeping missions, in-cluding MONUC [A/56/887/Add.11]. On 5 April[A/56/887], it issued a report on general adminis-trative and budgetary aspects of the financing ofpeacekeeping operations (see p. 75).

The Secretary-General, by a 9 April note [A/56/906], forwarded the report of the Office of Inter-nal Oversight Services (OIOS) on its audit of acontract for the provision of airfield services forMONUC. OIOS found that DPKO’s objective to es-tablish an airfield services contract to meet theMission’s urgent operational requirements wasnot achieved, owing mainly to inadequate consul-tations between FALD and MONUC during thepreparation of the statement of work for the con-tract, and DPKO’s failure to articulate the modali-ties for establishing a “requirements contract”.Consequently, services were delayed for monthsbecause of protracted post-award negotiations.OIOS made a number of recommendations to es-tablish appropriate contractual mechanisms, in-cluding: DPKO should ensure that its outsourcingdecisions were properly documented; FALDshould determine missions’ operational require-ments in consultation with the concerned mis-sions; FALD should define the scope of servicesfor proposals; FALD should consider engagingconsultants to prepare specifications and conducttechnical evaluations for complex projects; andFALD should devise appropriate strategies to re-spond to urgent operational requirements ofmissions.

In a 10 May progress report on the status of theMONUC airfield services contract [A/56/938], the



Secretary-General stated that the Secretariat hadcommenced the process of resubmitting the con-tract for tender or putting other arrangements inplace for airfield services to MONUC. The pro-posed schedule to complete that process by theend of 2002 was tight but attainable.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION (June)

On 27 June [meeting 105], the General Assembly,on the recommendation of the Fifth Committee[A/56/713/Add.2], adopted resolution 56/252 Cwithout vote [agenda item 158].

Financing of the United Nations Organization Missionin the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The General Assembly,Having considered the reports of the Secretary-

General on the financing of the United Nations Mis-sion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and therelated reports of the Advisory Committee on Admin-istrative and Budgetary Questions,

Recalling Security Council resolutions 1258(1999) of6 August 1999 and 1279(1999) of 30 November 1999 re-garding, respectively, the deployment to the Congo re-gion of military liaison personnel and the establish-ment of the United Nations Organization Mission inthe Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the subse-quent resolutions by which the Council revised and ex-tended the mandate of the Mission, the latest of whichwas resolution 1417(2002) of 14 June 2002,

Recalling also its resolution 54/260 A of 7 April2000, as well as subsequent resolutions on the financ-ing of the Mission, the latest of which was resolution56/252 B of 27 March 2002,




1. Takes note of the status of contributions to theUnited Nations Organization Mission in the Demo-cratic Republic of the Congo as at 30 April 2002, in-cluding the contributions outstanding in the amountof 102.8 million United States dollars, representingsome 14.7 per cent of the total assessed contributions,expresses concern that some 20 per cent of MemberStates have paid their assessed contributions in full,and urges all other Member States, in particular thosein arrears, to ensure payment of their outstanding as-sessed contributions;

2. Expresses its appreciation to those Member Stateswhich have paid their assessed contributions in full;

3. Urges all Member States to make every possibleeffort to ensure payment of their assessed contribu-tions to the Mission in full and on time;

4. Expresses concern at the financial situation withregard to peacekeeping activities, in particular as re-gards the reimbursement of troop contributors that

bear additional burdens owing to overdue payments byMember States of their assessments;

5. Also expresses concern at the delay experienced bythe Secretary-General in deploying and providing ade-quate resources to some recent peacekeeping missions,in particular those in Africa;




9. Takes note of the progress report of the Secretary-General on the status of the airfield services contractfor the Mission, and urges the timely and full imple-mentation of the action plan contained therein;

10. Takes note also of the note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Office of Inter-nal Oversight Services on the audit of a contract for theprovision of airfield services in the Mission;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to report furtheron the status of the airfield services contract in theMission to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventhsession;

12. Reaffirms the relevant provisions of its resolu-tions 55/232 of 23 December 2000 and 55/247 of 12April 2001;

13. Endorses the conclusions and recommendationscontained in the report of the Advisory Committee onAdministrative and Budgetary Questions, and requeststhe Secretary-General to ensure their full implementa-tion;

14. Requests the Secretary-General to take all neces-sary action to ensure that the Mission is administeredwith a maximum of efficiency and economy, particu-larly with regard to air transport;

15. Also requests the Secretary-General, in order toreduce the cost of employing General Service staff, tocontinue efforts to recruit local staff for the Missionagainst General Service posts, commensurate with therequirements of the Mission;

16. Approves, on an exceptional basis, the special ar-rangements for the Mission with regard to the applica-tion of article IV of the Financial Regulations of theUnited Nations, whereby appropriations required inrespect of obligations owed to Governments providingcontingents and/or logistical support to the Missionshall be retained beyond the period stipulated underfinancial regulations 4.3 and 4.4, as set out in the an-nex to the present resolution;

Financial performance report for theperiod from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001

17. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-Generalon the financial performance report of the Mission forthe period from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001;

18. Decides to appropriate to the Special Account forthe United Nations Organization Mission in the Dem-ocratic Republic of the Congo the amount of 41 mil-

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lion dollars, as previously authorized and apportionedunder the terms of its resolution 55/275 of 14 June2001;

Budget estimates for the periodfrom 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003

19. Decides also to appropriate to the Special Ac-count the amount of 608,325,264 dollars for the pe-riod 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003, inclusive of581,933,464 dollars for the maintenance of the Mis-sion, 23,568,200 dollars for the support account forpeacekeeping operations and 2,823,600 dollars for theUnited Nations Logistics Base;

Financing of the appropriation20. Decides further to apportion among Member

States the amount of 608,325,264 dollars at a monthlyrate of 50,693,772 dollars, in accordance with the levelsset out in resolution 55/235, as adjusted by the Gen-eral Assembly in its resolution 55/236 of 23 December2000, and taking into account the scale of assessmentsfor the years 2002 and 2003 as set out in its resolution55/5 B of the same date;

21. Decides that, in accordance with the provisionsof its resolution 973(X) of 15 December 1955, thereshall be set off against the apportionment amongMember States, as provided for in paragraph 20 above,their respective share in the Tax Equalization Fund of13,105,200 dollars approved for the Mission for the pe-riod from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003 at a monthly rateof 1,092,100 dollars, comprising the estimated staff as-sessment income of 9,644,200 dollars approved for theMission for the period from 1 July 2002 to 30 June2003, the prorated share of 3,209,400 dollars of the es-timated staff assessment income approved for the sup-port account for the period from 1 July 2002 to 30 June2003 and the increase in staff assessment income ofthat account for the period from 1 July 2000 to 30 June2001, and the prorated share of 251,600 dollars of theestimated staff assessment income approved for theUnited Nations Logistics Base for the period from1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003 and the reduction in staffassessment income of that account for the period from1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001;

22. Decides also that for Member States that have ful-filled their financial obligations to the Mission, thereshall be set off against the apportionment, as providedfor in paragraph 20 above, their respective share of theunencumbered balance of 26,647,600 dollars andother income of 4,136,000 dollars in respect of the pe-riod ending 30 June 2001, in accordance with the levelsset out in resolution 55/235, as adjusted by the Gen-eral Assembly in its resolution 55/236, and taking intoaccount the scale of assessments for the year 2001, asset out in its resolution 55/5 B;

23. Decides further that for Member States that havenot fulfilled their financial obligations to the Missiontheir respective share of the unencumbered balance of26,647,600 dollars and other income of 4,136,000 dol-lars in respect of the period ending 30 June 2001 shallbe set off against their outstanding obligations inaccordance with the scheme set out in paragraph 22above;

24. Decides that the decrease in the staff assessmentincome of 20,300 dollars shall be set off against thecredits from the unencumbered balance in respect of

the financial period ended 30 June 2001 referred to inparagraphs 22 and 23 above;



27. Invites voluntary contributions to the Mission incash and in the form of services and supplies accepta-ble to the Secretary-General, to be administered, as ap-propriate, in accordance with the procedure and prac-tices established by the General Assembly;

28. Decides to include in the provisional agenda ofits fifty-seventh session the item entitled “Financing ofthe United Nations Organization Mission in the Dem-ocratic Republic of the Congo”.ANNEXSpecial arrangements with regard to theapplication of article IV of theFinancial Regulations of the United Nations

1. At the end of the twelve-month period providedfor in financial regulation 4.3, any unliquidated obli-gations for the financial period in question relating togoods supplied and services rendered by Governmentsfor which claims have been received or which are cov-ered by established reimbursement rates shall be trans-ferred to accounts payable; such accounts shall remainrecorded in the Special Account for the UnitedNations Organization Mission in the Democratic Re-public of the Congo until payment is effected.

2. In addition:(a) Any other unliquidated obligations of the finan-

cial period in question owed to Governments for provi-sion of goods and services rendered but not yet veri-fied as well as other obligations owed to Governmentsfor which claims have not yet been received shall re-main valid for an additional period of four years fol-lowing the end of the twelve-month period providedfor in financial regulation 4.3;

(b) Claims received during this four-year period aswell as approved verification reports shall be treated asprovided for under paragraph 1 of the present annex,if appropriate;

(c) At the end of the four-year period, any unliqui-dated obligations shall be cancelled and the then re-maining balance of appropriations retained thereforshall be surrendered.

The Assembly, on 20 December, decided thatthe agenda item on MONUC financing would re-main for consideration at its resumed fifty-seventh (2003) session (decision 57/585) and thatthe Fifth Committee would consider it at that ses-sion (decision 57/556).

Exploitation of natural resources

In 2002, the Panel of Experts on the IllegalExploitation of Natural Resources and OtherForms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo, established by the Secretary-Generalin response to a 2000 Security Council request



contained in presidential statement S/PRST/2000/20 [YUN 2000, p. 128], issued an interim and afinal report. The Panel’s mandate was to collectinformation on illegal exploitation and to analysethe links between such exploitation and the con-tinuation of the conflict in the DRC.

The Secretary-General, in a 2 January letter tothe Council [S/2002/16], referred to presidentialstatement S/PRST/2001/39 [YUN 2001, p. 144], bywhich the Council extended the Panel’s mandatefor six months and requested it to issue an in-terim report and a final report. He renominatedMahmoud Kassem (Egypt) to continue to chair thePanel and recommended the renomination ofthree of its members. On 28 January [S/2002/139],the Secretary-General nominated two additionalmembers of the Panel.

Interim report of Expert Panel. TheSecretary-General transmitted to the SecurityCouncil on 22 May [S/2002/565] the interim reportof the Panel of Experts containing its assessmentof the situation and observations on the illegal ex-ploitation of the natural resources of the DRC.The Panel had carried out a third round of fact-finding visits, which included three of the coun-tries in the Great Lakes region that had beeninvolved in the conflict and had also served astransit points for certain natural resources—Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. It also visited theDRC twice and two other transit countries—theCongo and the Central African Republic. Duringthose visits, the Panel met with high-levelgovernment authorities, technical officials, lead-ing members of Congolese rebel groups, MONUC,UN agencies, diplomats, multilateral donors,NGOs, civil society associations and private com-mercial operators. Outside Africa, the Panel hadmeetings in secondary transit and end-usercountries— Belgium, France, Germany and theUnited Kingdom.

The Panel’s preliminary assessment was thatthe illegal exploitation of Congolese natural re-sources was continuing and was being consoli-dated in many areas. Coltan mining was takingplace throughout the eastern DRC and, despite asharp decrease in prices, operators linked to theparties involved in the conflict continued to ex-port a substantial volume. The scope, intensityand modalities of the activities related to exploi-tation were in some cases reflected in the highlycommercialized power bases of certain militaryand political actors in the conflict. There were in-dications that criminal networks and activitieswere being imported into the Great Lakes areafrom other African countries and from regionsoutside Africa. Transit routes for commoditieswere being altered and Congolese resources wererelabelled during transit to disguise their origins.

Business partners were being used as a legitimiz-ing facade, while commercial entities were beingreconfigured so as to obscure links and activities.A substantial volume of certain resourcestransited through countries bordering on theDRC, some clandestinely and some openly underthe guise of legitimate transit trade.

The Panel evaluated the current nature of theDRC conflict, noting that the ceasefire line hadvirtually eliminated direct encounters betweenthe previously warring parties. However, oneither side of the ceasefire line foreign armieshad consolidated their presence, and the struggleover maintaining control of natural resourcesand territory had become a principal preoccupa-tion. Foreign forces in the west, in concert withcertain Congolese parties, continued to pursuetheir economic interests in natural resourceswhile adopting a more discreet profile. For exam-ple, while Zimbabwe had officially declared thewithdrawal of a substantial number of troopsover the previous year, there were reports that re-placement troops were brought into areas whereZimbabwean parties had interests in diamondmining. In the east, where fighting had re-erupted, the quest for natural resources was char-acterized by armed violence of varying degreesamong foreign armies, foreign armed groups,rebel armies and Mai-Mai groups. In the north-east, conflicts were primarily among the threeUgandan-backed Congolese rebel groups—MLC,RCD-National and RCD-ML. Battles were wagedover control of Buta, Isoro, Watsa, Bafwasendeand Bunia, all endowed with deposits of gold, di-amonds, coltan and/or cassiterite, as well as tim-ber. For more than three years, various armieshad seized those areas, trading control there fre-quently. Rwandan-controlled forces, RCD-Gomaand RPA, were advancing in the north-west to-wards territories held by RCD-ML and MLC wherediamonds had been discovered.

In eastern DRC, population displacement, re-peated outbreaks of armed conflict and general-ized insecurity had resulted in the destruction ofcrops and grazing fields and the halting of foodproduction. Sources indicated that local popula-tions, including children, were being conscriptedand used as forced labour in the extraction of re-sources by some military forces. In some areas,entire communities were forcibly displaced byarmed forces so that they could take control ofresource sites. Excessive taxes, revenue siphon-ing, seizure of local resources, forced requisition-ing of assets and control over trade by foreign andlocal military had paralysed local economies. Un-sustainable mining and logging activities causedecological destruction and threatened five na-tional parks in the eastern region.

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Control over fiscal resources—licensing fees,export taxes, import duties and general State andcommunity taxes—was gaining importance forthe rebel groups and foreign armies in easternDRC. Some of the revenues were reportedly di-verted to individuals or groups for personalprofit, while others were allegedly siphoned offfor payments to foreign armies. Most local econo-mies had collapsed and most Congolese familieswere increasingly impoverished.

At the Inter-Congolese Dialogue (see p. 107),there was a reported reluctance on the part of atleast three major belligerent parties to discuss theissue of the exploitation of resources. The Eco-nomic and Finance Committee adopted resolu-tions on setting up mechanisms to review all com-mercial agreements and contracts signed duringthe current conflict and to evaluate the costs ofboth conflicts fought since 1996. Military sup-port to the rebel movements and the use of na-tional armies to support the exploitation of re-sources had resulted in widespread conflict,indiscriminate arming of large portions of thepopulation and considerable insecurity. Theeconomies of many of the principal urban cen-tres and surrounding areas had collapsed, whilerural economic activities had ceased altogether inmany places. Food insecurity was rampant, mal-nutrition was high and unemployment was esti-mated at 80 to 90 per cent in many areas.

The Secretary-General, in a 9 July letter[S/2002/762], informed the Security Council thatthe Panel of Experts had requested additionaltime to complete its work and, accordingly, herecommended that its mandate be extended until31 October. The Council President, on 12 July[S/2002/763], said that the Council took note of therecommendation.

On 1 October [S/2002/1097], the DRC forwardedits own report on illegal exploitation of its natu-ral resources, in which it charged that Rwanda,Uganda and Burundi were the perpetrators ofwide-scale looting and exploitation. It stated thatthe deployment of UN peacekeepers along theborders with those countries was essential, andtherefore the MONUC mandate should be ex-panded. It called for an international conferenceon peace, security and development in the GreatLakes region, and made a number of recommen-dations to the Council.

Final report of Expert Panel. On 15 October[S/2002/1146], the Panel of Experts submitted its fi-nal report on the illegal exploitation of DRC natu-ral resources.

The Panel noted that the conflict in the DRC,involving armies of seven African States, had di-minished in intensity, but the overlappingmicroconflicts that it had provoked continued.

Those conflicts were fought over minerals, farmproduce, land and even tax revenues. Criminalgroups linked to the armies of Rwanda, Ugandaand Zimbabwe and the DRC Government hadbenefited from the microconflicts. Those groupswould not disband voluntarily even as the foreignmilitary forces continued their withdrawals.They had built up a self-financing war economycentred on mineral exploitation. While recenttroop withdrawals had taken place, they were un-likely to alter the determination of Rwanda andZimbabwe, and Ugandan individuals, to exerciseeconomic control over parts of the DRC. Oncetheir troops departed, they adopted other strate-gies for maintaining the mechanisms for revenuegeneration, many of which involved criminal ac-tivities. Other tactics for disguising the continu-ing presence of foreign influence included train-ing local militia to serve as a paramilitary forceunder foreign command (as was the case withUPDF); replacing Congolese directors ofparastatals with foreign businessmen (as Rwandahad done); inserting foreign armed forces inCongolese units (Rwanda’s tactic); and establish-ing new companies and contractual arrange-ments with the DRC Government for economicbenefit (Zimbabwe). At the same time, local mili-tias and local politicians, supplementing the rolethat State armies had previously played in ensur-ing access to and control of resources, were en-gaging in embezzlement, tax fraud, extortion, theuse of stock options as kickbacks and diversion ofState funds.

The Panel described three areas that had beenestablished as separate spheres of economic con-trol within the DRC—the Government-controlledarea, the Rwanda-controlled area and theUganda-controlled area. Those “elite networks”used various means to maintain control of DRCresources. In the Government-controlled zone,there were three circles of power, namely, Congo-lese and Zimbabwean government officials andprivate businessmen, who were named andwhose activities, strategies and sources of reve-nue were described in the report. Rwanda had at-tempted to justify its military presence in theeastern DRC as protection from attack by hostilegroups based in the DRC, but the Panel deter-mined that its real long-term purpose was to se-cure property and exercise economic control.Economic exploitation in its various forms wouldcontinue, relying on a less conspicuous armedforce and alternative strategies for carrying outthe exploitative activities. The commercial andmilitary activities of RPA were linked, and theproceeds of the RPA commercial wing financedan armed presence. The Panel described theRwandan activities and sources of revenue, which



were largely from coltan and diamonds. The con-troversial “conflict” diamonds were marketed bycriminal networks. Other strategies includedrequisitioning funds from public enterprises andraising taxes.

The objective of the elite network in areas con-trolled by Uganda had been to exercise monopo-listic control over the area’s principal naturalresources (coltan, diamonds, timber and gold),cross-border trade and tax revenues for the pur-pose of enriching members of the network.Notwithstanding the political rapprochementbetween Uganda and the DRC, the network con-tinued to increase its economic hold over thearea. The loosely organized Ugandan networkconsisted of a core group of members, includingcertain UPDF officers, private businessmen andselected rebel leaders/administrators, and it con-ducted activities through front companies. Nam-ing companies and individuals involved, thePanel reported that the network generated reve-nue from the export of primary materials, fromcontrolling the import of consumables, and fromtheft and tax fraud, and it manipulated themoney supply and the banking sector. UPDF andits associated rebel militias were used as the defacto enforcement arm of the network, ensuringthe network’s pre-eminent commercial positionthrough intimidation. UPDF, which had agreedto withdraw most of its troops (see p. 116), wastraining a paramilitary force to facilitate the com-mercial activities of UPDF officers after their de-parture. Military operations of UPDF had con-tributed to the arming and training of the militiaof their Ituri commercial allies, the Hema, andprovoked the need for the victims of Hema at-tacks (the Lendu) to defend themselves. Armedconflict had spread throughout society, as eco-nomic and personal insecurity reached extremelevels.

The Panel concluded that the illegal exploita-tion of natural resources, gross violations of hu-man rights and a dire humanitarian situationwere some of the consequences of four years ofwar and the lack of a central Government in theDRC with the authority and capacity to protect itscitizens and resources. The withdrawal of for-eign forces was a step towards ending the illegalexploitation, yet the networks had already set upmechanisms to ensure that the exploitationwould continue. An early establishment of anall-inclusive transitional government would beanother step towards halting the exploitation,although that would also require institution-building. In the interim, continued monitoringand reporting on the exploitation of resourceswould serve to deter such activities. Ultimately,the most important element in halting the illegal

exploitation was the political will of those whosupported and benefited from the networks, butthat would be difficult, given their dependencyon the profits from those activities. The war econ-omy controlled by the three elite networks operat-ing in the DRC dominated the economic activitiesof much of the Great Lakes region, yet theLusaka, Pretoria and Luanda Agreements didnot address that economic component of the con-flict. It was hoped that progress in the peace pro-cess, together with a DDRRR programme, withadequate funding, would provide better alter-natives to the armed groups.

The Panel further concluded that an embargoon the export of raw materials originating in theDRC was unlikely to be a viable means of improv-ing the situation of the country’s Government,citizens or natural environment. Nevertheless,restrictive measures needed to be taken vis-à-visthe role of companies and individuals involved inarms supply and resource plundering. The es-tablishment of a transitional government inKinshasa should be accompanied by four ele-ments: the disarmament of all rebel groups;phased withdrawal of foreign troops; measuresto curb illegal exploitation and encourage legalexploitation; and the application of leveragethrough multilateral pressures and incentives.Those elements needed to be interlinked, phasedand monitored. The Panel believed that a peacedividend in the form of economic incentivesshould be emphasized by the international com-munity, and disincentives should be enacted toapply pressure in the case of non-compliancewith the peace agreements. An international con-ference on peace, security, democracy and sus-tainable development in the Great Lakes regionwould be an ideal forum to address the need toreorient the regional trading system to post-conflict imperatives and for negotiating theframework of a multilateral agreement to carrythat out.

Among its numerous specific recommenda-tions, the Panel called for: establishing a set ofinitiatives on reconstruction and sustainable de-velopment to address the economic dimension ofthe Lusaka peace process and provide incentivesfor continuing progress; and reform of Stateinstitutions, particularly the State’s capacity tosecure its territory and borders, increase trans-parency, increase accountability, build regulatorycontrols, reform customs and revenue adminis-trations and ensure independence of personnel,and reform the mining and forestry sectors. TheGovernments of countries where individuals,companies and financial institutions involved inthe illegal exploitation of the DRC’s natural re-sources were based should assume their share of

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responsibility. They had the power to regulateand sanction those individuals and entities. TheGuidelines for Multinational Enterprises of theOrganisation for Economic Co-operation andDevelopment (OECD) offered a mechanism forbringing violations by businesses to the attentionof home Governments, which could take reme-dial action. The Panel proposed that donorsmake official aid to Burundi, Rwanda, Ugandaand Zimbabwe conditional on their compliancewith relevant peace agreements and on measurestaken to halt illegal resource exploitation, andthat restrictions be placed on the business enter-prises and individuals named in the report. Topromote post-conflict peace-building, the Panelsuggested confidence-building measures, in-cluding reopening transit routes to legal tradeamong countries of the region and assisting rele-vant African trade organizations to improve theircustoms and trade monitoring mechanisms. Itproposed that specialized industry organizationsbe requested to monitor trade in commoditiesfrom conflict areas and that Member Stateswhere trade in rough diamonds was being con-ducted should be urged to join the KimberleyProcess (see p. 43). Diamond-producing coun-tries should apply internal controls from extrac-tion to exportation. Other protective measureswere needed for timber, forestry products andendangered species. The Panel also suggestedthat the Security Council establish a monitoringprocess to scrutinize the situation in the GreatLakes region to ensure that illegal exploitationwas significantly curbed.

Annexed to the report were lists of: companieson which the Panel recommended placing finan-cial restrictions; persons for whom the Panel rec-ommended a travel ban and financial restric-tions; and business enterprises considered by thePanel to be in violation of the OECD Guidelines.

Security Council consideration. On 24 Octo-ber [meeting 4634] and 5 November [meeting 4642],the Security Council considered the ExpertPanel’s final report. The Panel Chairman, intro-ducing the report, said that since the signing ofthe Pretoria and Luanda Agreements, much pro-gress had been made towards achieving peace inthe DRC, yet the Lusaka peace process did not ad-dress the crucial economic dimension of the con-flict. The latest flare-up in fighting in the east-ern border region was motivated as much byeconomic advantage as by political gain. The elitenetworks were involved in trade, fiscal revenuecollection, systems of embezzlement, tax fraud,extortion, kickbacks, false invoicing, asset-stripping of State companies and secret profit-sharing agreements, and they often collaboratedwith organized criminal groups to maximize

profits and for money-laundering, illegal cur-rency transactions, counterfeiting operations,arms trafficking and smuggling. The networks’core members had the authority and power toshape national policies and divert the peace pro-cess through their use of national armies, para-military groups, military-backed companies withcivilian facades and foreign soldiers, who had in-tegrated into rebel armies and local defenceforces. The role of armed groups should be takeninto account in efforts to halt the exploitation, hesaid, including through demobilization pro-grammes. The Panel had identified numerousintermediaries that helped in marketing miner-als and other commodities, the institutions thatprovided financial services, the companies thatbought extracted resources, and the criminal or-ganizations providing transport, arms and otherservices. All shared complicity in the trade, as didthe States where those individuals and enter-prises were based. The Panel hoped that its re-port could be used to motivate the parties to hon-our their obligations under the recentagreements. Its recommendation for a peace divi-dend in the form of economic incentives in-cluded initiatives on quick-disbursing aid for re-construction and rehabilitation programmes forthe DRC and other Great Lakes countries involvedin the conflict. Other incentives were needed topromote regional integration, which would mar-ginalize criminal and military-driven trade in fa-vour of legitimate commercial development. ThePanel also called for intensive aid to rebuild andreform State institutions, particularly in easternDRC, and disincentives to deter criminal exploita-tion, such as travel bans and the freezing of assets.Decisive action was needed by the Security Coun-cil to curb illegal exploitation.

The DRC commended the Panel for its observa-tion that the presence of Rwandans in the DRCwas not for security reasons but to pursue crimi-nal activities in close connection with the ex-FARand Interahamwe. Contrary to declarations byRwanda, there were still large numbers of itstroops on Congolese soil, for example, inKisangani, Goma and other cities in the Kivuprovinces, where they had joined RCD-Goma.The report also described the training of youngpeople by Ugandan troops in the Ituri region forthe purpose of perpetuating the pillaging. It fur-ther revealed that the pillaging of DRC resourceswas large-scale and systematic, which accountedfor and continued the armed aggression and oc-cupation for purely mercantile reasons. The DRCagreed with most of the Panel’s recommenda-tions, in particular those on the acceleration ofMONUC deployment and the demilitarization ofKisangani. It also proposed that the Security



Council consider the establishment of an ad hocinternational criminal court for the DRC to judgethose guilty of crimes against humanity.

Uganda commented on the Panel’s report, as ithad in letters to the Council of 25 October and4 November [S/2002/1202, S/2002/1221]. It welcomedthe report’s recognition that Uganda had estab-lished the Porter Judicial Commission of Inquiryto investigate allegations against Ugandan milit-ary officers, individuals and companies in con-nection with the illegal exploitation of DRC natu-ral resources. Uganda regretted that the reporthad ignored Uganda’s legitimate security con-cerns and had alleged that the UPDF presence ineastern DRC was the cause of instability designedto create conditions for the illegal exploitation ofresources. Uganda pointed out that UPDF re-mained in the DRC as a stabilizing force at therequest of the Secretary-General. It denied theexistence of any Ugandan elite network and dis-puted other statements in the report. Ugandabelieved that implementation of DDRRR pro-grammes remained key to peace and securityin the region, and called on the Council tostrengthen MONUC.

Rwanda rejected what the report said about it,as it had in a written response of 23 October[S/2002/1187], claiming that the report was politi-cally motivated, biased, subjective and unprofes-sional and contained only unsubstantiated alle-gations. It failed to recognize the reason whyRwanda had originally sent troops into the DRC,which was to protect the people from the ex-FARand Interahamwe, not to exploit the mineral re-sources. Since the Panel had finished its work onthe ground, Rwanda had completely withdrawnfrom the DRC. It opposed the proposal for a moni-toring body because it would only foment, ratherthan reduce, tension and conflict in the regionand make transborder trade difficult.

Zimbabwe said that the report detracted atten-tion from the real causes of the conflict, as well asits principal progenitors, shifting the focus fromthe State to the individual. The Panel repeated al-legations discounted in the past, such as claimsthat Zimbabwe Defence Forces were supportingBurundi and Rwandan rebels, without offeringnew evidence. Denying allegations of criminalbehaviour by its military and security institu-tions, Zimbabwe said the report demeaned the le-gitimate relations between Zimbabwe and theDRC, and misrepresented the nature of joint ven-tures between the two countries. The reportgrudgingly revealed the identity of those reallybehind the illegal exploitation—the financiersand end-users—and they were based in Westerncountries, but attention was diverted to insignifi-cant players.

Communications (October/November). Inaddition to the letters mentioned above, SouthAfrica, on 25 October [S/2002/1199], and the DRC,on 12 November [S/2002/1240], reacted to thePanel’s final report in letters to the SecurityCouncil President. South Africa noted that thePanel’s allegations about its Government, SouthAfrican–based companies and nationals, particu-larly with regard to trade in diamonds and othercommodities, were not substantiated. The DRCdisclosed that its Government’s Public Prosecu-tor had opened a judicial inquiry in order to dis-prove or confirm the allegations contained in thePanel’s report.

Burundi

The Transitional Government of Burundi, es-tablished in November 2001, made efforts to im-plement throughout the year the 2000 ArushaAgreement on Peace and Reconciliation [YUN2000, p. 146]. Under that Agreement, which hadbeen signed by most political parties but not bysome of the main combatant rebel forces, aframework for political reform was defined, in-cluding the integration of a Burundi national de-fence force, to be composed of 50 per cent Hutuand 50 per cent Tutsi forces.

The Implementation Monitoring Committee,charged with supervising the implementation ofthe Agreement, met under the chairmanship ofthe United Nations to carry out its mandatewithin the constraints imposed by the insecurityprevailing in the country. The Committeeworked with the Government and the other tran-sitional institutions for the adoption of laws andprovisional immunity for political leaders re-turning from exile. Although several national in-stitutions were established, the lack of a ceasefireimpeded total success for most of the year, andfighting intensified in mid-2002.

The Security Council mission, which visitedthe Great Lakes region in April/May, expressedsupport for the Transitional Government andurged the rebel groups to cease hostilities and be-gin negotiations. Further diplomatic pressurewas brought to bear on the armed groups througha regional peace initiative and by the currentFacilitator of the peace process, Deputy Pres-ident Jacob Zuma of South Africa, representingthe former President of South Africa, NelsonMandela. As negotiating efforts increased, theSecretary-General, on 27 June, appointed a Spe-cial Representative for Burundi, Berhanu Dinka.

Later in the year, ceasefire agreements weresigned by the Transitional Government andthree of the four main armed groups. Talks wereheld among the various factions and the Transi-

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tional Government on implementation issuesThe parties were hopeful that the ceasefireagreement would provide the necessary settingfor a political solution.


On 10 January, the Transitional National As-sembly was formally installed and its Speaker andPresident were elected, followed on 6 Februaryby the Transitional Senate. Despite the absenceof a ceasefire, the transitional institutions andthe political parties participating in them wereable to initiate the reform of the provincialadministration and the civil service, in accord-ance with the Arusha Agreement.

The President of Burundi, Major PierreBuyoya, addressed the Security Council when itdiscussed the situation in Burundi on 5 February[meeting 4467]. He stated that the political climatehad improved considerably, especially followingthe establishment of transitional institutions. Allparties and political groups signatories to theArusha Peace Agreement were represented inthe Government, with the exception of one politi-cal group that preferred not to participate. Thepolitical leaders who had been living in exile hadreturned to Burundi and were carrying out polit-ical duties within the transitional institutions.

Deadlines had been adhered to, and 18 monthsfrom 1 November 2001 there would be a transferof power at the head of State level, followed bylocal and legislative elections. After 36 months,the transition would conclude and a presidentialelection would be held. The conclusion of aceasefire was crucial to speeding up and conclud-ing the needed reform process. The violence thatthe rebels continued to inflict on the Burundianpeople was a challenge, as was the need to rebuildthe country after eight years of crisis.

Communication.During the visit of the Minis-ter for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Bu-rundi to the DRC, the two countries issued a jointcommuniqué on 7 January [S/2002/36], in whichBurundi undertook to withdraw its troops fromDRC territory as soon as a surveillance mecha-nism was put in place. For its part, the DRC under-took to contribute to the involvement of Burun-dian rebel groups in the Arusha Agreementprocess, to ensure the success of the negotiationsto be organized within the framework of the re-gional initiative between those rebel groups andthe Transitional Government of Burundi, and totake steps to ensure that its territory was not abase for armed attacks against Burundi.


On 7 February [meeting 4471], following consul-tations among Security Council members, the

President made statement S/PRST/2002/3 onbehalf of the Council:

The Security Council pays tribute to the signatoriesto the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreementfor Burundi, and to the transitional President, MajorPierre Buyoya, in particular, for their efforts to ad-vance the peace process. It expresses its full supportfor the Transitional Government set up on the basis ofthe Agreement, which was represented by PresidentBuyoya at the meetings of the Council on 5 February2002. The Council reiterates its gratitude for the facil-itation efforts of former President Nelson Mandela. Italso expresses its support for the ongoing efforts ofPresident Omar Bongo of Gabon and Deputy Pres-ident Jacob Zuma of South Africa, as well as States inthe region and South Africa, to facilitate the imple-mentation of the Arusha Agreement.

The Council reaffirms that continued fightingagainst the legitimate Transitional Government setup pursuant to an inclusive peace agreement is to-tally unjustifiable and unacceptable, and threatensthe implementation of the peace process. It callsonce more upon the rebel groups immediately to laydown arms in the interest of all Burundians and re-calls that only a negotiated solution will finally endthe fighting. In this connection, the Council com-mends the commitment of the Transitional Govern-ment to enter into ceasefire negotiations and paystribute to the efforts made to that end by the facilita-tion team and, in coordination with the latter, by theStates in the region, particularly the United Repub-lic of Tanzania. The Council emphasizes that it isnow up to the rebel groups to do their part. It callsupon them immediately to translate into action theencouraging signals that they have given recently. Itemphasizes further that, while the transition is mov-ing ahead according to the established time frame,time is of the essence for the rebels finally to join thepeace process.

The Council welcomes the steps taken by the Gov-ernments of Burundi and the Democratic Republicof the Congo to normalize their relations. In this re-gard, it also welcomes the joint communiqué theyissued on 7 January 2002. It calls upon them to im-plement as soon as possible the elements agreedupon in that communiqué, and in particular to en-sure that the territory of the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo will not be used for armed attacks againstBurundi, and to proceed to the effective withdrawalof Burundian troops from Congolese territory.

The Council emphasizes that national reconstruc-tion and economic recovery are the other main chal-lenges which the Burundi peace process must over-come in order to place itself on a stronger footing.The Council stresses the important role of the inter-national community in this regard and calls upon do-nor countries to honour as soon as possible thepledges which they made at the International Do-nors Consultation Conference on Burundi held inParis on 11 and 12 December 2000 and the Interna-tional Donors Conference held in Geneva, Switzer-land, on 7 December 2001, as well as upon the UnitedNations system as a whole to support the Transi-tional Government for the reconstruction of thecountry.



Security Council missionThe terms of reference of the Security Council

mission to the Great Lakes region (27 April–7 May) [S/2002/430] (see also p. 108) as they relatedto the situation in Burundi were to provide sup-port to the peace process and to the TransitionalGovernment and institutions; to support thepeace process facilitation and urge the rebelgroups to cease hostilities and begin negotia-tions; and to address the economic, human rightsand humanitarian situations.

Burundi, welcoming the forthcoming missionin a 17 April memorandum [S/2002/434], drew at-tention to its main concerns. It said that facilita-tion efforts aimed at negotiating a ceasefire be-tween the Government and the armed groupswere being thwarted by the latter’s intransigence.It urged the Council to bring strong pressure tobear on the leaders of the rebellion and encour-age countries of the subregion to persuade thegroups in question to enter negotiations. If nego-tiations failed, Burundi called for coercive meas-ures to include steps to demobilize, disarm,arrest and detain members of those groups. Bu-rundi requested the Council to approach thecountries of the subregion suspected of supply-ing weapons to the Burundian rebels, in order topersuade them to desist from providing weaponsand support to the Forces pour la défense dela démocratie and the Forces nationales delibération. Burundi also appealed for economicassistance for reconstruction and the reintegra-tion of disaster victims.

In the May report on its mission [S/2002/537 &Add.1], the Council stated that there had been anumber of improvements in the country since itslast visit in 2001 [YUN 2001, p. 147], in particular theinstallation of the Transitional Government. TheStates of the region, especially the United Repub-lic of Tanzania and the DRC, had supported theimplementation of the transition. Thanks to thefacilitation of the Deputy President of South Af-rica, Jacob Zuma, and the President of Gabon,Omar Bongo, a framework for dialogue had beencreated to facilitate contacts between the Transi-tional Government and the non-signatory armedgroups. However, the mission noted that furtherprogress was necessary to ensure the success ofthe peace process. The continuation of fightingwas the most serious risk facing that process andthe mission demanded that the rebel groupscease hostilities immediately. Without such cessa-tion, followed by a ceasefire agreement, the peaceprocess could be jeopardized. That was also theview of most heads of State of the region, some ofwhom expressed doubts concerning the willing-ness of the armed groups to enter into negotia-tions and raised the possibility of regional sanc-

tions. All the mission’s interlocutors stressed thatthe economic and financial difficulties currentlyfacing the country might also undermine thepeace process. The humanitarian situation inBurundi was disastrous. The mission expressedsupport to the tripartite commission (Burundi,United Republic of Tanzania, UNHCR) for itsefforts to assist the voluntary return of refugees.

The mission recommended that, in the comingweeks and before the next meeting of the re-gional peace initiative, dialogue with all regionalplayers be intensified. The Council might alsoencourage regional States to persuade the armedgroups to end hostilities and enter into aceasefire agreement. The mission stressed theneed for the full implementation by the Transi-tional Government of reforms called for in theArusha Agreement, with or without a ceasefire,to the full extent that the military situation al-lowed. The international community, in particu-lar the United Nations, had a role to play in assist-ing the Burundian parties in the peace processand in monitoring the implementation of theArusha reforms.

Similar recommendations were made by theseventeenth ministerial meeting of the UnitedNations Standing Advisory Committee onSecurity Questions in Central Africa, held from22 to 26 April in Kinshasa (see p. 99).

Appointment. The Secretary-General, on 27June [S/2002/719], announced his decision to ap-point Berhanu Dinka as his Special Representa-tive for Burundi as from 1 July and, in thatcapacity, to head the UN political presence in thecountry, while continuing to serve as Chairmanof the Implementation Monitoring Committee(IMC) (see also p. 99). The Security Council mem-bers took note of that decision on 2 July[S/2002/720].

Communications. On 7 August [S/2002/915],Denmark transmitted a 5 August statement onBurundi by the EU Presidency, in which it con-demned a new outbreak of violence against thecivil population and, in particular, the recentbombing of the capital, Bujumbura, by armedgroups. It reiterated its support for mediationefforts by South Africa and other countries of thesubregion.

Burundi, on 25 September [S/2002/1096], trans-mitted to the Security Council conclusions, rec-ommendations and resolutions adopted by theNational Assembly and Senate of the Transi-tional Government at a session devoted to evalu-ating the implementation of the Arusha Agree-ment. Those meetings (29-30 August), Burundisaid, demonstrated the smooth functioning ofthe transitional institutions and their commit-ment to the peace process.

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Regional initiativeUganda, on 5 August [S/2002/894], forwarded to

the Security Council President a statement by itsMinister of State for Foreign Affairs on the Bu-rundi peace process. As Chairman of the Re-gional Peace Initiative on Burundi, UgandanPresident Yoweri Kaguta Museveni had keptabreast of developments in the peace process,especially in regard to the efforts to secure aceasefire between the Transitional Governmentand the Burundian armed opposition groups,namely the Conseil national pour la défense dela démocratie/Forces pour la défense de ladémocratie (CNDD-FDD) and the Parti pour lalibération du peuple hutu/Forces nationales delibération (PALIPEHUTU-FNL), and the perform-ance of the Transitional Government since its es-tablishment on 1 November 2001.

Despite the efforts of the facilitation team, ledby Deputy President Zuma of South Africa, Pres-ident Bongo of Gabon and President BenjaminMkapa of the United Republic of Tanzania, tobring the Burundian belligerents to the negotiat-ing table for a ceasefire, little had been done bythe latter. Regarding the Transitional Govern-ment, differences had emerged between sectionsof the Burundian signatory parties to the ArushaAgreement, mainly relating to the sharing ofpower. Therefore, the Chairman of the RegionalInitiative was putting forward a timetable forceasefire talks, to be held from 6 August for threeweeks. He called on the Facilitator of the Burundipeace process to convene, in Bujumbura, as soonas possible, a meeting of all the signatories to theArusha Agreement in order to address otherissues confronting theTransitional Government.

At the eighteenth summit meeting of the Re-gional Peace Initiative on Burundi (Dar es Sa-laam, United Republic of Tanzania, 6-7 October)[S/2002/1124], a ceasefire agreement was signed be-tween the Transitional Government and two ofthe rebel groups (see below).

Ceasefire negotiations and agreementsDespite the establishment of the Transitional

Government, the military and security situationin Burundi was marred by continuing violence,which undermined efforts to implement theArusha Agreement (see also below, under “Re-port of Secretary-General”). Efforts to negotiatean all-inclusive ceasefire agreement intensifiedunder the leadership of Deputy President Zumaof South Africa, with the assistance of Gabon andthe United Republic of Tanzania. The two origi-nal armed groups—CNDD-FDD and PALIPEHUTU-FNL—had split due to infighting, resulting infour armed movements with the same names butdifferent leaders. The first formal and direct ne-

gotiations between CNDD-FDD and the Transi-tional Government took place at the Vaal Dam,South Africa, from 18 to 21 February, with theUnited Nations as observer. At the request of thefacilitation team, the United Republic of Tanza-nia assisted the negotiations and convened ameeting of the armed groups in Dar es Salaamfrom 13 to 24 March. As a result, the partiesagreed to attend the negotiations held in Pretoriafrom 22 to 29 April. During those negotiations,the Transitional Government and CNDD-FDD (Pi-erre Nkurunziza) held discussions. ThePALIPEHUTU-FNL (Alain Mugabarabona) and theJean-Bosco Ndayikengurukiye wing of CNDD-FDD did not participate.

A group of experts from the United Nations,South Africa and the United Republic of Tanza-nia met in Pretoria from 28 to 30 July and elabo-rated a draft ceasefire agreement that was pre-sented for discussion at the Dar es Salaamnegotiations held from 12 to 26 August, in whichtheTransitionalGovernmentandthetwowingsofCNDD-FDD participated. That session ended witha memorandum of understanding by which theTransitional Government and CNDD-FDD (Jean-Bosco Ndayikengurukiye) committed themselvestosign,atadate tobefixedby thefacilitation team,a ceasefire document which they approved andinitialled. CNDD-FDD (Pierre Nkurunziza), on theother hand, did not sign and insisted that theTransitional Government sign a joint declarationof commitment before substantive negotiationswere entered into. That declaration, rejected bythe Government, would have required it to acceptresponsibility for the coup d’état of October 1993and its consequences.

On 23 September, the Transitional Governmentand PALIPEHUTU-FNL (Alain Mugabarabona) metface to face for the first time, but no progress wasmade.

Ceasefire agreement (October). The ceasefiretalksresumedontheeveoftheeighteenthsummitmeeting of the Regional Peace Initiative on Bu-rundi (Dar es Salaam, 6-7 October) [S/2002/1124] inthe presence of the Presidents of Burundi, theDRC, South Africa, Uganda and the United Re-public of Tanzania. At the summit, a ceasefireagreement was signed between the TransitionalGovernment and CNDD-FDD (Jean-Bosco Ndayi-kengurukiye) and PALIPEHUTU-FNL (AlainMugabarabona). The summit welcomed the com-mitment made by CNDD-FDD (Pierre Nkurunziza)to resume substantive negotiations, without pre-conditions,on thebasisof theArushaAgreement.The meeting gave 30 days to CNDD-FDD (PierreNkurunziza) and PALIPEHUTU-FNL (AgathonRwasa) to conclude ceasefire agreements, follow-ingwhichitwouldmeettoreviewthesituationandtake appropriatemeasures in respect of thosewho



failed to sign a ceasefire agreement. A new roundof talks started in Dar es Salaam on 21 October,with technical meetings between the facilitationteam and each of the delegations. On 29 October,CNDD-FDD issuedaunilateraldeclarationofcessa-tion of hostilities effective from 3 November. In apress statement of 12 November [S/2002/1264],President Museveni, as Chairman of the RegionalInitiative, noted that the deadline had expired;however, inviewoftheprogressbeingmadebytheparties, he decided to consult his colleagues at thenineteenth regional summit.

At that summit (Arusha, 1-2 December), theTransitional Government and CNDD-FDD (PierreNkurunziza) signed a ceasefire, which Burundiforwarded, along with the summit communiqué,to the Security Council on 4 December [S/2002/1329]. The agreement would come into force on 30December, by which date the combatants shouldhave moved to assembly areas, where they wouldstore their weapons but still have access to them.Within 30 days, the parties were to discuss the es-tablishment of implementation structures, suchas the joint monitoring commission and the jointliaison teams. The agreement also provided foran African mission that would be responsible formonitoring and verification of the ceasefire, andfor a Joint Ceasefire Commission composed ofrepresentatives appointed by all the belligerentsand by the African mission. IMC would establishthe Commission’s duties and functions.

The regional summit mandated the facilita-tion team to assist the parties to work out the im-plementation details of the ceasefire agreement.In addition, it directed PALIPEHUTU-FNL to enterinto negotiations immediately and conclude aceasefire agreement by 30 December, or face ro-bust sanctions.

Report of Secretary-General. In an 18 Novem-ber report [S/2002/1259], the Secretary-Generaldescribed the situation in Burundi since his pre-vious report in November 2001 [YUN 2001, p. 151].He noted the establishment in January of theTransitional National Assembly and its electionof Jean Minani, President of the Front for De-mocracy in Burundi (FRODEBU), as its Speaker,and the Transitional Senate’s election of LibèreBararunyeretse, Secretary-General of the Unionfor National Progress Party (UPRONA), as its Pres-ident. The report also described the ceasefire ne-gotiations and agreements (see above) and theefforts of IMC to ensure implementation of theArusha Agreement.

The two major political parties, FRODEBU andUPRONA, were able to cooperate through the pol-itical institutions. Differences had, however,arisen within the G-7 (Hutu) and G-10 (Tutsi)political families. The differences within G-7

were between FRODEBU and the smaller Hutuparties, and within G-10 between UPRONA andthe smaller Tutsi parties. The smaller partiescomplained that they were not properly con-sulted during decision-making and that they hadnot received their fair share of government posts.

The transitional institutions and the politicalparties participating in them had initiated the re-form of the provincial administration and thecivil service, including the diplomatic service.The Minister of Justice unveiled in August a de-tailed plan for the long-awaited reform of the ju-diciary. The reform of the army and othersecurity structures, however, had not begun. TheTransitional Government, on 24 July, formally re-quested the United Nations to establish an inter-national judicial commission of inquiry oncrimes against humanity, in accordance with theArusha Agreement.

The military and security situation in Burundideteriorated in 2002, as armed groups intensi-fied action against the army and carried out re-peated attacks on the civilian population. Thefrequency of attacks increased between May andJuly as preparations for ceasefire negotiations be-gan to take shape. Bujumbura came under fire inlate July and again on 25 August. Although calmreturned, abductions and carjackings increased,and the security situation in both rural and urbanareas remained precarious.

During the reporting period, the economic sit-uation in Burundi was characterized by a signifi-cant increase in the poverty level and a markeddecline in the rate of growth. The four main con-tributing factors were the security situation, thedrop in the price of coffee, the increase in socio-economic stagnation and the reduction of exter-nal financial assistance, with the latter having themost significant impact on social development.The humanitarian situation remained dire, withalmost 388,000 people living in 226 camps intheir own country, constituting the largest inter-nally displaced population in the Great Lakesregion, and an estimated 639,000 Burundianrefugees in neighbouring countries. A further200,000 had been living in Tanzania since 1972,from where an estimated 50,000 persons sponta-neously returned to Burundi in 2002. Over 24,000people were treated monthly for malnutrition in233 therapeutic and supplementary feeding cen-tres throughout Burundi and that number wouldprobably have been higher if all of the needy hadaccess to centres. On the human development in-dex for 2002, Burundi dropped to the third-worst-ranking country in the world. The situa-tion was complicated in October, when morethan 11,000 Congolese refugees fleeing conflictsin the DRC crossed into western Burundi where

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temporary transit camps were established andhumanitarian assistance was provided. The humanrights situation in Burundi remained volatile. Inarmed attacks, belligerents killed hundreds ofcivilians in 2002 and seemed to be increasinglytargeting civilians. All parties accused local pop-ulations of aiding one side or the other.

The United Nations Office in Burundi (UNOB)continued to assist the parties to the peace pro-cess. Since the political role of the UnitedNations in Burundi derived primarily from its re-sponsibilities as Chairman of IMC and its Execu-tive Council, the staff and resources of UNOBwere restructured and strengthened to supportthe Chairman, including the servicing of IMCmeetings. Further strengthening would beneeded in 2003, the Secretary-General stated.

The Secretary-General, commenting on theneed for a ceasefire agreement to fulfil the re-quirements of the Arusha Agreement, warnedthat a ceasefire that did not include all armedparties and political movements would be dan-gerous. Urging the donor community to provideassistance to Burundi, he noted that South Africahad contributed to the installation of the Transi-tional Government by sending troops for the pro-tection of exiled leaders who were returning toparticipate in the transitional institutions.

Security Council consideration. On 8 and 15November [meetings 4407 & 4416], the SecurityCouncil held closed meetings to consider the sit-uation in Burundi. At an open meeting on 4 De-cember [meeting 4655], Mr. Zuma, the Deputy Pres-ident of South Africa, addressed the Council onprogress in the ceasefire negotiations (see above).He observed that during the Council’s mission tothe region in April/May, the armed movementsand the Transitional Government were far fromfinding common ground. Interaction was charac-terized by the issuing of preconditions and de-mands, and there was a sense of seeking to nego-tiate a new type of agreement outside the Arushapeace process. It was therefore encouraging thatat the end of the year there was a climate of opti-mism and hope with the signing of two ceasefireagreements between the Transitional Govern-ment and three of the four main opposing forces.

The signatories of the 7 October document—President Buyoya, Alain Mugabarabona ofPALIPEHUTU-FNL and Jean-Bosco Ndayiken-gurukiye of CNDD-FDD—had held three meetingsto discuss implementation issues, including thereturn to Burundi of former fighters and lead-ers, the participation of former armed move-ments in the transitional institutions, disarma-ment and demobilization of armed forces, andbuilding a new, inclusive security apparatus inBurundi. The agreement with CNDD-FDD of

Pierre Nkurunziza would come into force on30 December; the first 14 days after the date ofsignature had been designated as a period toallow the belligerents to communicate to theirrank and file the decision to stop fighting.

With regard to the Regional Initiative on Bu-rundi, the nineteenth summit meeting had man-dated the facilitation team to assist the parties towork out implementation details. Among theoutstanding tasks were the return to constitu-tional legitimacy, issues relating to post-war man-agement, the transitional period and its leaders,the welfare of the combatants after the ceasefire,the location of the combatants, good governanceand the reconciliation and reconstruction of thecountry. The implementation process would bedifficult, particularly in view of the lack of a totalceasefire, as one faction of PALIPEHUTU-FNL hadnot yet joined the process. The nineteenth sum-mit had directed PALIPEHUTU-FNL to enter intonegotiations by 30 December or face sanctions.

The facilitation team considered the introduc-tion of an African mission as a bridging instru-ment, opening the situation for the United Nationsto come in when conditions warranted. UN sup-port would be sought to support the African mis-sion and for training and humanitarian assistance,particularly for returning combatants.


On 18 December [meeting 4675], following con-sultations among Security Council members, thePresident made statement S/PRST/2002/40 onbehalf of the Council:

The Security Council welcomes the signing of theCeasefire Agreement between the TransitionalGovernment of Burundi and the Conseil nationalpour la défense de la démocratie-Front de défense dela démocratie, in Arusha, United Republic of Tanza-nia, on 2 December 2002 (the Ceasefire Agreement).It pays tribute to the courageous and responsibledecision by the President of the Transitional Govern-ment of Burundi, Major Pierre Buyoya, and by thelegal representative of the Conseil national pour ladéfense de la démocratie-Front de défense de ladémocratie, Mr. Pierre Nkurunziza, to sign theAgreement. It welcomes their decision to implementthe truce immediately, while finalizing all pendingpolitical issues within the time limits set by theAgreement.

The Council supports the decision taken at thenineteenth regional Heads of State Summit of theRegional Initiative, held in Arusha on 1 and 2 De-cember 2002, to direct the Parti pour la libérationdu peuple hutu-Forces nationales de libération, toenter into negotiation immediately and conclude aceasefire agreement by 30 December 2002, or facethe consequences. In this regard, the Councilstrongly urges the Forces nationales de libération,under the leadership of Mr. Agathon Rwasa, to putan end immediately to the hostilities, to sign a



ceasefire agreement and to commit themselves topolitical negotiations. It recalls that the settlement ofthe crisis in Burundi depends on a political solutionand that only a negotiated settlement within theframework of the Arusha Peace and ReconciliationAgreement for Burundi of 28 August 2000 will en-able the country to restore stability, in accordancewith the will of the Burundian people.

The Council expresses its intention to support theimmediate and full implementation of the agree-ments between the Burundian parties, in particularthe Ceasefire Agreement of 2 December 2002. It re-quests the Secretary-General to study ways of re-sponding positively and with urgency to the requestsof the Burundian parties and of the Facilitator of theBurundi Peace Process, Mr. Jacob Zuma, DeputyPresident of the Republic of South Africa, in partic-ular with regard to:

— Any expertise and advice which the Secretariatcould provide to facilitate the definition of the man-date and the deployment of the African mission pro-vided for in the Ceasefire Agreement;

— Facilitation of logistical assistance to the de-ployment of this mission;

— Mobilization and coordination of donor contri-butions;

— Designation, at the request of the parties, of aperson to chair the Joint Ceasefire Commission.

The Council emphasizes the merits of coopera-tion between the African mission and the UnitedNations Organization Mission in the Democratic Re-public of the Congo, in particular in the border area.

The Council expresses its thanks for the historicrole played by former President Nelson Mandela,and pays tribute to and expresses its full support forthe efforts of South Africa, in particular its DeputyPresident, Mr. Zuma, Facilitator of the Burundipeace process. It pays tribute to the role of the Afri-can Union. It also pays tribute to the efforts ofthe United Republic of Tanzania and PresidentBenjamin Mkapa, of President El Hadj Omar Bongoof the Gabonese Republic, President Yoweri KagutaMuseveni of the Republic of Uganda, and the otherRegional Initiative countries. The Council also ex-presses its full support for the action taken by theSpecial Representative of the Secretary-General forBurundi and approves the recommendations of theSecretary-General, contained in paragraphs 47 to 51of his report of 18 November 2002, with a view to in-creasing the resources of the United Nations Officein Burundi.

The Council recalls that the responsibility for theBurundi peace process lies primarily with the Burun-dian parties themselves. The parties must agreewithout further delay upon the modalities of the re-form of the Army, as well as the political issues men-tioned in annex 2 to the Ceasefire Agreement. TheCouncil requests the parties to continue to respecttheir commitments. The Council condemns the hu-man rights violations that have taken place in Bu-rundi and calls for the perpetrators to be brought tojustice.

The Council recalls the joint communiqué issuedby the Governments of Burundi and the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo on 7 January 2002 expressingtheir intent to normalize their relations. It calls upon

them to finalize and implement an accord, as soon aspossible, ensuring that the territory of the Demo-cratic Republic of the Congo will not be used forarmed attacks against Burundi as well as the effectivewithdrawal of Burundian troops from Congoleseterritory. The Council also notes that, as the Burun-dian parties have taken the bold step of reaching theCeasefire Agreement, it stands ready to considersteps against States that are found to continue to sup-port armed attacks by the Burundi rebels.

The Council recalls that the support of the inter-national community, in particular financial support,is critical to the success of the peace process. In thatregard, it welcomes the success of the donor roundtable organized in Geneva on 27 and 28 November2002, and calls upon donors to respond urgently tothe significant progress made recently and to dis-burse fully the contributions promised so far. In par-ticular, it calls upon donors to provide the necessaryfinancial assistance to facilitate the return to devel-opment and financial stability, and to consolidatethe substantial efforts deployed by the Burundianauthorities in this regard.

The Council pays tribute to the donors that aresupporting the deployment of the South AfricanSpecial Protection Unit, encourages them to con-tinue their efforts and calls upon the donorcommunity to mobilize to help the countries con-cerned set up, as soon as possible and in liaison withthe United Nations, the African mission providedfor in the Ceasefire Agreement, and to participate inthe financing of the repatriation and the reintegra-tion of Burundian refugees.

The Council strongly condemns all massacres andother acts of violence against civilians in Burundi.

The Council expresses serious concern about thedeteriorating humanitarian situation in Burundi.The Council calls upon all Burundian parties to takepractical steps to grant safe access to humanitarianpersonnel in their efforts to deliver assistance to vul-nerable populations throughout Burundi.

Rwanda

The issue of the presence of Rwandan forcesand armed groups in the DRC continued to strainrelations between the two countries throughoutmost of 2002. However, the situation improvedwith the withdrawal of the Rwandan PatrioticArmy (RPA), which began on 17 September. As at11 October, according to information verified byMONUC, the number of RPA forces withdrawnfrom eastern DRC totalled 21,000. MONUC ob-servers were present at all exit points into Rwanda(see p. 120).

The Security Council mission to the GreatLakes region (27 April–7 May) [S/2002/537] metwith President Paul Kagame and other Rwandanofficials in Kigali. In order to facilitate the with-drawal of foreign forces from the DRC, the mis-sion proposed the creation of a “curtain” oftroops along the eastern borders of the DRC thatwould involve the parties concerned, namely, the

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DRC on the one hand and Rwanda, Uganda andBurundi on the other hand, to work out mecha-nisms for military cooperation along their com-mon borders (see p. 109).

Arms embargo

The Chairman of the Security Council Com-mittee established pursuant to resolution918(1994) concerning the arms embargo againstRwanda [YUN 1994, p. 285] submitted to the Councila January report on its 2001 activities [S/2002/49]and a December report on its activities from1 January to 20 December 2002 [S/2002/1406]. Inthe absence of a specific monitoring mechanismto ensure implementation of the arms embargo,the Committee repeated its previous observationthat it relied solely on the cooperation of Statesand organizations to provide it with informationon violations of the arms embargo. During thereporting periods, no violations of the arms em-bargo were brought to the Committee’s attention.

Financing of UNAMIR

The General Assembly, by decision 56/488 of6 September, included in the draft agenda of itsfifty-seventh (2002) session the item on financingof the United Nations Assistance Mission forRwanda (UNAMIR). The Mission had been with-drawn from Rwanda in 1996 [YUN 1996, p. 62] andthe liquidation process had begun at that time.On 20 December, the Assembly decided that theagenda item would remain for consideration atits resumed fifty-seventh (2003) session (decision57/585) and that the Fifth Committee shouldcontinue to consider the item at that session(decision 57/556).

Rwanda-Uganda

On 2 December [S/2002/1325], Uganda trans-mitted to the Security Council a joint communi-qué issued by its Government and that of Rwandaon the outcome of the Rwanda/Uganda JointPermanent Commission (Kampala, Uganda, 21-22 November). The Commission reviewed co-operation in trade, industry and tourism;customs and finance; border security and immi-gration; health; refugees and asylum-seekers; ed-ucation; energy; transport and communications;gender and women in development; public serv-ice and labour; and agriculture and livestock.The two countries expressed satisfaction aboutrecent measures, including regular contacts atthe highest level, to restore bilateral relations tothe highest extent possible. The Commissionagreed, among other things, to establish a sub-committee to propose modalities for trade; re-sume regular meetings by border authorities;

and establish a committee to promote the vol-untary repatriation of Rwandese refugees inUganda.

Central African Republic

The United Nations Peace-building SupportOffice in the Central African Republic(BONUCA), established by Security Council presi-dential statement S/PRST/2000/5 [YUN 2000,p. 162] to take over from the United Nations Mis-sion in the Central African Republic, supportedthe Government’s efforts to consolidate peaceand national reconciliation in the wake of a 1996army rebellion. The process of harmonizationhad been slowed by the failed May 2001 coupd’état, led by former President André Kolingba,which exacerbated the security situation and ledto refugee flows.

However, by the beginning of 2002, the situa-tion in the Central African Republic improvedwith the return of relative stability and gradualeasing of tension, accompanied by social peace,despite the dire economic circumstances. Rela-tions between the Government and the opposi-tion developed favourably, leading to the returnof most civilian and military refugees. A politicaldialogue, organized with BONUCA assistance, ledto a rapprochement between the majority and theopposition.

The relative stability was later compromised bythe attempted government takeover by the part-isans of the former Chief of Staff, GeneralFrançois Bozizé, at the end of October, and theauthorities accused opposition leaders of collud-ing with the attackers. The social peace that pre-vailed until then was disturbed by the attack onthe capital followed by labour stoppages. The un-certain prospects of an economic and financialagreement with the Bretton Woods institutions(the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and theWorld Bank Group) undermined an already ten-uous social situation. The presence of an armedrebellion in the northern part of the country,together with the insecurity and deprivationssuffered by the local population and displacedpersons, were also major destabilizing factors.Under regional initiatives, plans were drawn upto send an observation and security force of ap-proximately 300 troops to the Central African Re-public to ensure the safety of President AngeFélix Patassé, observe security along the borderwith Chad, and participate in the restructuringof the Central African Republic’s armed forces.Deployment began on 4 December.

BONUCA supported the Government’s effortsto ensure good relations with the neighbouringStates of Cameroon and Chad. Relations with



Chad were strained as a result of the Govern-ment’s claims that Chad was involved in the Octo-ber attack on Bangui, which Chad denied, whiletensions had developed with Cameroon con-cerning the border between the two countries.BONUCA also participated in the disarmamentoperation and continued training programmesin human rights and humanitarian law.

Report of Secretary-General. In January[S/2002/12], the Secretary-General described thesituation in the Central African Republic sincehis September 2001 report to the Security Coun-cil [YUN 2001, p. 156]. The January report, sub-mitted in response to Council presidential state-ment S/PRST/2001/25 [ibid.], covered the lastthree months of 2001, a period marked by therepercussions of the attempted coup d’état of28 May 2001 and the further weakening of theState’s economic recovery efforts. The expectednational reconciliation after the May attemptedcoup had failed to materialize, partly due to con-tinuing judicial investigations. The Secretary-General commended the efforts of leaders of thesubregion to promote political dialogue and re-duce tensions.

Regional initiatives. On 31 January [S/2002/136], Zambia forwarded to the Security Council acommuniqué issued by the Ministerial Meetingof the Central Organ of the OAU Mechanism forConflict Prevention, Management and Resolu-tion at its eighth ordinary session (Tripoli, LibyanArab Jamahiriya, 26 January), at which the situa-tion in the Central African Republic had beendiscussed. The Central Organ welcomed theinitiatives taken by the Community of Sahelo-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) (Khartoum, Sudan, 3-4 December 2001), the Central African Economicand Monetary Community (CEMAC) (Libreville,Gabon, 5 December 2001), the CEMAC Summit(Brazzaville, Congo, 16 January 2002), all aimedat facilitating the restoration of peace and stabil-ity in the Central African Republic, including, inparticular, the call for adopting an amnesty andthe resumption of political dialogue. The CentralOrgan urged the parties to settle their differencesthrough dialogue and to facilitate political dia-logue by convening a meeting of political actorsand civilian and military elements. Noting the re-quest of President Ange Félix Patassé of the Cen-tral African Republic for the deployment of apeacekeeping force in his country and welcom-ing the disposition of OAU member States to con-tribute troops to such a mission, the Central Or-gan appealed to the Security Council to considerthat request.

Report of Secretary-General (June). In re-sponse to Security Council presidential state-ment S/PRST/2001/25 [YUN 2001, p. 156], the

Secretary-General submitted a June report[S/2002/671] on the situation in the Central AfricanRepublic since his January report (above). He de-scribed a shift towards a civil tone in political dis-course, and a trend towards restoration of trustand calm. Relations between the Governmentand the opposition had improved, leading to thereturn of many civilian and military refugees. Ofthe 23,000 Central African refugees who fled tothe DRC in the wake of the attempted coup d’étatin May 2001, 7,000 remained in that country.Among the returnees were three members ofParliament from former President Kolingba’sRassemblement Démocratique Centrafricainparty and 307 Central African military refugeeswho reported to BONUCA. The public trial for the2001 attempted coup d’état began on 15 February2002 but was interrupted on 12 March because ofthe withdrawal of the defence attorneys.

The political dialogue, which BONUCA helpedto start, was continuing. The first meeting of thepolitical parties and members of Parliament, or-ganized by BONUCA on 18 and 19 February, led toa rapprochement between the majority and theopposition. A second meeting was scheduled for14 and 15 June. Most of the opposition leadersagreed to accompany President Patassé on a tripto the northern region of the country to allayfears about the continuing insecurity. However,the opposition disagreed with the President overthe holding of municipal and regional electionstowards the end of 2002. The opposition was ofthe view that conditions had not been met forholding elections and criticized the Governmentfor failing to involve it in the preparations. TheCentral African authorities, meanwhile, wereconducting a voter registration process and ap-proaching donors for financial assistance to fundthe elections.

The security situation improved in bothBangui and the provinces in early 2002, and thecurfew was lifted in May. There was still somearmed robbery, sporadic gunfire and highwayrobberies, due to the proliferation of light weap-ons. Consequently, under the leadership ofBONUCA, a disarmament operation was launchedon 23 January with help from UNDP and in liaisonwith the Government, resulting in the recoveryof a number of weapons.

The deployment in the Central African Re-public of the CEN-SAD force began with the ar-rival of approximately 100 Libyan, 50 Sudaneseand 50 Djiboutian troops.

The BONUCA military team continued to givetechnical advice to the Central African militaryauthorities, but it lacked funding to carry outall planned training and rehabilitation pro-grammes. The BONUCA civilian police team

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monitored the security situation of returnees,and organized training courses on investigationtechniques, enforcement of economic and finan-cial regulations, and the maintenance of law andorder for the Central African police.

The economic situation remained a cause forserious concern and the country had not receivedany budgetary aid since January 2001. TheGovernment was working on a formal coopera-tion programme with the Bretton Woods institu-tions. The Central African Republic was still fac-ing the problem of salary and pension arrears of12 to 18 months for police officers, armed forcesand public officials that it had inherited from theKolingba regime. However, since January, theGovernment had paid three to four months ofsalaries. Despite the continuing salary crisis,workers continued to respect the truce signedwith the authorities in 2001 and renewed on22 March 2002.

In the human rights area, extrajudicial execu-tions declined considerably, but the phenome-non of popular justice continued to hold sway inrural areas. Obstacles to freedom of assemblywere reported, and most political party activitieswere prohibited. BONUCA was continuing itsawareness activities in the area of human rightsthrough the dissemination of radio programmes.

Tension on the border of the Central AfricanRepublic and Chad was reduced following a 10April meeting between President Patassé andPresident Déby of Chad, at which they decided toopen the border and convene a meeting of bor-der administrative authorities. The border hadbeen closed in late 2001 after General FrançoisBozizé, dismissed as Chief of Staff of the CentralAfrican armed forces after he was alleged to beforming an opposition group, fled to Chad [YUN2001, p. 158]. The Presidents also decided to estab-lish a joint ministerial commission to investigatethe question of tension on the border. The com-mission met at Ndjaména, Chad, from 13 to7 May.

Relations between the Central African Repub-lic and Cameroon, which were strained in 2001over a border dispute [YUN 2001, p. 155], were easedfollowing a BONUCA fact-finding mission and theconvening of the tenth session of the joint com-mission for cooperation between the two coun-tries (Bangui, 2-4 May), at which they decided tostrengthen bilateral cooperation and agreed onthe demarcation of the common border, and theplacement of markers along it.

The Secretary-General, while noting many fa-vourable developments in the Central AfricanRepublic, warned that the difficult economic andfinancial situation was liable to shatter the socialtruce. For salaries to be paid regularly, the Gov-

ernment needed to have access to external finan-cial assistance. He invited the authorities of IMFand the World Bank to take into account the spe-cial circumstances of the country and to concludea cooperation programme. He called on the au-thorities of the Government to continue the re-forms recommended by the Bretton Woods insti-tutions and the actions to stabilize publicfinances. The Secretary-General also warned thatthe situation of military returnees was a cause forconcern, and that a solution needed to be found forthose not reintegrated into the army, such as the in-troduction of rehabilitation programmes. Presi-dent Patassé’s initiatives to facilitate the politicaland social dialogue were welcomed, and he wasencouraged to meet the opposition and tradeunion leaders, as he had promised. The Secretary-General’s Representative, General Lamine Cissé,and BONUCA would continue their efforts in thatrespect. The Secretary-General also welcomedthe Government’s efforts to improve relationswith its neighbours.

Further developments. In a report coveringdevelopments in the Central African Republic inthe second half of 2002 [S/2003/5], the Secretary-General said that the relative stability describedin his earlier report had been compromised byevents at the end of the year.

A significant political development was the re-sumption of the trial of the putschists, at the endof which in August the Criminal Court convictedformer President Kolingba and 23 other defen-dants in absentia and sentenced them to death.The Court also acquitted other nationals, includ-ing Jean-Jacques Démafouth, the former De-fence Minister. At the urging of BONUCA, theFollow-up Committee to the Meeting of PoliticalParties and Members of Parliament, composedof representatives of the majority and the opposi-tion, was established in August. However, the an-tagonism between the ruling party and the oppo-sition was evident in the Mixed and IndependentElectoral Commission (CEMI), whose meetingswere boycotted by the radical wing of the opposi-tion on the grounds that the Government failedto appoint its chosen candidate to the Commis-sion’s Bureau. CEMI was established in June toensure the proper holding of municipal electionsin 2003.

Relations between the majority and the oppo-sition worsened following the attack on Banguiby members of the Bozizé group on 25 October,when the authorities accused opposition leadersof colluding with the attackers. The oppositionin turn denounced atrocities committed by fol-lowers of Jean-Pierre Bemba, leader of theMouvement de libération du Congo (MLC), whohad come from the DRC to support the Central



African army. The opposition parties called forthe Government to resign. Parliament voted on arecommendation that an interim Government beformed to address the situation. In a national ad-dress on 25 November, President Patassé wel-comed that proposal and announced that a roundtable of reconciliation would be organized asfrom December 2002.

The security and military situation was charac-terized by insecurity in the north where there wasan armed revolt, reportedly instigated on 5 Au-gust by partisans of Mr. Bozizé, with supportfrom Chadian armed groups. The heads of Stateof CEMAC and Mali, at a summit meeting inBrazzaville on 14 August, decided to send a com-mission to the Central African Republic, Chadand Gabon. On 2 October, the President of Ga-bon convened in Libreville a special summit ofheads of State under the aegis of CEMAC, whichwas attended by Cameroon, the Central AfricanRepublic, Chad, the Congo, Equatorial Guinea,Gabon and Mali [S/2002/1113]. They decided tosend an observation and security force of 300 to350 troops to the Central African Republic with amandate to ensure the safety of PresidentPatassé, observe security on the border betweenthe Central African Republic and Chad, and par-ticipate in the restructuring of the Central Afri-can Republic armed forces. The Central AfricanRepublic and Chad agreed to carry out joint pa-trols along the border and to relaunch their co-operation through existing committees.

Plans for deploying the force were under con-sideration when a crisis broke out. On 25 Octo-ber, several towns and later the capital, Bangui,were attacked by Bozizé forces with support fromnationals of other countries. On 31 October, theattackers were repelled by loyalist forces, withsupport from a Libyan contingent and membersof Jean-Pierre Bemba’s group. Official sourcesreported that 105 people were killed as a result ofthose clashes. Implementation of the decisions ofthe Libreville summit resulted in the deportationof Mr. Bozizé to France in October and of Colo-nel Abdoulaye Miskine, a Chadian rebel leader,to Togo in early November. Deployment of theCEMAC troops began on 4 December.

BONUCA continued to support the Govern-ment’s efforts to ensure peace with its neigh-bours and its military advisers participated in sev-eral missions to border areas with Chad and theSudan. It also supported the Government’s weap-ons collection efforts and the establishment oflocal disarmament committees in the provinces.A lack of funding made it impossible to imple-ment the defence and security forces restructur-ing programme, developed with the help ofBONUCA. The civilian police team participated in

the disarmament operation and continued itstraining programmes in investigation, command,professional ethics and ethics of the judicial po-lice.

The social situation was tense at the end of theyear. Government workers had not been paid fornearly two years and public school teachers wenton strike in September, delaying the opening ofthe 2002/03 academic year. The economy contin-ued to suffer the consequences of the lack of a co-operation programme with IMF. In the Secretary-General’s view, it would be appropriate toencourage the Government in its efforts to insti-tute austerity measures by finalizing the IMF co-operation programme.

Concerning the human rights situation, somecases of extrajudicial execution and disappear-ances were reported, particularly after the eventsof 25 October. Numerous instances of rape werereported to have been perpetrated by Mr. Bemba’ssoldiers. The rebuilding of the central prison atBangui made it possible to ease overcrowding ingendarmerie posts and police stations; however,detention conditions remained a matter of con-cern. To encourage the building of nationalcapacity for the promotion and protection of hu-man rights, BONUCA conducted a training courseon human rights and humanitarian law (28 June–13 July) for military and security officers. It alsoconducted an information campaign in the south-ern and western provinces to raise awarenessabout human rights. The authorities decided toinclude training in human rights for new recruitsfor the police, gendarmes and the presidentialsecurity forces. BONUCA released a monthly pub-lication on human rights and conducted anawareness-raising campaign on peace-building.It made a film for television on the theme of toler-ance and coexistence among Central Africans.

Relations between the Central African Repub-lic and Chad had severely deteriorated as a resultof the attacks on Bangui on 25 October. TheCentral African authorities claimed they had evi-dence that Chad was involved in the attack anddemanded the immediate withdrawal of Chad-ian troops from their territory. According to theSecretary-General, the Chadian nationals whosupported Mr. Bozizé’s troops could have beenrecruited either in Chad or in the Central Afri-can Republic, which had a large Chadiancommunity. Nevertheless, Chad could not havebeen unaware that preparations were being madeon its borders for a military offensive againsttowns in the Central African Republic. Chad re-jected the claims, maintaining that the problemin the Central African Republic was an internalone. Chad accused the Central African authori-ties of having had 150 Chadian nationals massa-

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cred in Bangui. The Central African Republicdenied those allegations and Chad called forthe establishment of an international commis-sion of inquiry. For its part, the Central AfricanGovernment proposed that the Central African/Chadian Joint Commission should meet in lateNovember to consider all aspects of bilateral rela-tions. Chad rejected the proposal on the groundsthat the decisions taken at Libreville should becompleted first, in particular the deployment ofthe CEMAC force. The Secretary-General hopedthat implementation of the decisions taken at theLibreville summit on 2 October would ultimatelynormalize relations between the two countries.

The Secretary-General appealed for assistancein deploying the CEMAC force in the Central Afri-can Republic, stating that the presence of theforce should help to restore peace and stabilityand ease tensions with Chad. The lack of a co-operation programme between the Central Afri-can Republic and the Bretton Woods institutionscompromised social peace in the country, he said,and he urged IMF and the World Bank to respondpositively to the Government’s requests. In addi-tion to economic reforms, the Secretary-Generalwelcomed the initiatives of President Patassé re-garding the organization in December of a roundtable involving all political figures, trade unionsand civil society. He urged Presidents Patassé andDéby to resume and strengthen constructive co-operation between their countries and to avoidany steps that might destabilize them. He encour-aged them to reactivate all the mechanisms thatexisted for cooperation.

The Central African Republic, on 11 Decem-ber [S/2002/1321], submitted to the Security Coun-cil documents and a videocassette on the eventsof the armed coup which took place from 25 to30 October.


On 18 October [meeting 4627], following consul-tations among Security Council members, thePresident made statement S/PRST/2002/28 onbehalf of the Council. The Council also held pri-vate meetings on 11 July [meeting 4571] and 9 De-cember [meeting 4658] to discuss the situation in theCentral African Republic.

The Security Council welcomes the holding of theSummit of the Central African Economic and Mone-tary Community, in Libreville on 2 October 2002, toconsider the situation between the Central AfricanRepublic and the Republic of Chad. It commendsthe leading role played by the President of theGabonese Republic, El Hadj Omar Bongo, in organ-izing that meeting. It welcomes the undertaking bythe Central African Republic and Chad to relaunchcooperation at various levels. It strongly supports theintention of the President of the Republic of Chad to

visit Bangui in the very near future. It encouragesfurther confidence-building measures to help nor-malize relations between the two countries.

The Council also welcomes the readiness ex-pressed by the African Union to continue to contrib-ute towards ongoing efforts to normalize relationsbetween the Central African Republic and Chad andto promote peace and stability in the Central Africanregion, as stipulated in the Communiqué of theEighty-fifth Ordinary Session of the Central Organof the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Manage-ment and Resolution held at the AmbassadorialLevel, which was issued on 11 October 2002, in AddisAbaba.

The Council further welcomes the final commu-niqué of the Libreville summit. In particular, it ex-presses its full support for the decision to deploy inthe Central African Republic an International Ob-servation Force of 300 to 350 troops from Gabon,Cameroon, the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Mali,with three main tasks: ensuring the safety of thePresident of the Central African Republic; observ-ing and ensuring security on the border betweenChad and the Central African Republic; and partici-pating in the restructuring of the Central AfricanArmed Forces.

The Council expresses once again its strong sup-port for the Representative of the Secretary-Generalfor the Central African Republic, General LamineCissé, whose efforts have been essential in this initia-tive. It encourages him to continue to provide adviceto the Governments taking part in it.

The Council calls upon Member States participat-ing in the Force to work in close consultation withthe Representative of the Secretary-General andthe United Nations Peace-building Support Officein the Central African Republic. It requests theSecretary-General, through his Representative, toestablish appropriate liaison with the Force.

The Council encourages all Member States to pro-vide financial, logistical and material support to theMember States participating in the Force.

The Council invites the leadership of the Force toprovide periodic reports, at least once every threemonths.

Renewal of BONUCA mandate

The Secretary-General, on 6 August [S/2002/929], referred to the Security Council’s 2001 ex-tension of the mandate of the United NationsPeace-building Support Office in the Central Af-rican Republic (BONUCA) from 1 January to 31December 2002 [YUN 2001, p. 156]. Following con-sultations with the Government, during whichthe renewal of the mandate had been requested,the Secretary-General proposed an extension foran additional year, until 31 December 2003. Theextension would enable the Office to continue tosupport the Central African Republic in effortsto consolidate peace, promote national reconcili-ation, strengthen democratic institutions andthe rule of law, and lay foundations for sustain-able peace and socio-economic development. On



12 August [S/2002/930], the Council took note ofthe proposal.

MINURCA financingOn 6 September (decision 56/489), the Gen-

eral Assembly decided to include in the draftagenda of its fifth-seventh (2002) session the itemon financing of the United Nations Mission inthe Central African Republic (MINURCA), whichwas withdrawn from the Central African Repub-lic in 2000 [YUN 2000, p. 161] and replaced byBONUCA. On 20 December, the Assembly de-cided that the item would remain for consid-eration during its resumed fifty-seventh (2003)session (decision 57/585) and that the Fifth Com-mittee would continue to consider the item at thatsession (decision 57/556).

West Africa

The United Nations devoted considerable at-tention in 2002 to the situation in West Africa,particularly in the Mano River Union countries(Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone). The peace pro-cess in Sierra Leone, although fragile, was takingroot and was a tangible result of the efforts of theinternational community and the Security Coun-cil. Progress was evident in Sierra Leone in thedisarmament, demobilization and reintegrationof former combatants, the transformation of themain rebel group into a political party, nationalelections and the President’s declaration that thecivil war had come to an end.

Liberia, on the other hand, continued to con-stitute a threat to peace and security in the regionas a result of the Government’s activities and thecontinuing internal conflict and significant vio-lence, which were producing widespread refugeeflows and displacement of people, exacerbatingthe humanitarian situation and fuelling themovement of irregular combatants and the flowof weapons throughout the region. In December,the Council condemned the Government’s fail-ure and that of other States and entities, includ-ing opposition groups, to respect the Council’smeasures, imposed in 2001, concerning arms im-ports. Those developments threatened the on-going peace process in Sierra Leone and the sta-bility of the entire West African region.

An outbreak of violence in Côte d’Ivoire, whenrebels attempted to overthrow the Governmentin September, also added to instability in the re-gion. However, the Government and the rebelsreached an agreement in October to cease hostili-ties and to allow an intervention force to super-

vise its terms. At the request of the Government,France sent troops to Côte d’Ivoire on a provi-sional basis pending the deployment of a five-nation monitoring force to be organized by theEconomic Community of West African States(ECOWAS).

Guinea-Bissau remained a country threatenedby a fragile political, economic and social situa-tion, as well as security problems along its bor-ders. Following an attempted coup in late 2001,some progress was made in early 2002 in the de-mocratization process; however, the constitu-tional impasse persisted throughout the year andthe President dissolved Parliament and called forearly elections.

The Office of the Special Representative forWest Africa, established by the Secretary-General in 2001, became operational in January2002.

Appointment. On 14 March [S/2002/294], theSecretary-General informed the Security Coun-cil of his decision to appoint Ibrahima Fall (Sene-gal), the current Assistant Secretary-General forPolitical Affairs, as his Special Representativeand Head of the Office of the Special Represen-tative of the Secretary-General for West Africa.The Office had been established by the Secretary-General in 2001 [YUN 2001, p. 162]. On 11 July[S/2002/770], however, the Secretary-General saidthere had been a change in plans and that he in-tended to appoint Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah (Mau-ritania) to that position. The Council, on 15 July[S/2002/771], took note of his intention.

Security Council consideration. On 18 July[meeting 4577], the Security Council held a work-shop on West Africa, which focused on thelessons learned in Sierra Leone and how theycould be applied to other parts of Africa, and onthe way forward for the Manu River Union (MRU)countries.

As Council President for July, the UnitedKingdom prepared a summary of the key themesof the workshop [S/2002/836]. (For lessons learnedfrom the deployment of the United Nations Mis-sion in Sierra Leone, see p. 149.)

With regard to the future of the Mano Riverregion, the Council agreed that peace in Liberiawas a prerequisite for stability in the subregion;all efforts at reconciliation within Liberia and be-tween Liberia and its neighbours should be en-couraged; talks should aim first at a ceasefire,then reconciliation, including disarmament,demobilization and reintegration, elections, im-proved governance and respect for human rights;the new UN Office for West Africa could act as afocal point for UN support for peace-building;the efforts of civil society towards peace shouldbe supported; Liberia’s neighbours should pre-

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vent attacks from their territories into Liberia; acomprehensive conflict resolution strategy wasneeded; the United Nations should consider as-sisting the elections in Liberia in 2003; and thehumanitarian situation in Liberia had to be ad-dressed. In addition, a consensus on the futureof sanctions against Liberia should be built andmaintained; the ECOWAS moratorium on smallarms should be reinforced and illegal exploita-tion of economic resources like diamonds shouldbe stopped, backed up by global efforts such asthe Kimberley Process (see p. 43). At the sub-regional level, the United Nations should involveECOWAS in a coordinated approach, particularlythrough the UN Office for West Africa; and MRUshould play a more active role in building peaceand needed additional support in those en-deavours, especially on security and defence.Within the UN system, the Bretton Woods insti-tutions’ support for reconstruction and recoveryin the region needed additional financial re-sources for quick-impact projects. A coordinatedUN strategic framework should be prepared bythe UN Office for West Africa to provide a politi-cal framework for economic and developmentefforts and the Office should issue an audit ofarmed groups in the region.

The Chairman of the Council’s Ad Hoc Work-ing Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolu-tion in Africa, in a 31 May note [S/2002/607], sum-marized the conclusions of the discussion at its22 May meeting (see p. 93). On confidence-building in the Mano River region, participantssuggested that the Council should listen to theviews of African regional organizations, such asECOWAS. Possible solutions included joint dis-armament, demobilization and reintegrationprogrammes, a joint plan of action against the il-licit arms trade, and a rationalization of the postsof the two Special Representatives of theSecretary-General in the subregion.

Communication. In a joint communiquéissued following their meeting in Rabat, Morocco(27 February) [A/56/856-S/2002/231], the heads ofState of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone reiter-ated their willingness to restore a climate ofpeace and security in the MRU region. Theyagreed to curb the activities of armed groups op-erating in the subregion and to avoid the use offorce in settling disputes, deplored the escalatingconflict in Liberia, and welcomed the progressmade in the political situation in Sierra Leone,where the end of the rebel war had been de-clared. As a peace-building measure, they agreedto maintain contacts and to hold regular meet-ings (see p. 166).

Sierra Leone

Efforts to end the 10-year-old civil war in SierraLeone reached a milestone on 11 January 2002with the completion of the disarmament of com-batants of the rebel group, the RevolutionaryUnited Front (RUF), and the Civil Defence Forces(CDF). The United Nations Mission in Sierra Le-one (UNAMSIL), which had a strength of 17,500troops at the beginning of the year, continued tofollow up on the implementation of the Agree-ment on the Ceasefire and Cessation of Hostili-ties (Abuja Agreement), signed in November2000 [YUN 2000, p. 210] by the Government andRUF. The more secure environment created bythe completion of the disarmament process pro-vided an opportunity for the holding of electionsand for reconstruction and reconciliation.

In January, the Security Council expandedUNAMSIL’s responsibilities to include election-related tasks, such as providing logistic assistanceto the National Electoral Commission and coor-dinating electoral activities between the Commis-sion, the Government and other stakeholders. Itwould also provide increased security for theelection process.

Presidential and parliamentary elections wereheld as scheduled on 14 May. President AlhajiAhmad Tejan Kabbah was re-elected and threepolitical parties won parliamentary seats, an out-come that was welcomed by both the Secretary-General and the Security Council.

With the completion of the disarmament pro-cess, the holding of elections and the establish-ment of the Special Court for Sierra Leone andthe Truth and Reconciliation Commission, theCouncil decided in September to reduceUNAMSIL’s size by 4,500 troops by 31 May 2003.The first phase of the drawdown was completedin November with the withdrawal of 600 troops,and adjustments were made in troop deploy-ments in preparation for further troop reduc-tions expected in the second phase. TheSecretary-General welcomed the efforts of theGovernment and UNAMSIL to avoid a securityvacuum in areas vacated by the Mission, therebyenabling the Government and its developmentpartners to concentrate on national recoveryefforts.

UNAMSIL activities

At the beginning of the year, the peace processin Sierra Leone continued to make encouragingprogress, as the Secretary-General had reportedin December 2001 [YUN 2001, p. 171]. The ceasefire,as outlined in the Abuja Agreement, continuedto hold and the disarmament of combatants ofRUF and CDF was completed on 11 January. The



conclusion of the disarmament process wasmarked by President Kabbah in a speech, the textof which was transmitted to the Security Councilon 18 January [S/2002/85].

Lessons learned. At its 18 July workshop (seep. 147) [S/2002/836], the Security Council dis-cussed the lessons learned from UNAMSIL’s de-ployment in Sierra Leone. With regard to peace-keeping operations, it was agreed that: there wasa need for early international action and a clearlydefined and robust mandate for any UN peace-keeping force, backed up by adequate resources;the key players, including Council members,neighbouring countries, the UN Secretariat andtroop contributors, should share a common pur-pose and common understanding of peace-keeping mandates and the rules of engagement;preparations should be made for the worst-casescenario and the measurement of the resourcesof a peacekeeping operation should include thequality of equipment and training; a robustmilitary posture should be complemented bypolitical engagement; a lead nation should driveforward the international effort; a regional strat-egy was needed from the start; proper coordina-tion, operational integration and flexibility wererequired; and benchmarks for drawdown neededto be factored into planning. The transition frompeacekeeping to peace-building was crucial aswere security sector reform and judicial and pe-nal system reform; attention should be given tothe economic causes of conflict; adequate fund-ing should be allocated; and the World Bankcould support post-conflict transitions.

As to the humanitarian aspects, the followingpoints were made: civilians were the direct objectof attack and there was massive population dis-placement; the appointment of a combinedDeputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General/Humanitarian Coordinator allowed hu-manitarian issues to be centralized withinUNAMSIL’s political and military decision-making; the aide-memoire on protection of civil-ians in conflict had to be used when the Councildrew up peacekeeping mandates; special atten-tion should be paid to gender issues in justice andreconciliation; addressing the problem of refu-gee flows was part of building regional security;and more funding was needed to address the hu-manitarian problems of the Mano River region.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (January)

On 16 January [meeting 4451], the Security Coun-cil, having considered the Secretary-General’sDecember 2001 report on UNAMSIL [S/2001/1195 &Add.1], unanimously adopted resolution 1389(2002). The draft [S/2002/68] was prepared in con-sultations among Council members.


President concerning the situation in Sierra Leone,Affirming the commitment of all States to respect the

sovereignty, political independence and territorial in-tegrity of Sierra Leone,

Welcoming the significant progress made in the peaceprocess in Sierra Leone, determining that the situationin Sierra Leone continues to constitute a threat to in-ternational peace and security in the region, and call-ing for the further consolidation and advancement ofthe peace process,

Welcoming also the official completion of the disarm-ament process, calling for the continuation of effortsto collect arms remaining in the hands of the civilianpopulation, including ex-combatants, and urging theinternational community to provide adequate re-sources for the reintegration programme,

Emphasizing the importance of free, fair, transparentand inclusive elections for the long-term stability of Si-erra Leone, and in this regard stressing the impor-tance of all political parties having the freedom tocampaign and having unrestricted access to the media,

Welcoming the progress made by the Government ofSierra Leone and the National Electoral Commissionof Sierra Leone in preparing for elections, with the as-sistance of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Le-one, and encouraging further efforts, particularly bythe National Electoral Commission, in this regard,

Stressing the primary responsibility of the SierraLeonean police for the maintenance of law and order,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 13 December 2001, and noting the requestby the National Electoral Commission to the UnitedNations to provide support for the elections,

1. Decides that, further to paragraph 8 (i) of resolu-tion 1270(1999) of 22 October 1999, in order to facilitatethe smooth holding of elections, the United NationsMission in Sierra Leone shall undertake election-related tasks within the parameters set out in para-graphs 48 to 62 of the report of the Secretary-General,within its existingmandate,capabilitiesandareasofde-ployment and in the light of conditions on the ground,and decides that these tasks shall include:

(a) Assisting with logistic support to the NationalElectoral Commission of Sierra Leone for the trans-port of electoral materials and personnel, includingthe use of the air assets of the Mission to reach areas in-accessible by road, the storage and distribution of elec-tion materials prior to the elections, the movement ofballot papers after the elections, logistic assistance tointernational election observers and the use of the ci-vilian communications facilities of the Mission in theprovinces;

(b) Facilitating the free movement of people, goodsand humanitarian assistance throughout the country;

(c) Providing wider security and deterrence, throughits presence and within the framework of its mandate,throughout the period of preparation for the elections,the polling period itself and the period immediatelyafter the announcement of the election results and, ex-ceptionally, being prepared to respond to situations ofpublic disorder, with the Sierra Leonean police takingthe lead, especially in the vicinity of polling stations andthe locations of other related activities;

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2. Reiterates its authorization to the Mission, underChapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, asprovided for in resolution 1270(1999) and resolution1289(2000) of 7 February 2000, to take the necessaryaction to fulfil the tasks set out in paragraphs 1 (b) and(c) above, and reaffirms that, in the discharge of itsmandate, the Mission may take the necessary action toensure the security and freedom of movement of itspersonnel and, within its capabilities and areas of de-ployment, to afford protection to civilians under immi-nent threat of physical violence, taking into accountthe responsibilities of the Government of Sierra Le-one, including the Sierra Leonean police;

3. Authorizes the increase in the United Nations ci-vilian police proposed by the Secretary-General in hisreport, encourages him to request a further increase ifappropriate, and endorses his recommendation thatthe United Nations civilian police should perform thefollowing tasks:

(a) Advise and support the Sierra Leonean policein carrying out their election-related responsibilities;

(b) Assist the Sierra Leonean police to devise andimplement an electoral training programme for theirpersonnel, focused mainly on establishing security forpublic events, human rights and police conduct;

4. Welcomes the interim establishment of an elec-toral component in the Mission aimed at strengthen-ing the contribution of the Mission to facilitating, inparticular, the coordination of electoral activities be-tween the National Electoral Commission, the Govern-ment of Sierra Leone and other national and interna-tional stakeholders;

5. Welcomes also the intention of the Mission, as in-dicated in the report of the Secretary-General, to es-tablish in each electoral region an electoral office fromwhich to monitor the electoral process, and to provide,within available resources, assistance to internationalelection observers;

6. Notes with appreciation the ongoing support pro-vided by the Public Information Section of the Missionto the National Electoral Commission in designing andimplementing a civic education and public informationstrategy, and encourages the Mission to continue theseefforts;

7. Underlines the responsibility of the Governmentof Sierra Leone and the National Electoral Commis-sion for the holding of free and fair elections, and en-courages the international community to provide gen-erous support and assistance to that end;


Report of Secretary-General (March). On 14March, the Secretary-General, in response toSecurity Council resolution 1370(2001) [YUN 2001,p. 169], submitted his thirteenth report onUNAMSIL [S/2002/267], covering the three monthssince his previous report [YUN 2001, p. 171]. Duringthat time, the peace process in Sierra Leone con-tinued to make encouraging progress. The dis-armament of RUF and CDF combatants was com-pleted on 11 January. The Government thenlaunched a programme to collect illegal weaponsfrom the civilian population and shotguns heldmainly by CDF members, which had been ex-

cluded from the original disarmament pro-gramme. The resettlement of internally displacedpersons commenced and more refugees wererepatriated from Guinea and Liberia. In prep-aration for elections scheduled for 14 May, the Na-tional Electoral Commission successfully con-ducted the voter registration process. On 1 March,the President announced the lifting of the state ofemergency [S/2002/228]. In the meantime, the Si-erra Leone police and army deployed to more dis-tricts, and the Government took further steps toextend its authority to areas formerly controlledby RUF. Progress was also made towards the estab-lishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Com-mission and the Special Court (see below). Theprocess of reintegrating the disarmed combat-ants into civilian society, however, remained slowbecause of inadequate funding.

Former RUF leader Foday Sankoh, 49 other RUFmembers and more than 30 members of theArmed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC)/ex–Sierra Leone Army (SLA), a group known as theWest Side Boys, were charged with murder andother offences by the courts on 4 and 11 March.The Attorney-General announced that thecharges would not prejudice any case the SpecialCourt might decide to bring against them.

The conflict in Liberia escalated during the re-porting period, forcing large numbers of SierraLeonean refugees to return to their homecountry and almost 10,000 Liberian refugees toflee into southern and eastern Sierra Leone. Ontwo occasions, armed forces of Liberia crossedinto Sierra Leone. In a positive development, theheads of State of the MRU countries met on27 February (see p. 148).

On 10 February, the Special Representative ofthe Secretary-General, Oluyemi Adeniji, trav-elled to Abuja, Nigeria, to brief ECOWAS and theNigerian President on the situation in Sierra Le-one and to urge ECOWAS countries to contributeto the reintegration of ex-combatants.

The security situation remained generally sta-ble, despite some violent clashes between formerCDF and RUF combatants over mining disputes inthe Kono district on 19 and 20 December 2001.The violence left 13 people dead and causedlarge-scale displacement of the local population.The Sierra Leone army, which was renamed theRepublic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces on1 April, further deployed to the Kailahun andKono districts to secure the country’s borders.

UNAMSIL continued to conduct patrolsthroughout the country to deter violence and re-assure the population. It also stepped up air andland patrols along the Sierra Leone/Liberia bor-der in view of increased fighting in Liberia.Working with the Sierra Leone police and army,



it focused on ensuring security for the forthcom-ing elections by extending deployment to 39 loca-tions throughout the country. Future phases ofits military deployment involved covering asmany locations as possible during the polling pe-riod and sustaining a secure environment for thecrucial post-election period.

The Joint Committee on Disarmament, Demo-bilization and Reintegration, which comprisedthe Government, RUF and UNAMSIL, declared on17 January that the disarmament process hadbeen completed. A total of 47,076 combatants(19,183 RUF, 27,695 CDF and 198 AFRC/ex-SLA)had disarmed since 18 May 2001. UNAMSIL de-stroyed a total of 24,944 weapons, including10,800 collected before May 2001. All disarmedcombatants received an initial reinsertion pay-ment to assist them in settling in their communi-ties, but funding for the reintegration pro-gramme had a shortfall of $13.48 million for2002. Various short-term reintegration projectsabsorbed 17,951 ex-combatants. Following thedisarmament process, the Government began toextend its authority throughout the country;however, it faced constraints in efforts to restorecivil administration and public services.

In preparation for the presidential and parlia-mentary elections, the Parliament adopted legis-lation establishing the National Electoral Com-mission; it also increased the number of seatsfrom 80 to 124, of which 112 were elected seatsand 12 were allocated to paramount chiefs, andset up a district block electoral system, which wascriticized by 11 opposition political parties. Thevoter registration exercise, which was conductedfrom 24 January to 10 February and then ex-tended, resulted in 2,276,518 voter registrations.Twenty-three political parties were officiallyformed and registered. Civil society groups andpolitical parties expressed concern at the lack ofdialogue between them and the National Elec-toral Commission, and UNAMSIL encouraged theCommission to promote better communicationwith the parties and to address other electoraldifficulties. UNAMSIL’s electoral component wasestablished to monitor and assist the electoralprocess and advise the National Electoral Com-mission. The Mission deployed 30 additional ci-vilian police advisers to support the Sierra Leonepolice in election-related duties, and providedtechnical support to the Commission on dissemi-nating public information on the voter registra-tion process.

The completion of the disarmament proce-dure resulted in a general improvement in thehuman rights situation. However, access to moreareas in the east revealed more evidence of atroc-ities committed during the conflict. UNAMSIL in-

vestigated past human rights abuses and seriousbreaches of international humanitarian law inthe Kono and Kailahun districts. Human rightsofficers tracked cases involving former childcombatants and abducted women and children inKailahun and conducted an investigation of alle-gations of sexual exploitation of children andwomen by UN personnel.

A planning mission from OHCHR visited SierraLeone in January to discuss the establishment ofthe Truth and Reconciliation Commission andthe Special Court (see p. 164). An agreement forthe establishment of the Special Court was signedon 16 January.

The Secretary-General reported that approxi-mately 107,000 Sierra Leonean refugees were be-ing assisted by UNHCR in camps in the subregion,and an additional 80,000 unregistered refugeeswere living outside camps. Since September2000, UNHCR had assisted the repatriation of68,698 refugees, and an unknown number hadreturned spontaneously. A total of 17,846 dis-placed returnees had been assisted by UNHCR toresettle in their areas of origin. As of January,some 204,000 displaced persons were registeredand being assisted by UN agencies.

The Secretary-General believed that the devel-opments in the disarmament process and the im-proved security situation provided an opportu-nity for Sierra Leone to hold free, fair andcredible elections, and to concentrate on nationalreconciliation and recovery. The most urgent pri-ority for the country was to ensure that the elec-tions were conducted in a credible manner and ina peaceful environment. The voter registrationboded well for the next phases of the electoralprocess; however, organizational and manage-ment problems needed to be overcome and ar-rangements made for registering returning refu-gees. The recent public statements by RUFleaders expressing their commitment to trans-forming into a political party and to joiningthe democratic process were a welcome develop-ment, although the sincerity of those statementswould be judged after the elections. At that point,the new Government and the international com-munity would have to focus on peace consolida-tion, particularly regarding the extension of Stateauthority, the reintegration of ex-combatants andthe restoration of the Government’s control overdiamond mining.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (March)

On 28 March [meeting 4500], the Security Coun-cil unanimously adopted resolution 1400(2002).The draft [S/2002/321] was prepared in consulta-tions among Council members.

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Welcoming the summit meeting of the Mano RiverUnion Presidents held in Rabat on 27 February 2002 atthe invitation of the King of Morocco,

Welcoming also the further progress made in thepeace process in Sierra Leone, including the lifting ofthe state of emergency, commending the positive roleof the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone in ad-vancing the peace process, and calling for its furtherconsolidation,

Encouraging the Mano River Union Women’s PeaceNetwork and other civil society initiatives to continuetheir contribution towards regional peace,

Determining that the situation in Sierra Leone con-tinues to constitute a threat to peace and security inthis region,

Expressing its concern at the fragile situation in theMano River region, the substantial increase in refu-gees and the humanitarian consequences for the civil-ian, refugee and internally displaced populations inthe region,

Emphasizing the importance of free, fair, transparentand inclusive elections, and welcoming the progressmade by the Government of Sierra Leone and the Na-tional Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone in pre-paring for elections, particularly with voter registra-tion,

Reiterating the importance of the effective extensionof State authority throughout the country, the reinte-gration of ex-combatants, the voluntary and unhin-dered return of refugees and internally displaced per-sons, full respect for human rights and the rule of lawand effective action on impunity and accountability,paying special attention to the protection of womenand children, and stressing continued United Nationssupport for the fulfilment of these objectives,

Welcoming the Agreement between the UnitedNations and the Government of Sierra Leone on theEstablishment of a Special Court for Sierra Leone,signed on 16 January 2002, and the recommendationsof the Planning Mission on the Establishment of theSpecial Court for Sierra Leone, and of the Secretary-General in his report of 14 March 2002 that the Mis-sion should provide administrative and related sup-port to the Special Court,

Emphasizing the importance of the continuing sup-port of the Mission to the Government of Sierra Leonein the consolidation of peace and stability after theelections,

Havingconsidered thereportoftheSecretary-General,1. Decides that the mandate of the United Nations

Mission in Sierra Leone shall be extended for a periodof six months from 30 March 2002;

2. Expresses its appreciation to those Member Statesproviding troops and support elements to the Missionand those which have made commitments to do so;

3. Welcomes the military concept of operations forthe Mission for 2002 outlined in paragraph 10 of thereport of the Secretary-General, and requests theSecretary-General to inform the Security Council atregular intervals of progress made by the Mission in

the implementation of its key aspects and in the plan-ning of its subsequent phases;

4. Encourages the Government of Sierra Leone andthe Revolutionary United Front to strengthen theirefforts towards full implementation of the Agreementon the Ceasefire and Cessation of Hostilities betweenthe Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone andthe Revolutionary United Front, signed in Abuja on 10November 2000, and reaffirmed at the meeting of theEconomic Community of West African States, theUnited Nations, the Government of Sierra Leone andthe Revolutionary United Front held at Abuja on2 May 2001;

5. Also encourages the Government of Sierra Leoneand the Revolutionary United Front to continue to takesteps towards the furthering of dialogue and nationalreconciliation, and in this regard stresses the impor-tance of the reintegration of the Revolutionary UnitedFront into Sierra Leonean society and its transforma-tion into a political party, and demands the immediateand transparent dismantling of all non-governmentmilitary structures;

6. Welcomes the formal completion of the disarma-ment process, expresses concern at the serious finan-cial shortfall in the multi-donor trust fund for thedisarmament, demobilization and reintegration pro-gramme, and urges the Government of Sierra Leoneto seek actively the urgently needed additional re-sources for reintegration;

7. Emphasizes that the development of the adminis-trative capacities of the Government of Sierra Leone isessential to sustainable peace and development and tothe holding of free and fair elections, and thereforeurges the Government of Sierra Leone, with the assist-ance of the Mission, in accordance with its mandate, toaccelerate the restoration of civil authority and publicservices throughout the country, in particular in thediamond mining areas, including the deployment ofkey government personnel and police and the deploy-ment of the Sierra Leone Army on border securitytasks, and calls upon States, international organiza-tions and non-governmental organizations to assist inthe wide range of recovery efforts;

8. Welcomes the establishment of the electoral com-ponent of the Mission and the recruitment of thirtyadditional civilian police advisers to support the Gov-ernment of Sierra Leone and the Sierra Leonean po-lice in preparing for elections;

9. Welcomes also the signature of the Agreement be-tween the United Nations and the Government of Si-erra Leone on the Establishment of a Special Court forSierra Leone, as envisaged by resolution 1315(2000) of14 August 2000, urges donors urgently to disbursetheir pledges to the Trust Fund for the Special Court,looks forward to the Court expeditiously beginning itsoperations, and endorses the Mission providing, with-out prejudice to its capabilities to perform its specifiedmandate, administrative and related support to theCourt on a cost-reimbursable basis;

10. Welcomes further the progress made by the Gov-ernment of Sierra Leone, together with the Secretary-General, the United Nations High Commissioner forHuman Rights and other relevant international actors,in establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Commis-sion, and urges donors urgently to commit funds to it;



11. Welcomes the summit meeting of the Mano RiverUnion Presidents, urges the Presidents to continue dia-logue and to implement their commitments to build-ing regional peace and security, and encourages theongoing efforts of the Economic Community of WestAfrican States towards a lasting and final settlement ofthe crisis in the Mano River Union region;

12. Expresses its serious concern at the violence, par-ticularly sexual violence, suffered by women and chil-dren during the conflict in Sierra Leone, and empha-sizes the importance of addressing these issueseffectively;

13. Expresses its serious concern also at the evidencethe Mission has found of human rights abuses andbreaches of humanitarian law, set out in paragraphs 38to 45 of the report of the Secretary-General, encour-ages the Mission to continue its work, and in this con-text requests the Secretary-General to provide a fur-ther assessment in his September report, particularlyregarding the situation of women and children whohave suffered during the conflict;

14. Expresses its serious concern further at allegationsthat some United Nations personnel may have been in-volved in sexual abuse of women and children incamps for refugees and internally displaced persons inthe region, supports the policy of the Secretary-General of zero tolerance for such abuse, looks for-ward to the report of the Secretary-General on the out-come of the investigation into those allegations, andrequests him to make recommendations on how to pre-vent any such crimes in future, while calling uponStates concerned to take the necessary measures tobring to justice their own nationals responsible forsuch crimes;

15. Encourages the continued support of the Mis-sion, within its capabilities and areas of deployment,for returning refugees and displaced persons, andurges all stakeholders to continue to cooperate to thisend to fulfil their commitments under the AbujaCeasefire Agreement;

16. Welcomes the intention of the Secretary-Generalto keep the security, political, humanitarian and hu-man rights situation in Sierra Leone under close re-view and to report to the Council, after due consulta-tions with troop-contributing countries, with anyadditional recommendations and, in particular, re-quests the Secretary-General to submit before 30 June2002 an interim report assessing the post-electoral sit-uation and the prospects for peace consolidation;


ElectionsThe Sierra Leone presidential and parliamen-

tary elections were held as scheduled on 14 May.A total of nine political parties, including the RUFParty, fielded presidential candidates, and 11parties contested the parliamentary election.President Kabbah won 70.06 per cent of the pres-idential votes, Ernest Koroma of the All People’sCongress came in second with 22.35 per cent, andthe former leader of AFRC/ex-SLA, Johnny PaulKoroma, came in third with 3 per cent. PresidentKabbah was sworn in on 19 May, and on 21 May heannounced a new Cabinet, which consisted only

of persons affiliated with his political party.Speaking after taking his oath of office [S/2002/557], the President said his principal objectiveduring his second term was to focus on the basichuman right to food.

Three parties won parliamentary seats. Pres-ident Kabbah’s Sierra Leone People’s Party won83 of the 124 seats, the All People’s Congress won27 seats, and Mr. Koroma’s Peace and LiberationParty won 2 seats. The remaining 12 parliamen-tary seats were filled by representatives of para-mount chiefs, who were elected on 10 June.

A total of 207 electoral observers from theCommonwealth, the EU, OAU, ECOWAS and theCarter Centre and some 3,500 local observersmonitored the elections. They characterized theelections as free, transparent and generallyviolence-free. Some technical difficulties werecited, but they did not mar the elections. All op-position political parties accepted the results.UNAMSIL temporarily redeployed 11,000 troopsto some 200 high-risk areas and assisted theSierra Leone police in deploying 4,400 policepersonnel to provide security for the elections.The Mission provided logistical support to theNational Electoral Commission and to the elec-toral observers, and its electoral unit monitoredthe electoral process and reported on key issues.The public information section supplementedthe national voter education efforts, and RadioUNAMSIL provided 24-hour coverage of the elec-tions.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (May)

On 22 May [meeting 4539], following consulta-tions among Security Council members, the Pres-ident made statement S/PRST/2002/14 on be-half of the Council:

The Security Council welcomes the elections heldin Sierra Leone on 14 May 2002. It congratulates thepeople of Sierra Leone on the peaceful and orderlyway in which the elections were held. It commendsthe National Electoral Commission and all those re-sponsible for the successful management of the elec-tions, and commends the United Nations Mission inSierra Leone for its invaluable supporting role. TheCouncil notes that the various electoral observationgroups were impressed by the commitment todemocracy and determination to vote of the peopleof Sierra Leone. The Council calls upon all politicalparties and their supporters to work together tostrengthen democracy and thereby assure continu-ing peace.

The Council considers the elections an importantmilestone on the road to peace and security in SierraLeone and the Mano River region. The next chal-lenge for Sierra Leone and the internationalcommunity is the further consolidation of peace.There is much still to do, including the extension ofpublic services to make real the restoration of

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government authority throughout the country, thefurther enhancement of the operational effective-ness of the security sector, and the effective reinte-gration of all ex-combatants. A sustained effort fromthe international community will be needed to a-chieve our shared objective of sustainable peace andsecurity, which must be the basis for Sierra Leone’seconomic regeneration and future development.The Council urges all donors to contribute gener-ously towards these ends, including by providingurgently needed funds to the Special Court forSierra Leone and the Truth and ReconciliationCommission.

The Council will continue to pay close attention todevelopments in Sierra Leone and the Mano Riverregion. The Council requests the Secretary-Generalto monitor the situation there closely and to keep theCouncil informed of any significant developments.

The Council, on 11 July [meeting 4570], held aclosed meeting to consider the situation in SierraLeone.

Report of Secretary-General (June). In re-sponse to resolution 1400(2002) (above), theSecretary-General, on 19 June, submitted hisfourteenth report on UNAMSIL [S/2002/679]. Hereported that the election campaign and the vot-ing were conducted in a remarkably peaceful at-mosphere, and 81 per cent of the registered vot-ers cast votes.

The successful conduct of the elections markedthe end of the second phase of UNAMSIL’s militaryconcept of operations for 2002, the main objectiveof which was to provide security and logisticalsupport for the elections. At the end of the elec-tions, UNAMSIL troops redeployed to their pre-vious locations and continued to mount robust pa-trols to deter any disturbances. The Mission beganimplementing the third phase of the concept ofoperations, focusing on sustaining the prevailingstability and monitoring how the newly electedGovernment, as well as the army and police, con-solidated their authority. It was addressing the un-finished aspects of the peace process, includingthe reintegration of ex-combatants, the consolida-tion of State authority throughout the country andthe promotion of justice, human rights and na-tional reconciliation.

The overall security situation remained gener-ally stable following the elections, despite contin-uing protests by ex-combatants, who were dissat-isfied with the late payment of their allowances,and demands by CDF combatants for certain ben-efits. Other problems included disputes over ille-gally occupied houses and reports of harassmentby ruling party members. The escalating conflictin Liberia (see p. 165) was affecting the stability ofareas along the border and threatened to under-mine the progress in Sierra Leone. The SierraLeone army reinforced its deployments in the

border areas to prevent incursions from Liberiaby both the armed forces of Liberia and opposi-tion elements. UNAMSIL was monitoring devel-opments in the border areas and had initiatedcontacts with Liberian security officials and theleaders of the subregion, aimed at averting aspillover of the conflict into Sierra Leone.

In the post-election period, the UN countryteam addressed issues related to national recov-ery and building the Government’s capacity todeliver critical services. UNAMSIL concentratedon maintaining a security environment thatwould allow the Government to establish its au-thority. In anticipation of the gradual downsiz-ing of the Mission and its eventual exit, the Secre-tariat dispatched a military team to Sierra Leonefrom 9 to 14 June to assist UNAMSIL in developingproposals in that regard.

At the time of the report, 6,490 former combat-ants had completed the reintegration process andan additional 20,628 were participating in reinte-gration projects in the agricultural sector andother training. Up to 7,000 former combatantswere expected to join reintegration projects everysix months. Despite contributions from UN bod-ies and several Governments, the programmehad a $13.4 million shortfall. The restoration oflocal government structures remained a concern,and UNAMSIL, UNDP and international partnersfacilitated the deployment of government ad-ministrators and police in all districts. Most para-mount chiefs also returned to their chiefdoms.Nevertheless, serious capacity constraints re-mained. A particular challenge that would needadditional international assistance was the judi-cial system, where only 5 of the 14 magistratecourts were functioning. In addition to support-ing rehabilitation of judicial infrastructures,UNAMSIL conducted investigations into past hu-man rights abuses and grave breaches of interna-tional humanitarian law. It analysed testimonyfrom more than 150 victims of war-related ampu-tations, two thirds of whom had been purposelymutilated. Preliminary investigations were madeinto mass graves in four districts.

In order to ensure a coordinated approach tothe recovery process, the National RecoveryCommittee adopted in May the first volume of anational recovery strategy, covering the newly ac-cessible districts in the eastern and northernparts of the country. It focused on immediate ac-tions to address the essential needs of the popula-tion, while laying the foundation for the transitiontowards sustainable development. The strategy setpriorities in the areas of restoration of civil au-thority, improvement in the delivery of basic so-cial services, facilitating resettlement and reinte-gration, promotion of reconciliation and rights,



stimulating economic revival and improvingaccess.

The third phase of the national resettlementprogramme took place from 28 March to 30April, during which some 120,000 internally dis-placed persons were resettled in the newly acces-sible areas, and the fourth phase, which began inJune, was expected to resettle 13,000 people.UNHCR reported that some 30,000 returnees hadbeen resettled since March and more than 15,500Sierra Leonean refugees were repatriated (about7,500 from Guinea and 8,000 from Liberia). Itwas estimated that about 165,000 Sierra Leoneanrefugees continued to receive asylum in the sub-region.

The Secretary-General viewed the prospectsfor strengthening the fragile peace as promising,provided that the Government, UNAMSIL andother international partners acted quickly totackle priorities. He expressed concern, however,over two factors—the escalating conflict in Libe-ria and the need for the army and police to as-sume responsibility for the country’s securityafter UNAMSIL’s departure. A clear definition ofSierra Leone’s national security plan was crucialto the planning for the Mission’s drawdown.With regard to the police, the Secretary-Generalrecommended that the 30 additional UN civilianpolice who were deployed during elections be re-tained in UNAMSIL to support the training of theSierra Leone police. A gradual drawdown ofUNAMSIL should be commensurate with the pre-vailing security conditions and the Government’scapacity to match them. The new Governmentneeded to assume the leading role in addressingthe challenges, while international partnersshould continue to provide support for rebuild-ing the capacities of the police and the army.

UNAMSIL extension and drawdownCommunication.On 29 August [S/2002/975], Si-

erra Leone transmitted to the Security CouncilPresident a letter of 8 August from PresidentKabbah to the Secretary-General, in which he ex-pressed the hope that international peacekeepersshould not be withdrawn prematurely from hiscountry. He suggested commencing the phasedwithdrawal timetable not earlier than threemonths from the date of the extension ofUNAMSIL’s current mandate.

Report of Secretary-General (September). Inhis fifteenth report on UNAMSIL, issued on 5 Sep-tember [S/2002/987], the Secretary-General pre-sented proposals for the drawdown of the Mis-sion. Assessing the security situation, he statedthat it remained generally stable, with the excep-tion of raids on border villages by armed ele-ments from Liberia, occasional clashes between

youth groups in Kono district and Tongo Fieldsand the non-indigenous population of thosediamond-rich areas, and a riot in Freetown on 18July. The presence of UNAMSIL underpinned thestability, which, combined with the deploymentsof the Sierra Leone army and police to someparts of the country, had reassured the popula-tion and added momentum to the gradual returnto normality. Consequently, freedom of move-ment was possible throughout the country andcommercial activity had been revived. However,the large numbers of unemployed youths pre-sented a problem and the 24,000 ex-combatantsstill awaiting reintegration were becoming rest-less. Some of the latter had reportedly been re-cruited by Liberian armed factions opposing theLiberian Government. Security also remained aconcern in the diamond-producing areas. Thug-gish youth groups were attempting to fill the vac-uum created by the absence of firm governmentcontrol, particularly in Kono district and TongoFields.

District administrations still lacked adequatecapacity to deliver basic services to the popula-tion, and the administration of law and order inthe districts was hampered by logistical chal-lenges and by the inadequate strength of the po-lice force and the limited coverage of the judicialand penal systems. Armed elements from Liberiacontinued to raid border areas in Sierra Leonefor food and to abduct villagers. Some Liberiancombatants had fled the fighting in their countryand handed themselves over to the SierraLeonean authorities, who had decided to con-struct a special camp for them. There were re-ports that former RUF field commander SamBockarie and his followers were active in some ofLiberia’s security structures, which could pose arisk of violence, not only in Sierra Leone but alsoin the MRU subregion.

The overall security situation since the electionshad created new circumstances that made it possi-ble to consider changes to UNAMSIL. The para-mount concern in making adjustments to the Mis-sion would be to avoid creating a security vacuum;therefore, security benchmarks related to thecapacity of the police and army should determinethe pace of the drawdown. Other benchmarks re-lated to reintegration of ex-combatants, consoli-dating State authority throughout the country andrestoring government control over diamond min-ing. With regard to reintegration, progress hadbeen hampered primarily by financial constraints;some 31,000 former combatants had been ab-sorbed in reintegration projects, while another24,000 were waiting for openings. The illicit min-ing and trading of diamonds played a major role in

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fuelling the war and remained a potential sourceof instability.

In order to safeguard the progress made in Si-erra Leone, the international community neededto engage Liberia in a long-term manner andUNAMSIL troops needed to backstop the SierraLeone army until a lasting solution was found tothe Liberian conflict.

In view of the current circumstances, theSecretary-General made proposals to adjust thesize and composition of the military component,civilian police and other civilian components ofUNAMSIL, in a measured and phased way. HisSpecial Representative had kept PresidentKabbah informed of the planning process, andthe President had submitted ideas on bench-marks to be taken into account in downsizing[S/2002/975] (see also above). In addition,UNAMSIL had consulted with other partners onthe ground, including ECOWAS, donors and thediplomatic community in Freetown.

The plan for downsizing the military compo-nent called for an initial phase of “pruning” oftroops that were no longer operationally essentialwhile maintaining a presence throughout thecountry, resulting in a reduction by some 600troops by the end of 2002. Subsequently, the forcewould draw down in phases and vacate areas ofthe country that were identified throughbenchmarks as ready for handover to Sierra Le-one’s security forces with minimum risk. Thosephases would be interspersed with a period ofstabilization and assessment. In the secondphase, UNAMSIL troops would concentrate in thecentral part of the country, around key provincialtowns, the main lines of communication, theprincipal diamond fields and the areas border-ing Liberia. That could be completed by August2003, and 4,000 troops would be withdrawn. Theremaining 13,000 troops would dominate key ter-rain and threat areas. Under the third phase, thetroops would be reduced to 5,000 by late 2004, ifSierra Leone police were able to assume their re-sponsibilities in the vacated areas. UNAMSILwould pull back to the Freetown and Lungi pe-ninsulas and hand over responsibility forsecurity in the hinterland to the Government. Inthe final phase, a presence of some 2,000 militarypersonnel was envisaged, and the Security Coun-cil might decide at that point if the benchmarksattained and the prevailing security situationwarranted a final exit of UNAMSIL and considersuccessor arrangements.

UNAMSIL’s civilian police component couldplay an enhanced role in assisting in the recruit-ment of new police cadets, devising and deliver-ing training programmes, training trainers andsupporting a deployment plan. That role would

require an increase in strength to 185 personnelfrom its authorized strength of 60. Coordinationamong the Sierra Leone police, UN civilian po-lice and the Commonwealth team would be donethrough a steering committee, chaired by the In-spector General of the Sierra Leone police. Ap-propriate adjustments would also be made to theother civilian components of the Mission.

As one of the world’s poorest countries, SierraLeone faced a number of problems that were notonly the consequences of but also the root causesof the decade-long civil war—misgovernance,corruption and the erosion of fundamental hu-man rights. While pursuing political reform andcapacity-building, the Government also faced thechallenge of addressing emergency relief needsand rebuilding the economy. The UN countryteam had developed a plan for supporting the na-tional recovery strategy, focusing on coordina-tion for recovery, facilitating the reintegration ofreturning populations, encouraging communityreconciliation and promoting the protection ofhuman rights, for which funds were needed. TheGovernment and humanitarian agencies ex-pected to complete the resettlement of the re-maining 11,000 internally displaced persons byOctober 2002, at which point all camps of inter-nally displaced persons would be closed. As at 31August, UNHCR had registered 56,000 Liberianrefugees in Sierra Leone, of whom 35,000 wereliving in poor conditions in camps.

The Secretary-General observed that since thecompletion of the disarmament process in Janu-ary, Sierra Leone had seen progress in a numberof areas, which had opened up peace-buildingopportunities. In the security sector, the initialdeployments of the Sierra Leone army and policehad prepared the ground for them to assume re-sponsibilities from UNAMSIL, while, in the politi-cal area, the elections had laid a solid foundationfor the Government to consolidate its authority,restore its control over natural resources andfoster good governance. The Secretary-Generalwelcomed the plan for the development andtraining of Sierra Leone police, the deploymentof government officials in the districts, theplanned local elections and the national recoverystrategy. Those developments, along with the im-proved security situation, had created new cir-cumstances that made it possible to consider be-ginning the phased drawdown of UNAMSIL. Thepace of the drawdown would have to be governedby progress in achieving the benchmarks identi-fied in the report. The beginning of the troopreduction would mark the final phase of thepeacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone andits outcome would be critical in determiningwhether the efforts of the international community



could be considered a durable success. To safe-guard its investment in Sierra Leone, the interna-tional community needed to provide the resourcesto complete the reintegration of ex-combatants,enhance the capacity of the Sierra Leone police,ensure the functioning of the Truth and Recon-ciliation Commission and support the transitionto peace-building. The Government needed toconsolidate its authority throughout the countryand restore control over the natural resources,which should generate the revenue needed forsustainable recovery. The Secretary-General re-mained concerned about the conflict in Liberia,which could jeopardize the progress achieved inSierra Leone and destabilize the subregion. Herecommended that the mandate of UNAMSIL beextended for a further six months, in order tocarry out the planned drawdown. Following thecompletion of the first phase of the plan, hewould provide an assessment of its implementa-tion and make further recommendations on thesecond phase.

The Council held a closed meeting on 18 Sep-tember [meeting 4610] to exchange views with thetroop-contributing countries to UNAMSIL.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (September)

On 24 September [meeting 4615], the SecurityCouncil unanimously adopted resolution 1436(2002). The draft [S/2002/1062] was prepared inconsultations among Council members.




Welcoming the peaceful elections held in SierraLeone on 14 May 2002, and commending the UnitedNations Mission in Sierra Leone for the support it pro-vided,

Expressing its concern at the continuing fragile securitysituation in the Mano River region, particularly the con-flict in Liberia, and at the substantial number of refu-gees and the humanitarian consequences for the civil-ian, refugee and internally displaced populations in theregion,andemphasizingtheimportanceofcooperationamong the countries of the Mano River Union,

Reiterating the importance of the effective consolida-tion of State authority throughout Sierra Leone, theextension of effective State control over and regulationof the diamond fields, the reintegration of ex-combatants, the voluntary and unhindered return ofrefugees and internally displaced persons, and full re-spect for human rights and the rule of law, with specialattention to the protection of women and children, andstressing continued United Nations support to theGovernment of Sierra Leone in fulfilling these objec-tives,

Welcoming the launch of the Special Court for SierraLeone and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,

and emphasizing their importance in taking effectiveaction on impunity and accountability and in promot-ing reconciliation,

Welcoming also the progress made in developing thecapacity of the Sierra Leone police and armed forces,but recognizing the need for their further strengthen-ing to enable them to maintain security and stabilityindependently,

Emphasizing the importance of the continuing sup-port of the Mission to the Government of Sierra Leonein the consolidation of peace and stability,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 5 September 2002, particularly the propo-sals contained therein for adjustments to the strengthof the Mission, and stressing the need for the Missionto maintain an appropriate level of military capabilityand mobility while these adjustments are made,

1. Decides that the mandate of the United NationsMission in Sierra Leone shall be extended for a periodof six months from 30 September 2002;

2. Expresses its appreciation to those Member Statesproviding troops, civilian police personnel and sup-port elements to the Mission and to those who havemade commitments to do so;

3. Takes note of the proposals of the Secretary-General for adjustments to the size, composition anddeployment of the Mission, as outlined in paragraphs26 to 36 and 58 of his report, and notes the improve-ments in the security situation in Sierra Leone;

4. Urges the Mission, guided by an evaluation of thesecurity situation and of the capacity of the SierraLeonean security sector to take responsibility for inter-nal and external security, to complete phases 1 and 2 ofthe plan of the Secretary-General, including a reduc-tion of 4,500 troops within eight months, taking intoaccount the necessary arrangements that need to becompleted, and requests the Secretary-General to re-port to the Council at the end of each phase, and atregular intervals, on the progress made by the Missionin implementing the adjustments and in planning thesubsequent phases, and to make any necessary recom-mendations;

5. Expresses its concern at the continuing financialshortfall in the multi-donor trust fund for the disarma-ment, demobilization and reintegration programme,and urges the Government of Sierra Leone to seekactively the urgently needed additional resources forreintegration;

6. Welcomes the national recovery strategy of theGovernment of Sierra Leone, and calls upon States, in-ternational organizations and non-governmental or-ganizations to assist in the wide range of recoveryefforts and to pledge additional financial support inthe context of the forthcoming Consultative Groupmeeting;

7. Emphasizes that the development of the adminis-trative capacities of the Government of Sierra Leone,particularly an effective and sustainable police force,army, penal system and independent judiciary, is es-sential to long-term peace and development, andtherefore urges the Government of Sierra Leone, withthe assistance of donors and of the Mission in accord-ance with its mandate, to accelerate the consolidationof civil authority and public services throughout thecountry and to strengthen the operational effective-ness of the security sector;

Africa 157


8. Notes the efforts made by the Government ofSierra Leone towards effective control of the diamond-mining areas, expresses concern about the continuingvolatility there, and urges the Government of SierraLeone to set out and implement urgently a policy toregulate and control diamond-mining activities;

9. Emphasizes the importance of a coordinated ap-proach to strengthening the Sierra Leone Police,based on a detailed analysis of its training and develop-ment needs, led by a steering committee chaired by theInspector General of the Sierra Leone Police, notesthe recommendations of the Secretary-General on en-hancing the role of the United Nations civilian policeto support this process, supports the deployment of upto 170 civilian police in the Mission, to be recruited asnecessary on the recommendation of the steering com-mittee, and requests the Secretary-General to updatethe Council in his next report on the deployment ofUnited Nations civilian police in the light of the deci-sions of the committee;

10. Reiterates its strong support for the Special Courtfor Sierra Leone, welcomes the start of the operationsof the Court, encourages donors to contribute gener-ously to the Trust Fund for the Special Court and todisburse existing pledges rapidly, and urges the Mis-sion to negotiate rapidly a memorandum of under-standing with the Court in order to provide all neces-sary administrative and related support promptly, asrequested in paragraph 9 of resolution 1400(2002) of28 March 2002, including on the identification andsecuring of crime scenes;

11. Welcomes progress made in establishing theTruth and Reconciliation Commission, and urges do-nors urgently to commit funds to its revised budget;

12. Encourages the Presidents of the Mano RiverUnion countries to continue dialogue and to imple-ment their commitments to building regional peaceand security, and encourages the renewed efforts ofthe Economic Community of West African States andof Morocco towards achieving a settlement of the crisisin the Mano River Union region;

13. Welcomes the commitment of the Secretary-General to finding a solution to the conflict in Liberiaso as to build peace in the subregion, includingthrough the establishment of a contact group, de-mands that the armed forces of Liberia and any armedgroups refrain from illegal incursions into the terri-tory of Sierra Leone, calls upon all States to complyfully with all relevant resolutions of the SecurityCouncil, including the embargo on all deliveries ofweapons and military equipment to Liberia, and en-courages the Sierra Leonean armed forces, togetherwith the Mission, to maintain intensive patrolling ofthe border with Liberia;

14. Encourages the Government of Sierra Leone topay special attention to the needs of women and chil-dren affected by the war, as outlined in paragraphs 47to 48 of the report of the Secretary-General;

15. Welcomes the steps taken by the Mission to pre-vent sexual abuse and exploitation of women and chil-dren, and encourages the Mission to continue to en-force the policy of zero tolerance for any such actsperpetrated by anyone employed by it, while callingupon States concerned to take the necessary measuresto bring to justice their own nationals responsible forsuch crimes;

16. Encourages the continued support of the Mis-sion, within its capabilities and areas of deployment,for the voluntary return of refugees and displaced per-sons, and urges all stakeholders to continue to co-operate to this end to fulfil their commitments underthe Agreement on the Ceasefire and Cessation of Hos-tilities, signed in Abuja on 10 November 2000;

17. Welcomes the intention of the Secretary-Generalto keep the security, political, humanitarian and hu-man rights situation in Sierra Leone under close re-view and to report to the Council, after due consul-tations with troop-contributing countries and theGovernment of Sierra Leone, with any additional rec-ommendations;


Report of Secretary-General (December). Asrequested in Security Council resolution 1436(2002) (above), the Secretary-General submittedin December his sixteenth report on UNAMSIL[S/2002/1417]. Describing progress made in imple-menting the Mission’s drawdown plan, as set outin his previous report, he stated that the firstphase of the drawdown had been completed,with the 8 November withdrawal of 600 troopsfrom the Bangladeshi and Nigerian contingents.Implementation of the second phase, which en-visaged the withdrawal of 3,900 troops, was inprogress.

In order to evaluate the security situation,UNAMSIL and the Government had establishedjoint mechanisms, including an integrated plan-ning group and joint meetings of seniorUNAMSIL military officers and the NationalSecurity Coordination Group. In addition, theSteering Committee, which was established tostrengthen and coordinate the Sierra Leone po-lice, was operational. The integrated planninggroup, which evaluated the situation on theground and potential risk factors, found that,with the exception of the areas along the SierraLeone/Liberia border, the internal security situ-ation in Sierra Leone had remained generallystable. The conflict in Liberia remained a majorconcern for sustained stability in Sierra Leone.During November, there was an upsurge of raidsby armed Liberians searching for food in SierraLeonean villages in the border areas. There werereports of recruitment of former Sierra Leoneancombatants by both the Liberians United forReconciliation and Democracy and Liberiangovernment forces.

Sierra Leone, UNAMSIL and the Common-wealth worked together to strengthen the SierraLeone police force by focusing on recruiting newcadets and training both them and serving per-sonnel, as well as providing the equipment andinfrastructure needed. The Government in-tended to increase the national police force by1,000 personnel in 2003. Nearly 400 new cadets



were enrolled by the end of the year. The Steer-ing Committee responsible for coordinating in-ternational support for strengthening the policeforce met for the first time in October and fo-cused, as called for in resolution 1436(2002), onanalysing the training needs of the police forceand developing recommendations on deployingthe 170 civilian police in UNAMSIL. The Commit-tee finalized the concept of operation of the UNcivilian police and requested the United Nationsto give priority to deploying a chief trainingofficer and advisers in specialized areas such aspolicing diamond mining, airport security, trans-national crime and policy planning. Twenty-three trainers had been deployed and a chieftraining officer was selected. The provision ofthe requisite equipment (communication equip-ment and vehicles) for the Sierra Leone policeposed greater challenges than the recruitment ofpersonnel.

The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forcescontinued to receive training and restructuringsupport from the United Kingdom–led Interna-tional Military Advisory and Training Team. Therestructuring process was expected to result inthe reduction of the force from 14,000 to 10,500troops, with measures for reinserting demobil-ized soldiers into the civilian community. Thearmed forces still lacked the necessary infrastruc-ture for operating, including sufficient barracks.UNAMSIL continued to conduct joint patrols withthe Sierra Leone police in all districts and the na-tional army in the border areas. The capacity ofthe national police to maintain internal securityon their own in areas vacated by UNAMSIL re-mained to be tested; the second phase of thedrawdown would require considerable redeploy-ment of the existing police to fill the security vac-uum that would be created by the departing UNtroops.

The Government had taken steps towardsconsolidating State authority throughout thecountry, such as deploying government officialsto the districts and filling some of the 63 posts ofParamount Chiefs that fell vacant during thewar. Approximately 90 per cent of governmentofficials had returned to their posts in the dis-tricts and the Government intended to fill all va-cant posts by March 2003. Local governmentelections were scheduled for early 2003. Someprogress was being made to extend the courtsystem throughout the country and reform thejudiciary. Efforts were made to reintegrate for-mer combatants, and some 38,850 ex-combatantshad benefited from such projects, leaving a case-load of approximately 17,900 former combatants;the former combatants that had yet to participatein reintegration projects represented a serious

security challenge. The restoration of govern-ment control over diamond mining had becomemore urgent as UNAMSIL was drawn down, as thecompetition for control by non-State actors inthat sector was creating pressures at both na-tional and local levels. The existence of stridentyouth groups and predatory traders in thediamond-producing areas created an atmos-phere of distrust and tension.

In the human rights area, UNAMSIL continuedinvestigations into past human rights abuses andbreaches of international humanitarian law, andit encouraged the Government to facilitate theparticipation of victims of amputations in thetruth and reconciliation process. The Missionparticipated in organizing a training programmefor justices of the peace. The Special Court forSierra Leone became operational in late 2002(see p. 164).

Assistance was provided for repatriating andresettling Sierra Leonean refugees, for assistingLiberian refugees in Sierra Leone, and for assist-ing former child combatants and other separatedchildren. Of the 6,845 former child combatants,5,037 had been registered for support by childprotection agencies, along with 2,097 other sepa-rated children. UNHCR’s efforts to repatriate andassist refugees were hindered by the global fund-ing shortfall faced by the agency. The repatria-tion of Sierra Leonean refugees from Guineaand Liberia had been suspended on a number ofoccasions owing to lack of funding and sub-standard conditions existing in refugee camps.In late December, 23,000 Liberian refugees werein camps in Sierra Leone, while 8,500 were livingin urban areas and 12,000 in border areas.UNHCR indicated that $28.2 million was neededto cover its operational costs in Sierra Leone in2003. The programme to resettle internally dis-placed persons, with UNAMSIL providing supportfor transporting persons to resettlement areas,was completed in December, with some 11,000persons resettled under the final phase. Approxi-mately 220,000 internally displaced persons hadbeen resettled since the programme began inApril 2001. The Government’s national recoverystrategy served as a short-term plan for the tran-sition from peacekeeping to peace-building andfrom relief to development. On 13 and 14 Novem-ber, the World Bank and UNDP convened a Con-sultative Group meeting in Paris between theGovernment and its humanitarian and develop-ment partners to agree on a framework for thetransition to sustainable peace and development.

The Secretary-General observed that develop-ments over the preceding few months had shownthe prudence of pursuing a gradual drawdownof UNAMSIL. In particular, the coordinated

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efforts by the Government and UNAMSIL to evalu-ate risk factors and avoid a security vacuum inareas vacated by the Mission had ensured a stableenvironment, thus allowing the focus to be on na-tional recovery. Of particular note were effortsof the Government and its development partnersto support the reintegration of ex-combatantsinto civilian communities. The Secretary-Generalurged the Government to accomplish the bench-marks relating to security, poverty reduction,governance, economic performance and man-agement issues, as set out in the Results Frame-work for 2003-2004 adopted at the ConsultativeGroup meeting. The completion of the firstphase of the drawdown plan and the progressmade in implementing the second phase consti-tuted an encouraging beginning, the Secretary-General said, although much needed to be doneto strengthen the presence of the Sierra Leonepolice in areas to be vacated by UNAMSIL in thesecond and third phases. Although training ar-rangements were enhanced, mobilizing the req-uisite equipment and logistic support for the ex-pansion of the police lagged behind. The effortsto address the conflict in Liberia and the threat itposed to stability in Sierra Leone might be gain-ing momentum owing to the work of the Interna-tional Contact Group on Liberia, which held itsfirst meeting in Dakar, Senegal, on 19 December.The dialogue among the MRU countries neededto be re-energized, as the conflict in Côted’Ivoire, with reported involvement of elementsfrom both Liberia and Sierra Leone, had compli-cated the regional situation and gave added ur-gency to the need for a comprehensive regionalapproach.

UNAMSIL financingIn February [A/56/833], the Secretary-General

reported to the General Assembly on UNAMSIL’sfinancial performance for 1 July 2000 to 30 June2001, for which the Assembly had provided atotal of $577,672,651 gross ($570,329,861 net), ex-clusive of voluntary contributions in kind of$1,350,133. Expenditures for the period totalled$520,734,300 gross ($513,198,900 net), resultingin an unencumbered balance of $56,938,351gross ($57,130,961 net) attributable mainly to thedelayed deployment of military and civilian per-sonnel and the repatriation of the contingentsfrom two major troop-contributing countries.

The Secretary-General issued in March theproposed UNAMSIL budget for 1 July 2002 to30 June 2003 [A/56/855], which amounted to$669,476,400 gross ($662,779,200 net), exclusiveof $1,350,133 in budgeted voluntary contribu-tions in kind. The budget was based on theMission’s authorized force strength of 17,500

military personnel. Of the total budget, 73 percent was for military personnel costs, 17 per centfor operational costs, 9 per cent for civilian per-sonnel costs and 1 per cent for staff assessment.

In an April report [A/56/887/Add.3], ACABQ re-viewed the two financial reports and recom-mended that the Assembly approve the appropri-ation suggested by the Secretary-General.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION (June)

On 27 June [meeting 105], the General Assembly,on the recommendation of the Fifth Committee[A/56/712/Add.1], adopted resolution 56/251 Bwithout vote [agenda item 141].

Financing of the United NationsMission in Sierra Leone


General on the financing of the United Nations Mis-sion in Sierra Leone and the related reports of the Ad-visory Committee on Administrative and BudgetaryQuestions,

Bearing in mind Security Council resolution 1270(1999) of 22 October 1999 regarding the establishmentof the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, andthe subsequent resolutions by which the Council re-vised and extended the mandate of the Mission, thelatest of which was resolution 1400(2002) of 28 March2002,

Recalling its resolution 53/29 of 20 November 1998on the financing of the United Nations Observer Mis-sion in Sierra Leone and subsequent resolutions on thefinancing of the United Nations Mission in SierraLeone, the latest of which was resolution 56/251 A of24 December 2001,

Reaffirming the general principles underlying thefinancing of United Nations peacekeeping operations,as stated in General Assembly resolutions 1874(S-IV)of 27 June 1963, 3101(XXVIII) of 11 December 1973and 55/235 of 23 December 2000,



1. Takes note of the status of contributions to theUnited Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone andthe United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone as at 30April 2002, including the contributions outstanding inthe amount of 120.6 million United States dollars, rep-resenting some 9 per cent of the total assessed contri-butions, notes with concern that only thirty-six Mem-ber States have paid their assessed contributions infull, and urges all other Member States, in particularthose in arrears, to ensure payment of their outstand-ing assessed contributions;

2. Expresses its appreciation to those Member Stateswhich have paid their assessed contributions in fulland on time, and urges all other Member States tomake every possible effort to ensure payment of theirassessed contributions to the United Nations Missionin Sierra Leone in full and on time;









9. Requests the Secretary-General to take all neces-sary action to ensure that the Mission is administeredwith a maximum of efficiency and economy;

10. Also requests the Secretary-General to ensurethat no commercial alternative for transportation forofficial purposes is available before contracting serv-ices for the provision of executive jets;

11. Further requests the Secretary-General, in orderto reduce the cost of employing General Service staff,to continue efforts to recruit local staff for the Missionagainst General Service posts, commensurate with therequirements of the Mission;


12. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-Generalon the financial performance of the Mission for theperiod from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001;

13. Decides to reduce the appropriation authorizedfor the Mission for the period from 1 July 2000 to 30June 2001 under the terms of resolutions 54/241 B of15 June 2000 and 55/251 A of 12 April 2001 from577,672,651 dollars to 541,035,851 dollars, the amountapportioned among Member States in respect of thesame period;

14. Decides also to approve the increase in the esti-mated staff assessment income for the period from1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001 from 7,342,790 dollars to7,598,190 dollars;


15. Decides further to appropriate to the Special Ac-count for the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leonethe amount of 699,838,300 dollars for the period from1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003, inclusive of 669,476,400dollars for the maintenance of the Mission, 27,113,600dollars for the support account for peacekeeping oper-ations and 3,248,300 dollars for the United NationsLogistics Base;

Financing of the appropriation16. Decides to apportion among Member States the

amount of 532,469,200 dollars at a monthly rate of44,372,433 dollars, in accordance with the levels set outin resolution 55/235, as adjusted by the General As-sembly in its resolution 55/236 of 23 December 2000,and taking into account the scale of assessments for theyears 2002 and 2003 as set out in its resolution 55/5 Bof the same date, subject to a decision of the SecurityCouncil to extend the mandate of the Mission;

17. Decides also that, in accordance with the provi-sions of its resolution 973(X) of 15 December 1955,there shall be set off against the apportionment amongMember States, as provided for in paragraph 16 above,their respective share in the Tax Equalization Fund of9,004,200 dollars for the period from 1 July 2002 to 30June 2003, at a monthly rate of 750,350 dollars, com-prising the estimated staff assessment income of5,022,900 dollars approved for the Mission for the pe-riod from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003, the proratedshare of 3,692,100 dollars of the estimated staff assess-ment income approved for the support account for theperiod from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003 and the in-crease in staff assessment income of that account forthe period from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001, and theprorated share of 289,200 dollars of the estimated staffassessment income approved for the United NationsLogistics Base for the period from 1 July 2002 to 30June 2003 and the reduction in staff assessment in-come of that account for the period from 1 July 2000 to30 June 2001;

18. Decides further that for Member States that havefulfilled their financial obligations to the Mission,there shall be set off against the apportionment, asprovided for in paragraph 16 above, their respectiveshare of the unencumbered balance of 20,301,551 dol-lars and their respective share of other income of14,650,000 dollars in respect of the financial periodended 30 June 2001, in accordance with the levels setout in resolution 55/235, as adjusted by the GeneralAssembly in its resolution 55/236, and taking into ac-count the scale of assessments for the year 2001 as setout in its resolution 55/5 B;

19. Decides that for Member States that have not ful-filled their financial obligations to the Mission, theirrespective share of the unencumbered balance of20,301,551 dollars and other income of 14,650,000 dol-lars in respect of the financial period ended 30 June2001 shall be set off against their outstanding obliga-tions in accordance with the scheme set out in para-graph 18 above;

20. Decides also that the increase in the staff assess-ment income of 192,600 dollars in respect of the finan-cial period ended 30 June 2001 shall be set off againstthe credits from the unencumbered balance referredto in paragraphs 18 and 19 above;



23. Invites voluntary contributions to the Missionin cash and in the form of services and supplies accept-able to the Secretary-General, to be administered, as

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appropriate, in accordance with the procedure andpractices established by the General Assembly;

24. Decides to include in the provisional agenda ofits fifty-seventh session the item entitled “Financing ofthe United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone”.

By an 18 November note [A/57/619], the Secre-tary-General informed the Assembly that, basedon the current status of expenditure forUNAMSIL, expenditures for 1 July 2002 to 30 June2003 were estimated at $602,912,100 and relatedstaff assessment income would amount to$6,293,700. In the light of the apportionment of$502,107,300 already approved in resolution56/251 B (above), the Assembly was requested toapportion the difference of $100,804,800, shouldthe Security Council extend the Mission’s mandatebeyond 31 March 2003.

Having reviewed that note, ACABQ, in a 2 De-cember report [A/57/633], stated that a brief notewas not sufficient to justify an assessment ofmore than $100 million and requested that de-tailed information on financial performance andexpenditures be provided. However, since theshort time available was not sufficient to providethe necessary material, the Committee recom-mended an assessment of $90 million.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION (December)

On 20 December [meeting 78], the General As-sembly, on the recommendation of the Fifth Com-mittee [A/57/657], adopted resolution 57/291 Awithout vote [agenda item 134].

Financing of the United NationsMission in Sierra Leone


General on the financing of the United Nations Mis-sion in Sierra Leone and the related report of the Advi-sory Committee on Administrative and BudgetaryQuestions,

Bearing in mind Security Council resolution 1270(1999) of 22 October 1999 concerning the establish-ment of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone,and the subsequent resolutions by which the Councilrevised and extended the mandate of the Mission, thelatest of which was resolution 1436(2002) of 24 Sep-tember 2002,

Recalling its resolution 53/29 of 20 November 1998on the financing of the United Nations Observer Mis-sion in Sierra Leone and subsequent resolutions on thefinancing of the United Nations Mission in SierraLeone, the latest of which was resolution 56/251 B of27 June 2002,

Mindful of the fact that it is essential to provide theMission with sufficient financial resources to enable itto fulfil its responsibilities under the relevant resolu-tions of the Security Council,

1. Endorses the conclusions and recommendationscontained in the report of the Advisory Committee onAdministrative and Budgetary Questions;

2. Decides, taking into account the amount of532,469,200 United States dollars previously appor-tioned under the terms of General Assembly resolu-tion 56/251 B, to apportion among Member States theadditional amount of 90 million dollars at a monthlyrate of 7.5 million dollars for the period from 1 July2002 to 30 June 2003, comprising 67.5 million dollarsfor the period from 1 July 2002 to 31 March 2003 and22.5 million dollars for the period from 1 April to 30June 2003, in accordance with the levels set out in Gen-eral Assembly resolution 55/235 of 23 December 2000,as adjusted by the Assembly in its resolution 55/236 ofthe same date and its resolution 57/290 of 20 Decem-ber 2002, and taking into account the scale of assess-ments for the years 2002 and 2003 as set out in its reso-lution 55/5 B of 23 December 2000, as adjusted by theAssembly in its resolution 57/4 B of 20 December2002, subject to a decision of the Security Council toextend the mandate of the Mission;

3. Decides also that, in accordance with the provi-sions of its resolution 973(X) of 15 December 1955,there shall be set off against the apportionment amongMember States, as provided for in paragraph 2 above,their respective share in the Tax Equalization Fund of326,400 dollars for the period from 1 July 2002 to 30June 2003, at a monthly rate of 27,200 dollars, compris-ing 244,800 dollars for the period from 1 July 2002 to31 March 2003 and 81,600 dollars for the period from1 April to 30 June 2003, in addition to the estimatedstaff assessment income in the amount of 9,004,200dollars previously approved under the terms of Assem-bly resolution 56/251 B;

4. Decides further to keep under review during itsfifty-seventh session the item entitled “Financing ofthe United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone”.

On 20 December, the Assembly decided thatthe agenda item on UNAMSIL financing would re-main for consideration during its resumed fifty-seventh (2003) session (decision 57/585) and thatthe Fifth Committee should continue to considerthe item at that session (decision 57/556).

Sanctions and justice system

Sanctions CommitteeThe Security Council Committee established

pursuant to resolution 1132(1997) concerning Si-erra Leone [YUN 1997, p. 135] continued to monitorarms and related materiel sanctions against thatcountry. The original sanctions were revised byresolution 1171(1998) [YUN 1998, p. 169]. By resolu-tion 1306(2000) [YUN 2000, p. 201], the Council re-quested Sierra Leone to establish a certificate-of-origin regime to control the export of its roughdiamonds as a means of curtailing the sale of dia-monds to fuel conflicts, and to report to the Sanc-tions Committee.

By a letter of 9 January [S/2002/38], the Chair-man of the Sanctions Committee forwarded acommunication from Sierra Leone enclosing itsthird review of the certificate-of-origin regime,



which had been in operation for just over a year.Sierra Leone reported that the disarmament anddemobilization of ex-combatants was virtuallycomplete, including in the main diamond areas,which had been occupied by rebels. The Govern-ment concluded that the regime had contributedto a significant reduction in trade in “conflict” (or“blood”) and illicit diamonds from the country.

In its fourth review of the certificate-of-originregime, which was transmitted to the Council bythe Committee Chairman on 23 July [S/2002/826],Sierra Leone reported that the control system in-cluded the electronic transfer of digital photo-graphs of the diamonds to two importing coun-tries, Belgium and Israel. Extension of thatimportant element of the certification system tothe United States had not materialized. Amongother measures, surveillance and monitoringmechanisms had been installed in mining areas.The Government believed that while the illicittrade in Sierra Leone diamonds might no longerbe playing a role in armed conflict in the country,illicit trade in diamonds continued to have a neg-ative impact on its economic and social develop-ment programmes.

With regard to the arms embargo against Si-erra Leone, the Chairman of the Committee, on29 April [S/2002/498], informed the Council of anotification received from the United Kingdomthat it had exported armoured vehicles fordeployment with Ghanaian troops assigned toUNAMSIL.

On 20 December [S/2002/1414], the Chairmansubmitted to the Council an account of the Com-mittee’s activities in 2002. The Committee hadadopted revised guidelines for conducting itswork and decided to exempt from its prohibitionon the import of Sierra Leone rough diamondsthose diamonds controlled by the Governmentthrough its certificate-of-origin regime. It inves-tigated alleged breaches of the sanctions regime,participated in meetings of other committeesconcerned with controlling the illegal sale of dia-monds, and reviewed the Government’s effortsto monitor diamond production and sales. TheCommittee Chairman visited Sierra Leone, Libe-ria and Guinea (22 June–4 July) to consider prob-lems encountered in implementing the sanctionsand improving their effectiveness. In the absenceof a monitoring mechanism to ensure implemen-tation of the sanctions regime, the Committeeurged States and organizations to provide it withpertinent information and called on ECOWAS tofacilitate the Committee’s work.


On 4 December [meeting 4654], the SecurityCouncil unanimously adopted resolution 1446

(2002). The draft [S/2002/1318] was prepared inconsultations among Council members.


President concerning the situation in Sierra Leone, inparticular resolutions 1132(1997) of 8 October 1997,1171(1998) of 5 June 1998, 1299(2000) of 19 May 2000,1306(2000) of 5 July 2000 and 1385(2001) of 19 Decem-ber 2001,

Affirming the commitment of all States to respect thesovereignty, political independence and territorial in-tegrity of Sierra Leone,

Welcoming the end of the conflict in Sierra Leone,the significant progress made in the peace process andthe improvements in the overall security situation inthe country, including in the diamond-producingareas, with the assistance of the United Nations Mis-sion in Sierra Leone,

Emphasizing that the Government must strengthenits efforts to extend its authority throughout Sierra Le-one, including the diamond-producing areas, and thatthe international community should continue provid-ing assistance in the reintegration of former combat-ants, and noting with concern that the situation in Li-beria remains a threat to security in Sierra Leone,especially the diamond-mining areas, and to othercountries in the region,

Recalling the role played by illicit trade in diamondsin fuelling the recent conflict in Sierra Leone, and ex-pressing its concern at the current large volume of il-licit trade in diamonds and its potentially negative im-pact on the fragile situation in Sierra Leone,

Welcoming General Assembly resolution 56/263 of13 March 2002, as well as ongoing efforts by interestedStates, the diamond industry, in particular the WorldDiamond Council, and non-governmental organiza-tions to break the link between illicit trade in rough di-amonds and armed conflict, particularly through thesignificant progress made by the Kimberley Process,and encouraging further progress in this regard,

Emphasizing the responsibility of all Member States,including diamond-importing countries, for fullyimplementing the measures set out in resolution1385(2001),

Taking note of the views of the Government of SierraLeone on the extension of the measures imposed byparagraph 1 of resolution 1306(2000),

Determining that the situation in the region contin-ues to constitute a threat to international peace andsecurity in the region,

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of theUnited Nations,

1. Welcomes the latest report of the Government ofSierra Leone entitled “Fourth review of the certificate-of-origin regime for the export of Sierra Leone dia-monds”, of 22 July 2002, including the assessment con-tained therein that the regime is helping to curb theillicit trade in diamonds from Sierra Leone;

2. Decides that the measures imposed by paragraph1 of resolution 1306(2000) shall remain in force for anew period of six months from 5 December 2002, ex-cept that, pursuant to paragraph 5 of resolution1306(2000), rough diamonds controlled by the Govern-ment of Sierra Leone under the certificate-of-originregime shall continue to be exempt from those meas-

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ures, and affirms that at the end of this period it willreview the situation in Sierra Leone, including theextent of the authority of the Government over thediamond-producing areas, in order to decide whetherto extend those measures for a further period and, ifnecessary, to modify them or to adopt further meas-ures;

3. Decides also that the measures imposed by para-graph 1 of resolution 1306(2000), as extended by para-graph 2 above, shall be terminated immediately if theSecurity Council determines that it would be appropri-ate to do so;

4. Decides further that the Security Council Commit-tee established pursuant to resolution 1132(1997) shallcontinue its consideration of the measures referred toin paragraphs 2, 4 and 5 of resolution 1171(1998) andpresent its views to the Council;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to publicize theprovisions of the present resolution and the obliga-tions imposed by it;


Establishment of Special CourtAs requested in Security Council resolution

1315(2000) [YUN 2000, p. 205], the Secretary-Generalpursued efforts to establish a Special Court for Si-erra Leone to try those accused of crimes againsthu-manity, war crimes and other serious violations ofinternational humanitarian law.

The Special Court became fully operational inlate 2002 and its Registry was expanding its activ-ities throughout Sierra Leone. On 2 December,the swearing-in of the judges took place and thejudges of the Trial and Appeals Chamberselected their respective presiding judges. JusticeGeoffrey Robertson (United Kingdom) waselected presiding judge of the Appeals Chamberand President of the Court, while Judge BankoleThompson (Sierra Leone) was elected presidingjudge of the Trial Chamber. The Special Courtand UNAMSIL signed a memorandum of under-standing covering areas of general assistance,including security and support for the Court’soutreach programme, and technical and admin-istrative assistance. In October, UNAMSIL handedover to the Court a preliminary inventory of war-related killings and grave sites that had been in-vestigated by the Mission.

In preparation for the establishment of theSpecial Court, the Secretary-General sent a plan-ning mission to Sierra Leone from 7 to 19 Janu-ary, which submitted a report in March to theSecurity Council [S/2002/246 & Corr.1-3]. Practicalarrangements addressed in the report for the es-tablishment and operation of the Special Courtincluded the question of premises, the provisionof local personnel and services, and the launch-ing of the investigative and prosecutorial pro-cesses. The Agreement between the UnitedNations and the Government of Sierra Leone on

the Establishment of a Special Court for SierraLeone (contained in an appendix) was signed on16 January. The UN Office of Legal Affairs con-sulted with the Attorney-General of Sierra Leoneon the candidates for judges, the Prosecutor andthe Deputy Prosecutor, and discussed the practi-cal implementation of the Agreement withinSierra Leone’s legal system.

The Special Court’s jurisdiction coveredprimarily those in political and military leader-ship positions, but did not exclude others in com-mand authority singled out by the gravity of thecrime, its massive scale or heinous nature. Twoother categories of persons never before prose-cuted by an international jurisdiction also fellwithin the jurisdiction of the Special Court,namely, peacekeepers and juveniles. The prose-cutorial strategy would be to reconstruct the his-tory of the hostilities and study the commandstructure of the different factions to identifythose who bore the greatest responsibility. TheOffice of the Prosecutor would comprise a TrialSection and an Investigations Section, both to beserviced by an Evidence and Analysis Section.The Registry of the Special Court would be re-sponsible for administrative and judicial servicesto the Court, such as personnel, finance, procure-ment, information technology, transportation,buildings management, detention facilities, andsecurity and safety. UNAMSIL infrastructurewould be used for the Court’s services in person-nel administration, communication, transport,finance and procurement. A Security Officewithin the Registry would be responsible for ex-ternal and internal security, detention facilities,and personal and residential protection. TheManagement Committee, composed largely ofmajor donors to the Special Court (Canada, Le-sotho, Netherlands, Nigeria, United Kingdom,United States), would review periodically all non-judicial operations of the Court and exercise anoversight role.

The report described the relationship betweenthe Court and the Truth and ReconciliationCommission, which was established in 2000 bythe Government [YUN 2000, p. 209]. The two bodieshad distinct purposes and different legal basesand mandates, yet their subject matter and per-sonal and temporal jurisdiction intersected. Agroup of experts, at meetings in New York in De-cember 2001 and in Freetown in January 2002,identified areas of cooperation and potentialconflict and analysed the different legal bases forthe establishment of the two institutions, theirmandates and jurisdictional scope, and their im-plications for the relationship between them.

The Secretary-General reported in June[S/2002/679] that progress was made on the estab-



lishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Com-mission. The interim secretariat of the Commis-sion, staffed by an Executive Secretary, threeinternational advisers and six national advisers,began functioning on 25 March. On 13 May, thePresident announced the appointment of thefour national and three international Commis-sioners. However, the inauguration of the Com-mission, which was supposed to take place on1 June, had to be postponed because of lack offunding. Of the $10 million budgeted, only$1.2 million had been pledged.

The Special Court for Sierra Leone began itsactivities with the arrival in early July of the Reg-istrar (Robin Vincent (United Kingdom)), theProsecutor (David Crane (United States)) andtheir advance teams [S/2002/987]. In a letter of 26June [S/2002/741], the Registrar raised some ad-ministrative and financial questions. On 25 July,the appointments of eight judges to serve in theTrial Chamber and the Appeals Chamber wereannounced. In laying the administrative and fi-nancial bases for the operation of the SpecialCourt, the recruitment process for both interna-tional and local staff was begun.

Liberia

The conflict in Liberia between governmentforces and armed dissidents escalated in 2002and increasingly affected regional stability.Large numbers of Sierra Leonean refugees re-turned home and almost 10,000 Liberians fledinto southern and eastern Sierra Leone. Ele-ments from both the armed forces of Liberia andthe opposition were reported to have crossed intoSierra Leone foraging for food and seeking ref-uge.

Regional aspects of the conflict were discussedby the heads of State of the MRU countries(Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone) at a meeting inRabat, Morocco, in February. Follow-up meet-ings under the Rabat process discussed, amongother issues, a legal framework for dealing withdissident groups.

The Panel of Experts set up by the SecurityCouncil in resolution 1343(2001) [YUN 2001, p. 181]to investigate violations of the arms embargoagainst Liberia, the ban on Liberian support forRUF and the ban on the export of rough dia-monds from Sierra Leone [YUN 2000, p. 204] was re-activated in 2002. In April and October, it re-ported on the flow of arms into the country anduse of air transportation, the smuggling of roughdiamonds and the travel ban on key officials, andmade recommendations in each of those areas.

In May, the Security Council, deciding that theGovernment had not complied fully with the

Council’s demands that it halt support for RUF,extended the sanctions against Liberia for an-other 12 months. The Council called on theGovernment to establish a certificate-of-originregime for Liberian rough diamonds, and re-quested the Secretary-General to establish an-other panel of experts to investigate Liberia’scompliance with earlier requests.

At the end of the year, the Council expressedconcern about the situation in Liberia and thethreat it posed to peace and security in the regionas the result of the Government’s activities andthe continuing internal conflict, including thearmed attacks by the opposition group, LiberiansUnited for Reconciliation and Democracy(LURD).

The United Nations Peace-building SupportOffice in Liberia (UNOL) continued to work to-wards peace in the country, to assist in providinghumanitarian aid to the people and to monitorthe situation. By resolution 57/151 (see p. 917),the General Assembly called for special assist-ance for the rehabilitation and reconstruction ofLiberia.

Security Council workshop. At its 18 Julyworkshop on MRU (see also p. 147), the SecurityCouncil discussed peace-building in Liberia. On26 July, the United Kingdom, as Council Pres-ident, submitted a summary of the key themesdiscussed at the workshop [S/2002/836]. The work-shop agreed that peace in Liberia was a prerequi-site for stability in the MRU subregion and was es-sential to protect the investment the internationalcommunity had made in Sierra Leone. Reconcili-ation talks within Liberia and between Liberiaand its neighbours, which should be encouragedand coordinated, should aim first at a ceasefireand then at a wider programme, including dis-armament, demobilization and reintegration,free, fair and inclusive elections, improved gov-ernance and respect for human rights. The work-shop noted that the sanctions on Liberia hadhelped to cut President Charles Taylor’s links toRUF and restore peace to Sierra Leone. It was nec-essary to make clear that sanctions were mecha-nisms for contributing to peace and security, notinstruments of reprisal. Efforts to stop the flowof small arms into West Africa had to be rein-forced and the source of arms supplies identi-fied. Illegal exploitation of economic resourceslike diamonds also had to be stopped, backed byglobal efforts such as the Kimberley Process (seep. 43). UN efforts should include action by theBretton Woods institutions, among others; a fur-ther Security Council mission to the region; anaudit of armed groups by the UN Office for WestAfrica; the establishment of a contact group onMRU; and cooperation between the Security

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Council’s new ad hoc group on Africa and thenew Economic and Social Council ad hoc advi-sory group on African countries emerging fromconflict.

Internal conflict

In early 2002, the conflict in Liberia escalated,forcing large numbers of Sierra Leonean refu-gees living there to return to their country and al-most 10,000 Liberian refugees to flee into south-ern and eastern Sierra Leone. On two occasions,elements of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL),fleeing from the fighting, crossed into Sierra Le-one. On both occasions, Liberian soldiers volun-tarily agreed to return to their country. TheSecretary-General stated in March [S/2002/267]that there were persistent reports that the formerSierra Leone RUF field commander, SamBockarie, remained active in the region and thatboth the Government of Liberia and dissidentforces fighting in Liberia might have recruitedsome disarmed Sierra Leonean combatants.

In a press release of 11 February [SG/SM/8121],the Secretary-General expressed concern aboutthe recent upsurge of fighting in Liberia and ap-pealed to all parties to resolve their differencesthrough dialogue. He called on the States con-cerned to prevent armed groups and individualsfrom using their territory to prepare and launchattacks on neighbouring countries. On 13 Febru-ary [SC/7301], the President of the Security Coun-cil said the Council reiterated that position andcalled on Liberia to ensure respect for humanrights and to provide access for relief workers andhumanitarian agencies. Likewise, it called onarmed insurgents to respect human life andcalled on President Taylor to honour his pledgenot to use the declaration of a state of emergencyto curtail civil liberties.

Regional aspects of security problems werediscussed by the heads of MRU States at a meetingin Rabat on 27 February [A/56/856-S/2002/231] (seealso p. 148). They condemned all dissident activi-ties in the MRU subregion and agreed to work to-wards curbing the activities of armed groups op-erating there. They also proposed that legalexperts work on a legal framework for dealingwith dissident groups. A follow-up meeting andfurther contacts among themselves were alsoplanned.

Liberia, on 20 March [S/2002/310], referring tothe February statements made by the Council andthe Secretary-General, stated that it had takenmeasures in self-defence in the wake of armedattacks against its territory. The Governmentassured the Council that it would comply with theCouncil’s demands outlined in resolution 1343(2001) [YUN 2001, p. 181].

In June [S/2002/679], the Secretary-General re-ported that the escalating conflict was increas-ingly affecting the stability of the areas along theborder with Sierra Leone. On several occasions,elements from both AFL and LURD raided SierraLeonean villages while foraging for food. A num-ber of Liberian soldiers approached UNAMSILand Sierra Leonean army deployment locationsto seek refuge from the fighting in Liberia. In ad-dition, the Government of Sierra Leone ex-pressed concern about the possible existence ofarmed Liberian elements among the large num-ber of refugees fleeing into the southern andeastern districts of the country. In September[S/2002/987], the Secretary-General warned thatthe interaction of developments in Liberia andSierra Leone would affect the planned reductionof UNAMSIL forces. Measures needed to be takento ensure that the Sierra Leonean army had themeans to deter border incursions by armed Libe-rian elements. It was imperative that the interna-tional community, particularly the SecurityCouncil, urgently engage Liberia in a substan-tive, long-term manner, with a view to safeguard-ing the progress made in Sierra Leone andachieving regional stability.

The Security Council, in resolution 1436(2002) of 24 September (see p. 157), demandedthat the AFL and armed groups refrain from ille-gal incursions into Sierra Leone, called for com-pliance with the arms embargo against Liberia,and encouraged the Sierra Leonean armedforces and UNAMSIL to maintain intensive patrol-ling of the border with Liberia.

During November [S/2002/1417], there was anupsurge of raids by armed Liberians searchingfor food in Sierra Leonean villages in the borderareas. Although unconfirmed, reports aboundedof recruitment of former Sierra Leonean com-batants by both LURD and Liberian governmentforces. At the same time, the camp created by theGovernment of Sierra Leone to accommodate Li-berian combatants fleeing from both LURD andgovernment forces became operational and, byDecember, it held 64 inmates, of whom 56 wereformer AFL members and 8 were former LURDmembers.

Sanctions

By a 16 January letter [S/2002/83], the Chairmanof the Security Council Committee establishedpursuant to resolution 1343(2001) [YUN 2001, p. 181]concerning Liberia transmitted the Committee’sreport on its activities from 7 March to 31 Decem-ber 2001 [ibid., p. 187]. The Committee describedinformation it had received on violations and al-leged violations of the sanctions regime againstLiberia. In the absence of any specific monitor-



ing mechanism to supervise the sanctions, theCommittee urged States and organizations toprovide it with pertinent information.


On 27 February [meeting 4481], the SecurityCouncil unanimously adopted resolution 1395(2002). The draft [S/2002/206] was prepared inconsultations among Council members.

The Security Council,Reaffirming its resolution1343(2001)of7March2001,Noting that the next six-monthly review by the Coun-

cil of the measures imposed by paragraphs 5 to 7 ofresolution 1343(2001) is scheduled to take place on orbefore 6 May 2002,

Recognizing the importance of monitoring the im-plementation of the provisions contained in resolution1343(2001),

1. Takes note of the report of the Panel of Expertsconcerning Liberia of 26 October 2001, submitted pur-suant to paragraph 19 of resolution 1343(2001);

2. Expresses its intention to give full consideration tothe report;

3. Decides, in the meanwhile, to re-establish thePanel of Experts for a further period of five weekscommencing no later than 11 March 2002;

4. Requests the Panel of Experts to conduct a follow-up assessment mission to Liberia and neighbouringStates in order to investigate and compile a brief inde-pendent audit of the compliance by the Governmentof Liberia with paragraph 2 and of any violations ofparagraphs 5 to 7 of resolution 1343(2001), and toreport to the Council through the Security CouncilCommittee established by paragraph 14 of resolution1343(2001) no later than 8 April 2002 with the observa-tions and recommendations of the Panel in relation tothe tasks set out herein;

5. Requests the Secretary-General, upon the adop-tion of the present resolution and acting in consulta-tion with the Committee established pursuant to reso-lution 1343(2001), to appoint no more than fiveexperts, drawing as much as possible and as appropri-ate on the expertise of the members of the Panel of Ex-perts, and also requests the Secretary-General to makethe necessary financial arrangements to support thework of the Panel;

6. Calls upon all States to cooperate fully with thePanel of Experts appointed under paragraph 5 above,in the discharge of its mandate;


Panel of ExpertsThe Secretary-General, in a 5 March letter

[S/2002/237], referred to resolution 1395(2002)(above), by which the Security Council decided tore-establish the Panel of Experts on Liberia for afurther period of five weeks, and informed theCouncil of his appointment of four experts to thePanel.

Report of Panel (April). The Panel of Expertsappointed pursuant to Security Council resolu-tion 1395(2002) transmitted its report to the

Council on 19 April [S/2002/470]. Since the Panel’sprevious report in October 2001 [YUN 2001, p. 186],the war in Liberia’s Lofa County had spread to-wards Monrovia and a state of emergency was de-clared in February. In contrast, the peace processin Sierra Leone was proceeding, and in JanuaryPresident Kabbah declared the conflict over.

During its investigation, the Panel tried to as-sess whether any renegade RUF structures re-mained intact in Liberia that could pose a threatto the election process and its aftermath in SierraLeone. Although the Panel found credible evi-dence of small clusters of ex-RUF combatantsfighting in Liberia as guns for hire for both theGovernment and rebels, there did not seem to bea connection with the RUF Party. The Panel alsoattempted to locate the last unaccounted-for keyRUF military commander, Sam “Maskita” (or“Mosquito”) Bockarie. Despite rumours that hewas active in Liberia, the Panel could only con-firm that he travelled under a false name toGhana in 2001 and that his wife and mother wereliving in Monrovia.

The Panel found credible evidence that Li-beria kept violating the arms embargo and thatthe numerous special units deployed by theGovernment carried new weaponry and ammu-nition. It expressed concern about the continu-ing arms build-up in neighbouring countries. Inview of the volatile situation in the subregion, thePanel recommended that: the arms embargo onLiberia be continued and monitored for viola-tions; the ECOWAS moratorium relating to smallarms should be broadened to include an infor-mation exchange mechanism for all weaponstypes that would be binding on both supplyingand receiving countries; all arms-producing andarms-exporting countries should abstain fromsupplying weapons to each MRU country; and animmediate embargo should be imposed on allnon-State actors in the MRU countries, includingthe dissident groups constituting LURD. ThePanel estimated that LURD had some 2,000 menfighting for it.

With regard to air transportation, the Panel re-iterated the recommendations made in its pre-vious report [YUN 2001, p. 186]. Noting that airtransportation remained important for the viola-tion of the arms embargo, the Panel described aseries of suspicious flights to Monrovia, one ofwhich crash-landed near Roberts InternationalAirport on 15 February. In view of the flight ir-regularities, the Panel recommended that Libe-ria be requested to supply to the Sanctions Com-mittee within three months a full report on: basicfacts about the crash; the nature of flights fromand to N’Djamena, Chad, on 15 and 25 Februaryand 5 March; and the irregularities relating to

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the registration and flight plans of three flights,as well as other details on those flights. In addi-tion, the Panel recommended that an indepen-dent investigation be conducted to verify thefindings of that report.

The imposition of an embargo on the exportof Liberian rough diamonds, coupled with pro-gress in the Sierra Leone peace process, contin-ued to ensure that “Liberian”-labelled roughdiamonds disappeared from official markets.The sanctions and the spreading internal con-flict in Liberia had greatly affected domestic pro-duction. Fighting in the previous few months inthe richest diamond-producing areas of westernLiberia and rebel occupation of those areas hadcut diamond production, thus causing a furtherdecline in the supply of Liberian diamonds forsmuggling, and the LURD rebels had begun trad-ing in “conflict diamonds”. Diamonds were stillsmuggled into neighbouring countries, but thevolume had declined recently because of the con-flict. The Panel believed that Liberia should haveits own credible certification scheme so that therewas less incentive for Liberian rough diamonds tobe deliberately mixed with those of neighbour-ing countries, and it recommended that theUnited Nations should urge Member States to as-sist the Liberian Government in setting up such ascheme, which would be independently auditedin order to facilitate the Council’s considerationof a monitored suspension of the diamond ban.

In recent months, there had been better com-pliance by Liberian officials with the travel ban,the Panel reported. However, a small number ofkey individuals continued to violate it. Several ofthem had been issued Liberian passports withfalse names and the Ivorian authorities atAbidjan International Airport continued to turna blind eye to arriving Liberian officials subject tothe UN travel ban. The Panel believed that thecurrent list of 129 names subject to the ban wastoo long and should be reduced to a list of all cab-inet members, key government officials and indi-viduals documented in Panel reports as havingviolated UN sanctions or consistently obstructedtheir investigation.

Both MRU and ECOWAS became engaged inseeking a peaceful solution to the Liberianconfict. Following the MRU heads of State meet-ing in February (see p. 166), the Joint SecurityCommittee met from 5 to 7 March in Freetownfor discussions on the problem of dissidents, thedeployment of joint security and confidence-building units, proliferation of small arms andthe need for intelligence-sharing. The Commit-tee held a second meeting in Conakry, Guinea, on25 March and a Committee of Legal Experts metin Freetown on 13 March. Also in March, ECOWAS

sponsored a conference in Abuja, Nigeria, onpolitical dialogue in Liberia, which theGovernment of Liberia, civil society and opposi-tion groups attended. LURD was invited but didnot attend. The eighth ministerial meeting of theECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (Dakar,Senegal, 29 March) condemned the LURD attacksin Liberia and declared a ban on travel to and res-idence within Member States for the LURD lead-ership. A committee was set up to monitor the en-forcement of those measures, comprisingGuinea, Liberia, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leoneand the ECOWAS secretariat.

The perception of average Liberians was thatsanctions were affecting them. Since May 2001,the Government had been conducting an anti-sanctions campaign, blaming the United States,the United Kingdom and the United Nations forthe imposition of sanctions, while actively tryingto keep the population ignorant about the sanc-tions and the work of the Panel.

Report of Secretary-General (May). In re-sponse to Security Council resolution 1343(2001) [YUN 2001, p. 181], the Secretary-Generalsubmitted a 1 May report on Liberia [S/2002/494].The report was his third on the issue of whetherLiberia had complied with the Council’s de-mands that it cease support for RUF in Sierra Le-one and for other armed rebel groups in theregion, and it drew on information from all rele-vant sources, including UNOL, UNAMSIL andECOWAS. It also included information fromUNAMSIL on progress made in implementingparagraph 3 of the resolution, which asked theSierra Leone President to help ensure that RUFallowed UNAMSIL free access throughout thecountry, released all abductees, entered its fight-ers in the disarmament, demobilization and re-integration process, and returned all weaponsseized from UNAMSIL.

UNOL, which had limited capacity to confirmclaims by the Government regarding its compli-ance with the resolution, transmitted informa-tion received from the Liberian Government,which reiterated its policy of disengagementwith RUF. It also reaffirmed that Sam Bockariewas expelled from the country in 2001 and con-tended that the most significant illustration of itspolicy of disengagement was the phenomenalprogress recorded in the peace process in SierraLeone. The Government also pointed out thatsome progress had been achieved in the consoli-dation of peace and security among the MRUStates. The Rabat process had already led to ameeting of the heads of State of Guinea, Liberiaand Sierra Leone; the deployment of jointsecurity border and confidence-building units;cross-border security cooperation; and an agree-



ment on the expulsion of dissidents from mem-ber countries. Further steps were anticipated. Li-beria maintained that the ban on the importationof uncertified rough diamonds was vigorouslyenforced.

UNAMSIL reported that the former RUF lead-ers also affirmed that the group maintained nocontact with the Government of Liberia. Thewhereabouts of Sam Bockarie remained un-known, but he was not in Sierra Leone, accord-ing to UNAMSIL. Furthermore, RUF had allowedUNAMSIL free access to all areas under its con-trol, had released a total of 1,169 children toUNAMSIL, and a total of 19,183 RUF combatantswere disarmed in the programme that lastedfrom 18 May 2001 to 17 January 2002. UNAMSILpointed out that RUF had returned only 199weapons.

For its part, ECOWAS reported that its Media-tion and Verification Mission to Liberia (27March–3 April) was told by the Government ofLiberia that it had expelled all RUF rebels fromLiberia and no longer had contact with that orga-nization, there were no RUF assets in Liberia andthe Government was not involved in the illegaltrafficking of arms, the importation of rough dia-monds from Sierra Leone was banned, and theGovernment had grounded all aircraft known tobelong to the Liberian registry. With regard tothe diamond trade, Liberia had taken measurestowards establishing a certificate-of-origin re-gime based on the Kimberley Process, for whichit had sought assistance from the United King-dom and the EU. The ECOWAS Mission was of theview that it was difficult to verify the extent of thedisengagement from RUF of the Government ofLiberia.

The Secretary-General observed that theGovernment of Liberia had made efforts to im-prove relations with its MRU partners, citing theRabat summit meeting on 27 February (seep. 166), which was followed by several meetings atthe technical and ministerial levels with a view tofinding a lasting solution to the crisis in the re-gion. Moreover, efforts were being made to find asolution to the current fighting in Liberia, with aview to achieving national reconciliation and, ul-timately, lasting peace. The pre-reconciliationconference, held in Abuja in March underECOWAS auspices, brought together governmentrepresentatives and members of opposition polit-ical parties, civil society representatives and reli-gious and community leaders, in preparation fora national reconciliation conference in Monroviain July.


On 6 May [meeting 4526], the Security Councilunanimously adopted resolution 1408(2002).The draft [S/2002/514] was prepared in consulta-tions among Council members.

The Security Council,Recalling its resolutions 1132(1997) of 8 October

1997, 1171(1998) of 5 June 1998, 1306(2000) of 5 July2000, 1343(2001) of 7 March 2001, 1385(2001) of 19 De-cember 2001, 1395(2002) of 27 February 2002, 1400(2002) of 28 March 2002 and its other resolutions andthe statements by its President on the situation in theregion,

Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General of1 May 2002,

Taking note also of the reports of the Panel of Expertsconcerning Liberia of 26 October 2001 and 19 April2002, submitted pursuant to paragraph 19 of resolu-tion 1343(2001) and paragraph 4 of resolution1395(2002) respectively,

Expressing serious concern at the findings of the Panelof Experts regarding the actions of the Government ofLiberia, including the evidence that the Government ofLiberia continues to breach the measures imposedpursuant to resolution 1343(2001), particularly throughthe acquisition of arms,

Welcoming General Assembly resolution 56/263 of13 March 2002, looking forward to the full implemen-tation of the international certification scheme pro-posed by the Kimberley Process as soon as possible,and recalling its concern at the role played by the illicittrade in diamonds in the conflict in the region,

Welcoming also the summit meeting of the Presidentsof the Mano River Union, held in Rabat on 27 Febru-ary 2002 at the invitation of the King of Morocco, andthe continued efforts of the Economic Community ofWest African States to work towards the restoration ofpeace and stability in the region,

Welcoming further the conference sponsored by theEconomic Community of West African States on politi-cal dialogue in Liberia held in Abuja on 14 March2002, in particular the involvement of civil society, andencouraging the participation of all Liberian parties inthe proposed Liberian National Conference on Peaceand Reconciliation, to be held in Monrovia in July2002, as a means of promoting the conditions for free,fair, transparent and inclusive elections in 2003,

Encouraging civil society initiatives in the region, in-cluding those of the Mano River Women’s Peace Net-work, to continue their contribution towards regionalpeace,

Calling upon the Government of Liberia to cooperatefully with the Special Court for Sierra Leone when it isestablished,

Recalling the Moratorium on the Importation, Ex-portation and Manufacture of Small Arms and LightWeapons in West Africa adopted in Abuja on 31 Octo-ber 1998 by the heads of State and Government of theEconomic Community of West African States, and itsextension from 5 July 2001,

Determining that the active support provided by theGovernment of Liberia to armed rebel groups in theregion, in particular to former combatants of the Revo-lutionary United Front who continue to destabilize the

Africa 169


region, constitutes a threat to international peace andsecurity in the region,


1. Decides that the Government of Liberia has notcomplied fully with the demands set out in paragraphs2 (a) to (d) of resolution 1343(2001);

2. Notes with satisfaction the updated informationprovided by the Government of Liberia to the Panel ofExperts concerning the registration and ownership ofeach aircraft registered in Liberia and the steps takenby the Government of Liberia to update its register ofaircraft pursuant to annex VII to the Convention onInternational Civil Aviation, signed at Chicago, UnitedStates of America, on 7 December 1944, in compliancewith the demand set out in paragraph 2 (e) of resolu-tion 1343(2001);

3. Stresses that the demands referred to in para-graph 1 above are intended to lead to consolidation ofthe peace process in Sierra Leone and to further pro-gress in the peace process in the Mano River Union,and in that regard calls upon the President of Liberiato continue to participate in the meetings of the Presi-dents of the Mano River Union and to implement fullyhis commitments to building regional peace andsecurity, as set out in the communiqué of the summitmeeting of the Presidents of the Mano River Union;

4. Demands that all States in the region ceasemilitary support for armed groups in neighbouringcountries, take action to prevent armed individualsand groups using their territory to prepare and com-mit attacks on neighbouring countries and refrainfrom any actions that might contribute to further de-stabilization of the situation on the borders betweenGuinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone;

5. Decides that the measures imposed by paragraphs5 to 7 of resolution 1343(2001) shall remain in force fora further period of twelve months from 0001 hourseastern daylight time on 7 May 2002, and that, at theend of this period, the Security Council will decidewhether the Government of Liberia has complied withthe demands referred to in paragraph 1 above, and, ac-cordingly, whether to extend these measures for a fur-ther period with the same conditions;

6. Decides also that the measures referred to in para-graph 5 above shall be terminated immediately if theCouncil, taking into account, inter alia, the reports ofthe Panel of Experts referred to in paragraph 16 belowand the report of the Secretary-General referred toin paragraph 11 below, input from the EconomicCommunity of West African States, any relevant in-formation provided by the Security Council Commit-tee established pursuant to paragraph 14 of resolution1343(2001) (the Committee) and the Security CouncilCommittee established pursuant to resolution 1132(1997) and any other relevant information, determinesthat the Government of Liberia has complied with thedemands referred to in paragraph 1 above;

7. Reiterates its call upon the Government of Liberiato establish an effective certificate-of-origin regimefor Liberian rough diamonds that is transparent andinternationally verifiable, bearing in mind the plansfor the international certification scheme under theKimberley Process, and to provide the Committee witha detailed description of the proposed regime;

8. Decides, notwithstanding paragraph 15 of resolu-tion 1343(2001), that rough diamonds controlled bythe Government of Liberia through the certificate-of-origin regime shall be exempt from the measures im-posed by paragraph 6 of resolution 1343(2001) whenthe Committee has reported to the Council, taking intoaccount expert advice obtained through the Secretary-General that an effective and internationally verifiableregime is ready to become fully operational;

9. Calls again upon States, relevant international or-ganizations and other bodies in a position to do so tooffer assistance to the Government of Liberia andother diamond exporting countries in West Africawith their certificate-of-origin regimes;

10. Calls upon the Government of Liberia to takeurgent steps, including through the establishment oftransparent and internationally verifiable audit re-gimes, to ensure that revenue derived by the Govern-ment of Liberia from the Liberia Shipping Registryand the Liberian timber industry is used for legitimatesocial, humanitarian and development purposes, andthat it is not used in violation of the present resolution,and to report back to the Committee on the steps takenand on the results of such audits no later than threemonths after the date of adoption of the present reso-lution;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a re-port to the Council by 21 October 2002, and thereafterat six-monthly intervals, drawing on information fromall relevant sources, including the United Nations Of-fice in Liberia, the United Nations Mission in SierraLeone and the Economic Community of West AfricanStates, on whether Liberia has complied with the de-mands referred to in paragraph 1 above, and callsupon the Government of Liberia to support UnitedNations efforts to verify all information on compliancewhich is brought to the notice of the United Nations;

12. Invites the Economic Community of West Afri-can States to report regularly to the Committee on allactivities undertaken by its members pursuant to para-graph 5 above and in the implementation of the pres-ent resolution;

13. Requests the Committee to carry out the tasks setout in the present resolution and to continue with itsmandate as set out in paragraphs 14 (a) to (i) of resolu-tion 1343(2001);

14. Also requests the Committee to consider and takeappropriate action on information brought to its atten-tion concerning any alleged violations of the measuresimposed by paragraph 8 of resolution 788(1992) whilethat resolution was in force;

15. Requests all States that have not reported pursu-ant to paragraph 18 of resolution 1343(2001) to reportto the Committee within ninety days on the steps theyhave taken to implement the measures referred to inparagraph 5 above;

16. Requests the Secretary-General to establish,within three months from the date of adoption of thepresent resolution, in consultation with the Commit-tee, for a period of three months, a Panel of Expertsconsisting of no more than five members, drawing, asmuch as possible and as appropriate, on the expertiseof the members of the Panel of Experts establishedpursuant to resolution 1343(2001), to conduct a follow-up assessment mission to Liberia and neighbouringStates in order to investigate and compile a report on



the compliance of the Government of Liberia with thedemands referred to in paragraph 1 above, on thepotential economic, humanitarian and social impacton the Liberian population of the measures referred toin paragraph 5 above and on any violations of themeasures referred to in paragraph 5 above, includingany involving rebel movements, and to report to theCouncil through the Committee no later than 7 Octo-ber 2002 with observations and recommendations, andalso requests the Secretary-General to provide the nec-essary resources;

17. Requests the Panel of Experts referred to in para-graph 16 above, as far as possible, to bring any relevantinformation collected in the course of the investiga-tions conducted in accordance with its mandate to theattention of the States concerned for prompt and thor-ough investigation and, where appropriate, correctiveaction, and to allow them the right of reply;

18. Calls upon all States to take appropriate meas-ures to ensure that individuals and companies withintheir jurisdiction, in particular those referred to in thereports of the Panel of Experts established pursuant toresolutions 1343(2001) and 1395(2002), act in conform-ity with United Nations embargoes, in particular thoseestablished pursuant to resolutions 1171(1998), 1306(2000) and 1343(2001), and, as appropriate, to take thenecessary judicial and administrative action to end anyillegal activities by those individuals and companies;

19. Requests all States, in particular arms exportingcountries, to exercise the highest degree of responsi-bility in small arms and light weapons transactions toprevent the illegal diversion and re-export thereof, soas to stem the leakage of legal weapons to illegal mar-kets in the region, in line with the statement by its Pres-ident of 31 August 2001 (S/PRST/2001/21) and theUnited Nations Programme of Action to Prevent,Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Armsand Light Weapons in All Its Aspects;

20. Decides to conduct reviews of the measures re-ferred to in paragraph 5 above before 7 November2002 and every six months thereafter;

21. Urges all States, relevant United Nations bodiesand, as appropriate, other organizations and inter-ested parties to cooperate fully with the Committeeand with the Panel of Experts referred to in paragraph16 above, including by supplying information on possi-ble violations of the measures referred to in paragraph5 above;


In response to Council resolution 1408(2002)(above), the Secretary-General, on 17 July [S/2002/774], notified the Council that he had appointedfour members to the Panel of Experts to conducta follow-up assessment mission to Liberia andneighbouring States.

Report of Secretary-General (October). On22 October [S/2002/1183], the Secretary-Generalissued his first report pursuant to Security Coun-cil resolution 1408(2002) regarding Liberia.

UNOL reported that the Government of Liberiahad reiterated its positions, as described in theSecretary-General’s May report (see p. 168), andnoted further that Sierra Leone had just success-

fully held free and fair elections with the full co-operation and participation of RUF, which hadtransformed itself into a political party. It pointedto the absence of any armed hostilities in SierraLeone for most of 2001 and 2002 as indicationsthat Liberia harboured no plans to destabilize Si-erra Leone or any other State in the subregion.UNOL confirmed that Liberia had participatedin all recent MRU joint security meetings. TheGovernment also reaffirmed its ban on the im-portation of uncertified rough diamonds and therelated ban on the export of Liberian diamonds.In addition, Liberia was in the process of draftinga plan of action for a diamond certification re-gime under the Kimberley Process.

For its part, UNAMSIL reported that it had notobserved any indications of Liberian support forthe RUF Party, financially or logistically.

ECOWAS sent a mission to Liberia from 29 Sep-tember to 4 October to verify Liberia’s compli-ance with resolution 1343(2001). It reported thatabout 12,500 Sierra Leonean refugees in Liberiahad been repatriated, and 25,000 more wereawaiting repatriation. The mission did not findany proof of Liberian Government support toRUF, nor any evidence of direct importation ofrough diamonds from Sierra Leone. TheGovernment said that, due to the war in Liberia,it considered that the arms embargo was not inconsonance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.Independent sources believed that the Govern-ment had continued to import arms. The missionmade a number of recommendations to achievepeace and stability in the MRU subregion, includ-ing encouraging the Government to hold an all-inclusive national dialogue through a nationalreconciliation conference, in which all groups ofLiberian society would participate.

The Secretary-General observed that the on-going conflict continued to take a huge toll on theLiberian population, in terms of the growingnumbers of dead and wounded, population dis-placements and human suffering. The recent cri-sis in neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire (see p. 180),which already hosted a large Liberian refugeepopulation, was likely to complicate the securitysituation in the subregion. The Secretary-General welcomed all efforts to find a solution tothe conflict, including the recent establishmentof the International Contact Group on Liberia,the continuation of the Rabat process and the re-affirmation by the Security Council of its supportfor ECOWAS initiatives. He regarded as encourag-ing the Government’s indication that it would en-gage in dialogue with LURD if that group agreedto stop fighting. In conclusion, the Secretary-General urged the Security Council to remainengaged with Liberia and its people.

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Report of Panel (October). The Panel of Ex-perts appointed pursuant to Security Councilresolution 1408(2002) (see p. 169) submitted itsreport [S/2002/1115] to the Council on 24 October.Since its previous report in April, the Panelstated, Liberia’s internal conflict had continuedto spread, with violence spilling over into Guineaand Sierra Leone. Recent events in Côte d’Ivoire(see p. 180) underscored how fragile the regionremained. The multiparty elections in Sierra Le-one, however, were a positive development.

The Panel continued to track the remnants ofthe armed RUF in an effort to assess its capabili-ties. Having met with a former RUF leader,Ibrahim Balde (also known as Bah), and the wifeof Sam “Mosquito” Bockarie, among others, thePanel said that it estimated RUF strength in Libe-ria at between 1,250 and 1,500 men, operating inelite Liberian government military units. Theyrepresented the last coherent surviving structureof the armed RUF. They enjoyed the patronage ofthe Liberian Government and continued to playan important part in Liberia’s military capability.The Panel was unable to locate Sam Bockarie butbelieved that he was residing outside Liberia,possibly in Ghana.

The Panel uncovered new violations of thearms embargo against Liberia, including the de-livery to Roberts International Airport of sixcargo aircraft in June, July and August contain-ing weapons and ammunition totalling over 200tons. The weapons were mainly from old Yugo-slav stocks and were supplied by an arms dealerbased in Belgrade. To avoid detection of armstransfers, a sophisticated trail of double docu-mentation was set up involving cooperation withthe Nigerian authorities, a non-existent Nigeriancompany and a number of go-between companiesand brokers. The Panel observed that arms alsocontinued to reach LURD rebels through SierraLeone, Côte d’Ivoire or Guinea. The Panel rec-ommended that: the arms embargo on Liberiashould continue and be regularly monitored; thearms embargo should be extended to all armednon-State actors in the region, including LURD;arms-exporting countries should abstain fromsupplying arms to MRU countries in line with themoratorium on small arms that applied for thewhole ECOWAS region; a UN working groupshould be established to develop a standardizedend-user certificate for arms sales, with basic in-formation on the purchaser and the arms broker;and the moratorium on the importation, exporta-tion and manufacture of small arms and lightweapons in West Africa and its implementationmechanism, the Programme for Coordinationand Assistance for Security and Development,should be more effectively used to monitor and

combat illicit trafficking and sanctions busting.Under the existing requirements for the morato-rium, the ECOWAS member States issued requestsfor exemptions to import arms, which had to beapproved by the other members. There was norequirement to submit copies of the end-usercertificates. The Panel also recommended that:all end-user certificates should be submitted tothe ECOWAS secretariat as part of the exemptionprocedure for importing arms into West Africa;and the moratorium should be broadened andinclude an information exchange mechanism forall types of weapons procured by ECOWAS mem-bers.

With regard to civil aviation, Liberia had notregistered any aircraft on its newly opened regis-try. Also, the Liberian authorities had shown nowillingness to respond to the Panel’s request forinformation on the crash of an Antonov 12 cargoplane on 15 February, nor had they provided therequired information to the International CivilAviation Organization (ICAO). The Panel recom-mended that Liberia, in accordance with ICAOrequirements, investigate the accident properlyand present its findings, including those on thenature of the cargo, to the Security Council Com-mittee on Liberia within three months.

The embargo on the export of Liberian roughdiamonds, coupled with progress in the SierraLeone peace process, continued to result in thedisappearance of “Liberian”-labelled rough dia-monds from official markets. Previously, “con-flict” diamonds from other countries were ex-ported through Liberia in order to use thecountry as a label of convenience. Smuggling ofLiberian diamonds into neighbouring States alsodeclined because production had been disruptedby the internal conflict in northern Liberianprovinces. The Kimberley Process CertificationScheme for trade in rough diamonds was sched-uled to be launched on 5 November, and bothGuinea and Sierra Leone reported that their cer-tification schemes worked well, although smug-gling remained a problem. Liberia had yet tomake real progress on establishing a credible cer-tification system.

The Panel continued to investigate how theGovernment of Liberia funded its arms procure-ment. Nearly all income appeared to be used formilitary operations, thereby contributing to hu-manitarian hardship. An independent audit ofkey revenue sources, such as those from the cor-porate and maritime registry and timber indus-try, remained pressing. In both cases, the Panelfound evidence of discrepancies of millions ofdollars between the figures provided by the Min-istry of Finance and the Central Bank and thoseof the Forestry Development Authority. In a wel-



come move, the Government, on 27 September,signed with an international auditing firm for asystems audit aimed at tracking the revenue andexpenditure of proceeds derived from maritimeand forestry activities. It would last for only 120days, however. The Panel recommended that theGovernment publish the results of that audit andfollow it up with an 18-month full financial auditby an international firm.

As to the travel ban, the Panel believed that itcontinued to be violated and had learned of indi-viduals named on the list being sighted in variousparts of the world. It appeared that local authori-ties at the Abidjan airport were relaxed aboutenforcing the ban.

Sanctions had had a negligible impact on thehumanitarian situation, the Panel found. Liftingthe arms embargo without reform of the securitysector would leave the civilian population evenmore at the mercy of unconstitutional forces,armed militia and abusive security apparatus.Reform required a restructuring of the armedforces in Liberia to reconstitute an appropriatecommand and control structure and to ensurediscipline and the rule of law. The Governmentused the sanctions as an excuse for its failure toimprove services and to reform. It conducted apropaganda campaign and many Liberians be-lieved that their marginalization and some oftheir economic woes were due in part to UN sanc-tions. The United Nations had done little tocounter such propaganda.

Sierra Leone, in a letter transmitted to theSecurity Council by the Chairman of the Sanc-tions Committee on Liberia on 28 November[S/2002/1304], commented on parts of the reportthat related directly to it. As far as Sierra Leonewas concerned, the Liberian Government had of-fered no credible evidence that it had taken ac-tion to expel all RUF members and prohibit allRUF activities on its territory, as the SecurityCouncil had demanded. A clear distinctionshould be made between the RUF Party in SierraLeone and those armed members of RUF who re-fused to participate in the disarmament, demobi-lization and reintegration process, and who choseto settle outside the country, especially in Liberia.The existence of those hard-core remnants ofRUF, especially in Liberia, remained a matter ofserious concern for Sierra Leone.



The international community and the SecurityCouncil have made joint and consistent efforts to

promote peace and security in Western Africa, par-ticularly in the Mano River Union region. Suchefforts have represented a major investment of re-sources and capabilities. The peace process in SierraLeone is the tangible result of those efforts. TheCouncil will maintain its efforts and continue topromote understanding and peace in the region inorder to guarantee that the peace process in SierraLeone, which remains fragile, takes root and bene-fits the people of Sierra Leone and the entire ManoRiver Union region.

On the other hand, the Council is deeply con-cerned about the situation in Liberia and the threatit constitutes to international peace and security inthe region as a result of the activities of the Gov-ernment of Liberia and the continuing internal con-flict in that country, including the armed attacks byLiberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy.The internal conflict and significant violence in Li-beria are producing widespread flows of refugeesand displacement of people in Liberia, exacerbatingthe humanitarian situation and fuelling the move-ment of irregular combatants and the flow of weap-ons throughout the region. The Council condemnsthe failure of the Government to comply with the de-mands set out in its resolution 1343(2001) of 7 March2001, and the failure of the Government, other Statesand others, including Liberians United for Reconcil-iation and Democracy, to respect the measures im-posed pursuant to that resolution, including the con-tinuing import of weapons in breach of the armsembargo. All these developments threaten the peaceprocess in Sierra Leone and the stability of the entireWest African region and, most tragically, are causinggreat humanitarian suffering for the Liberian peo-ple themselves.

To address the situation in Liberia and the threatit poses to international peace and security in the re-gion, the Council and the international communityshould cooperate on a comprehensive strategy thatmobilizes international efforts to reach a ceasefire,resolve the internal conflict and establish an inclu-sive peace process; promotes peace and national rec-onciliation in Liberia and the development of astable and democratic political process; addresseshumanitarian issues; combats the illicit flow ofweapons into the country; and guarantees humanrights. The Council is committed to support theefforts of regional and other international actors tocarry out such a strategy.

Such a strategy must be based on two fundamentalprinciples. First, it must have the input of key re-gional actors and be part of a comprehensive ap-proach to building an integrated system of regionalpeace and security. Secondly, peace and security inthe Mano River Union region requires the Presidentof the Republic of Liberia to engage constructivelywith the international community in working toachieve national reconciliation and political reformin Liberia.

With these principles in mind, the work of theCouncil on a coordinated strategy with the interna-tional community will promote the following objec-tives:

In terms of the regional perspective, the Councilwill maintain its support for the Rabat Process con-

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ducted under the sponsorship of the King of Mo-rocco and strongly encourage Guinea, Sierra Leoneand Liberia to follow up on their commitments toundertake confidence-building measures and theestablishment of security measures along theirshared borders. In this connection, the Council con-siders that the initiative taken by the Presidents of thethree countries to hold a direct dialogue in order togive impetus to the Rabat Process is a most desirabledevelopment. The Council urges the President of Li-beria to participate actively in those meetings.

The Council expresses its strong support for theEconomic Community of West African States Mora-torium on the Importation, Exportation and Manu-facture of Small Arms and Light Weapons in WestAfrica. The Council encourages members of theEconomic Community of West African States to im-plement those commitments fully and to strengthenthe implementation mechanisms in order to stop theillegal trade in arms, in particular the flow of smallarms and light weapons into Liberia.

The Council commends the efforts, made by theEconomic Community of West African States andthe newly established International Contact Groupon Liberia, to promote peace and stability in Liberiaand in the Mano River Union region. The Councilconsiders that the active involvement of those mecha-nisms is critical for national reconciliation and politi-cal reform.

In this regard, the Council encourages the AfricanUnion and members of the Economic Communityof West African States to promote actively the full im-plementation of existing security arrangements aswell as further initiatives designed to support sucharrangements among the countries of the ManoRiver Union.

The Council reiterates its demands to the Govern-ment of Liberia to comply with resolution 1343(2001) and resolution 1408(2002) of 6 May 2002, andto all parties to respect the measures which those res-olutions imposed and extended. The demands re-ferred to in those resolutions must be met for themeasures to be terminated in accordance with thoseresolutions. The Council takes note of the positionsof the African Union and the Economic Communityof West African States on the sanctions regime inLiberia. The Council will keep sanctions under re-view to ensure they are consistent with the presentstatement and with resolutions 1343(2001) and 1408(2002) and will continue to monitor whether sanc-tions are having any humanitarian impact on thepopulation of Liberia.

The Council urges all States in the region to hon-our their commitments to prevent armed individualsusing their national territory to prepare and launchattacks on neighbouring countries. The Councilagain reminds all States of their obligation to complywith the embargo on the sale or supply of arms andrelated materiel to Liberia imposed pursuant to reso-lution 1343(2001). The Council underlines the factthat the embargo applies to all sales or supplies toany recipient in Liberia, including all non-State ac-tors such as Liberians United for Reconciliation andDemocracy.

In terms of a constructive engagement in Liberia,in particular by the President of Liberia on achieving

the objectives of ending the violence and promotingnational reconciliation, the Council is committed topromote an expanded role for the United NationsPeace-building Support Office in Liberia, as well asthe more active participation of the recently createdUnited Nations Office for West Africa. In this re-gard, the Council welcomes the appointment of thenew Special Representative of the Secretary-Generalfor Liberia and urges the Government of Liberia tocooperate fully with the activities of the UnitedNations Peace-building Support Office in Liberia.The Council would like the Office to carry out, interalia, the following tasks:

— Offering assistance to the Liberian authoritiesand the public in strengthening democratic institu-tions and the rule of law, including the promotion ofan independent press and an enabling environmentfor political parties to operate freely in Liberia;

— Contributing to and monitoring the prep-aration of free and fair elections in 2003, especiallythrough the promotion of an independent electoralcommission;

— Enhancing and monitoring respect for humanrights in Liberia, including through constructive dia-logue with the Government of Liberia, with particu-lar attention to reaching out to local civil societygroups and to encouraging the establishment of anindependent and functional human rights commis-sion;

— Promoting national reconciliation and the reso-lution of the conflict, including through support forinitiatives on the ground;

— Supporting the Government of Liberia in theimplementation of peace agreements to be adopted;

— Engaging in an educational campaign to pre-sent accurately United Nations policies and activitiesregarding Liberia.

The Council has written to the Secretary-Generalrecommending such a strengthening of the mandateof the Office and requesting reports every threemonths.

The Council considers that an urgent effort is re-quired to improve the serious humanitarian situa-tion in Liberia, especially to address the needs ofinternally displaced persons and refugees. In that re-gard, the Council urges the Government of Liberiaand the combatants, particularly the rebel group Li-berians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, toprovide unrestricted access by United Nations hu-manitarian agencies and non-governmental organi-zations to areas where refugees need to be assistedand human rights to be protected. Likewise, theCouncil encourages countries neighbouring Liberiato continue to grant access by international humani-tarian organizations and non-governmental human-itarian groups to border areas where refugees anddisplaced persons are located. It calls upon all Statesin the region to respect fully international law on thetreatment of refugees and displaced persons.

The Council urges all humanitarian organiza-tions and donor countries to continue to providehumanitarian relief to refugees and internally dis-placed persons.

The Council is committed to support efforts topromote national reconciliation, the restoration ofpeace and the creation of new conditions for internal



political stability. For that purpose, the Councilurges the Government of Liberia and LiberiansUnited for Reconciliation and Democracy to con-clude a ceasefire agreement and a comprehensivepeace process, including provisions for the disarma-ment and demobilization of combatants and forcomprehensive security-sector reform. In this re-gard, the Council calls upon all States to refrain fromproviding any military support to any of the partiesin Liberia, and from any act that might aggravate thesituation on the borders between Liberia and itsneighbours.

The Council calls upon the Government of Libe-ria to work to create a favourable environment so thata genuine national reconciliation conference cansucceed, with the broad participation of all groupsin Liberian society based inside the country andabroad.

The Council also calls upon the Government ofLiberia to implement the necessary measures andpolitical reforms which are a prerequisite for univer-sal, free, fair, transparent and all-inclusive electionsin 2003. The Council stresses the importance ofbroad and overall participation in this process by allpolitical parties, and the return of all political lead-ers to the country.

The Council calls upon the international com-munity to consider ways in which it can supportthrough financial and technical assistance any dis-armament, demobilization and reintegration pro-gramme that may be established as part of a cessationof hostilities and a commitment to political reformin Liberia. Special attention and resources should begiven to assist women and children in the process oftheir reintegration and to provide opportunities foryoung ex-combatants and child soldiers to be fullyreintegrated into society.

The Council recognizes that the success of a com-prehensive international strategy for Liberia rests onthe direct and active involvement of the AfricanUnion, the Economic Community of West AfricanStates and the International Contact Group, workingwith the United Nations Offices in the region inaccordance with their mandates.

The Council calls upon the Government of Libe-ria to cooperate in all these efforts as a means to finda peaceful solution to the conflict, to reform its polit-ical processes and to fulfil its humanitarian, socialand economic responsibilities to the Liberian peo-ple. Liberia’s cooperation is also essential to the fullrestoration of relations with its neighbours and tothe normalization of its relations with the interna-tional community.

As the Government of Liberia makes progress,working with the international community in achiev-ing the objectives set out in the present statement,the Council calls upon the international communityto consider how it might help future economic devel-opment in Liberia aimed at improving the welfare ofthe people of Liberia.

The Council will remain engaged with theGovernment and people of Liberia, given the convic-tion of the Council that peace in that country will putan end to the suffering of the Liberian people andform a basis for lasting peace in the region.

The Council requests the Secretary-General tomonitor the situation in Liberia and to keep theCouncil informed of developments towards the ful-filment of the objectives described herein. TheCouncil is considering sending a mission to the re-gion, including to Liberia, to assess the situation dur-ing the first half of 2003.

Sanctions Committee activitiesThe Security Council Committee established

pursuant to resolution 1343(2001) [YUN 2001, p. 181]concerning Liberia, reporting on its activitiesfrom 1 January to 20 December [S/2002/1394],stated that it had received 29 notifications oftravel and considered 54 requests for travel banwaivers, of which 24 were granted. Two of the re-quests were still under consideration at the timeof the report. The Committee reviewed 19 requestsfor names to be deleted from or added to the travelban list and decided to retain the names of 17 per-sons, to remove the names of 13 and to add 1. TheCommittee received information from 52 States onaction taken to enforce the arms sanctions, the banon illegal diamond trade and the travel ban of cer-tain rebel leaders. It discussed guidelines for theconduct of its work.

During the reporting period, the Committeereceived no information from States concerningviolations of the sanctions regime. Any informa-tion in that regard had come to its attentionthrough the Panel of Experts. As in previousreports, the Committee sought information fromStates alleged to have violated the sanctionsregime.

In line with paragraph 10 of resolution 1408(2002), Liberia reported to the Committee on therevenue it derived from its shipping registry andtimber industry. The Committee decided thatthe information was inadequate and requestedadditional information.

The Committee participated in five joint infor-mal meetings (between 24 April and 11 June) withthe Sierra Leone Sanctions Committee (seep. 162) and the Angola Sanctions Committee (seep. 232) to consider topics of mutual interest, in-cluding cooperation with regional organizations,improved monitoring capacity, assistance to thirdStates in implementing sanctions, and shared ex-periences on committee guidelines and workingpractices.

On 26 November, the Security Council com-pleted its first review under paragraph 20 of res-olution 1408(2002), at which it considered the re-port of the Panel of Experts (see p. 172), theSecretary-General’s October report (see p. 171)and relevant information provided by the Sanc-tions Committee. In a statement to the press, thePresident noted the Council members’ concern

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that the Government of President Taylor contin-ued to violate the sanctions, including by import-ing arms. Council members agreed that theCouncil should remain engaged with Liberia andits people and that it should elaborate a compre-hensive approach to the situation in Liberia andthe subregion. The members reaffirmed theirsupport for regional initiatives, includingthrough the Rabat process, ECOWAS and the re-cently established International Contact Group,to work towards the restoration of peace and sta-bility in the MRU subregion.

UNOL

On 4 January [S/2002/24], the Security Counciltook note of the Secretary-General’s decision toappoint Haile Menkerios (Eritrea) as head ofUNOL as from 1 February [S/2002/23]. By a 13 Sep-tember letter [S/2002/1040], the Secretary-Generalinformed the Council of his intention to appointAbou Moussa (Chad) as his new Representativein Liberia and head of UNOL. On 18 September[S/2002/1041], the Council took note of his inten-tion.

The Secretary-General, on 4 October [S/2002/1129], informed the Council that the current man-date of UNOL would expire on 31 December. Re-marking that Liberia was going through a diffi-cult political, security and humanitarian crisisand the situation posed a threat to peace and sta-bility in the MRU subregion, he expressed the be-lief that UNOL continued to contribute to na-tional efforts at reconciliation while monitoringdevelopments and promoting respect for humanrights and the rule of law. Having consulted withthe Liberian Government, the Secretary-Generalrecommended that the UNOL mandate be ex-tended by a year, to 31 December 2003. Shouldthe ongoing discussions in the Council and else-where result in a different engagement with Li-beria, he added, he would revert to the Councilwith a revised mandate for UNOL. On 9 October[S/2002/1130], the Council took note of theSecretary-General’s recommendation.

The President of the Council, in a 29 Novem-ber letter to the Secretary-General [S/2002/1305],referred to the 9 October communication in-forming him that the Council had taken note ofhis intention to extend UNOL’s mandate by a year.The Council, welcoming the extension in the dif-ficult context of peace consolidation in Liberia,affirmed that it was elaborating a comprehensivestrategy on Liberia and that UNOL would have arole to play in that context. In particular, UNOL,with the consent of the Government, should worktowards the following tasks: assisting the authori-ties and the public in strengthening democraticinstitutions and the rule of law; contributing to

and monitoring the preparation of elections in2003; enhancing and monitoring respect for hu-man rights, with particular attention to reachingout to local civil society groups and to encourag-ing the establishment of an independent humanrights commission; promoting national reconcili-ation and resolution of the conflict; supportingthe Government in implementing peace agree-ments to be adopted; and engaging in an educa-tional campaign to present UN policies and activ-ities regarding Liberia. The President said thatthose changes to the UNOL mandate should in-crease its capacity for objective reporting on thesituation in Liberia. The Office should report ona wide range of views, including those outside theGovernment (for example, opposition parties,non-State actors and civil society). The Councilrequested the Secretary-General to report everythree months on the overall situation in Liberia,preparations and conditions for free and fairelections, and the human rights situation. In ad-dition, the Council requested him to submit by15 January 2003 recommendations for a revisedmandate for UNOL, for the Council’s approval.The Council also welcomed Mr. Moussa’s ap-pointment.

Financing of UNOMIL

By decision 56/487 of 6 September, the Gen-eral Assembly included in the draft agenda of itsfifty-seventh (2002) session the item on financingof the United Nations Observer Mission in Li-beria (UNOMIL), whose mandate ended in 1997[YUN 1997, p. 123]. On 20 December, the Assemblydecided that the item would remain for consider-ation during its resumed fifty-seventh (2003) ses-sion (decision 57/585) and that the Fifth Com-mittee should continue to consider the item atthat session (decision 57/556).

Guinea-Bissau

The United Nations continued to use its goodoffices in connection with the volatile political,economic and social situation in Guinea-Bissau,most directly through the Secretary-General’sRepresentative and the United Nations Peace-building Support Office in Guinea-Bissau(UNOGBIS), which monitored developments with-in the country and the situation along the borderwith Senegal and Guinea. Although there was noresort to violence during the year, the Govern-ment under President Kumba Yalá, who was in-stalled in 2000 [YUN 2000, p. 183], remained fragile.Although early 2002 saw some progress in theconsolidation of the democratization process asthe country’s nascent democratic system de-



veloped, by the end of the year there were in-creased tensions among the branches of Govern-ment and between the two major political parties.In mid-November, the President dismissed thePrime Minister’s Government, dissolved Parlia-ment and called for elections within 90 days.

Security conditions along Guinea-Bissau’s bor-ders w00ith Senegal and Guinea improved, andthe demobilization programme of military per-sonnel was resumed. Relations with Senegal werestrengthened by an exchange of official visits,during which bilateral disputes were discussed.

Developments and UNOGBIS activities

The President of the Security Council, on8 January, following Council discussions on de-velopments in Guinea-Bissau and on UNOGBISactivities, issued a statement to the press [SC/7259],saying that Council members encouraged Pres-ident Yalá in his pursuit of the policy of nationalreconciliation and dialogue, taking into accountthe established constitutional norms. Councilmembers also encouraged the ECOWAS chairmanand leaders of the subregion, as well as thefriends of Guinea-Bissau, to continue playing anactive role and to redouble their initiatives ofgood offices for economic and financial assist-ance. They welcomed the proposal for a roundtable, to be organized as soon as the political situ-ation allowed, and called on donor countries tocontribute generously.

Report of Secretary-General (March). TheSecretary-General, in response to Security Coun-cil resolution 1233(1999) [YUN 1999, p. 140], re-ported on 26 March on developments in Guinea-Bissau and the activities of UNOGBIS [S/2002/312]since his previous report of December 2001 [YUN2001, p. 190]. During that period, there had beenprogress in the consolidation of the democrati-zation process, the Secretary-General stated.Guinea-Bissau’s nascent democratic system con-tinued to function, with both the Partido daRenovação Social (PRS) of President Yalá and theformer ruling party, Partido Africano da Inde-pêndencia da Guiné e Cabo Verde, holding theirparty congresses to elect new leaders and definetheir priorities in preparation for presidentialelections scheduled for 2004.

Another important development was the re-sumption on 28 February of the work of the Na-tional Assembly, whose work programme for theyear included preparations for elections for localauthorities in June and the draft law on organ-izing the courts. Among other positive actionswere the release on bail of three political opposi-tion figures and the authorized resumption ofpublication of two independent newspapers.

Despite the progress made, the new Constitu-tion had not been promulgated. More needed tobe done to promote dialogue between the legisla-tive and executive branches. The interference ofthe executive in judicial matters, the inertia of thejudiciary, the stifling of the private media and theweakening of the Human Rights League, whichhad been tarnished by financial scandal and thearrest of its former Leaders, still generated con-cerns. President Yalá’s appointment of the newPresident of the Supreme Court promptedstrong reaction from the opposition grouping of20 parties; later, the President announced thatthe appointment was temporary, pending theelection of the Supreme Court President by theSupreme Council of the Magistrates. The PrimeMinister, on 13 March, summoned the diploma-tic community to brief them on the Govern-ment’s programme and stressed the Govern-ment’s commitment to democratic norms andprocesses.

At the Government’s invitation, the Secretary-General’s Representative, together with mem-bers of the diplomatic community, visitedGuinea-Bissau’s borders with Senegal andGuinea. The participants in the visit noted theneed for the international community to embarkon the post-conflict development process, for theauthorities of Guinea-Bissau to take measures toeliminate sources of social and political tension,and for efforts to consolidate the nascent democ-racy.

Security conditions along the border with theSenegalese province of Casamance had im-proved, and periodic meetings were held be-tween the army chiefs of staff of Senegal andGuinea-Bissau and between the commanders oftheir respective border military zones. Thedemining operation continued under the super-vision of the Mine Action Centre and was ex-pected to be completed by 2004. With regard tothe demobilization, reinsertion and reintegra-tion programme, a preliminary list of 2,738 eligi-ble military personnel was compiled.

UNOGBIS observed the human rights situationand carried out training and awareness-raisingprogrammes. In February, a human rights sec-tion was set up within the Ministry of Justice andit was working closely with UNOGBIS on reform ofthe judicial system. Particular attention was givento the rights of the 47 military personnel arrestedfollowing the alleged coup plot in December2001 [YUN 2001, p. 190]. They were being held with-out trial and the military court lacked a code ofprocedure. Other issues receiving UN attentionwere refugee rights and women’s rights.

The country’s economy continued to sufferfrom cash flow problems in the private sector as

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well as from disinvestments caused by the recentwar. The leader of an IMF review mission that vis-ited Guinea-Bissau in March indicated that thelow revenue and the increasing wage and salary billwere causing the Government to build up arrears.

In general, the Secretary-General perceived aslight improvement in the political situation andgovernance. He applauded the pledges made bythe Government of Prime Minister AlhamaraN’Tchia Nhasse to promote human rights andthe independence of the judiciary, and hopedthey would be translated into reality and that theinternational community would provide appro-priate support. Also on the positive side, the de-mobilization programme was resuming. How-ever, the Government was confronted with threemajor challenges: to restore confidence amongthose who had voted for change in the post-conflict general elections; to reassure the inter-national community by implementing the neces-sary economic, financial and social reforms; andto perform the sovereign functions of the State.The Secretary-General said that there was an ur-gent need for direct budgetary support to helpoffset the chronic deficit in public finances andto help rehabilitate the economic, social and cul-tural infrastructures; he called on the interna-tional community for assistance.

The Secretary-General suggested that futureperiodic reports to the Council be every sixmonths instead of three.

Report of Secretary-General (June). On 13June [S/2002/662], the Secretary-General reportedthat the overall situation remained calm despitepolitical tensions. The agreement reached in lateMarch between the Government and the opposi-tion facilitated the National Assembly’s accept-ance of the Government’s work programme anddemonstrated openness to dialogue on the partof the Prime Minister. Since then, the dialoguebetween the legislature and the Government hadcontinued, focusing on the Government’s draftbudget. A major contentious issue was the Gov-ernment’s retraction of a pledge to support a newminimum wage. Given the lack of adequate fi-nancial resources, the Government had difficultyin managing the budget, which led to criticism bythe Bretton Woods institutions. Another chal-lenge remained the continued inability of theGovernment to pay civil servants their accumu-lated salary arrears and regular wages in full andon time, thus heightening social tension andleading to a five-day strike of public sector work-ers on 29 April. The non-promulgation of the re-vised Constitution, due to differences of opinionbetween the President and the National Assem-bly, contributed to political tensions. In order topromote debate, UNOGBIS organized in Bissau

from 15 to 17 April a national dialogue on humanrights and democracy for representatives of na-tional institutions, including the armed forces,political parties and civil society. In its conclud-ing document, the dialogue made recommenda-tions on political, human rights and democracyissues.

On another UNOGBIS initiative, 68 partici-pants, including parliamentarians, attended aseminar on mechanisms of conflict preventionand resolution (Bissau, 21-22 May).

Security in the subregion improved as theGovernment pursued peaceful cooperation withneighbouring countries. Relations with Senegalwere strengthened following a visit by its Minis-ter of the Interior to Bissau on 28 May. Amongissues discussed were recent incidents involvingthe navy of Guinea-Bissau and Senegalese fish-ing boats in the Bissau Guinean exclusive eco-nomic zone and the detention in March ofAlexandre Djiba, spokesman of the Casamanceseparatist movement, the Movement of Demo-cratic Forces of Casamance, by the BissauGuinean authorities. Mr. Djiba was released on29 May. The security situation along the borderwith Senegal remained stable, despite concernthat periodic upsurges of violence in theCasamance region might impact on the securitysituation in Guinea-Bissau.

The implementation of the demobilization,reinsertion and reintegration programme hadbeen delayed, although plans were drawn up for15,000 ex-combatants to have completed the rein-sertion phase by 2004. Internal security also re-mained an issue due to the institutional weaknessof Guinea-Bissau’s police force.

In the area of human rights, UNOGBIS re-ported that some family members of the 38 indi-viduals still detained in connection with the at-tempted coup d’état of 3 December 2001 [YUN2001, p. 190] had complained about detention con-ditions. When approached by the Secretary-General’s Representative about the long delay inbringing formal charges against those individ-uals, the Government replied that it lacked themeans to proceed more rapidly. Meanwhile, tri-als were begun for key members of the formermilitary junta who had been detained in con-nection with the coup attempt of 22 November2000 [YUN 2000, p. 186]. UNOGBIS would observethe trials.

The Secretary-General was encouraged by thefact that, despite serious economic difficulties,political leaders had pursued agreement throughdebate. He considered areas of priority to be: thereassertion of the independence of the judiciary;the modernization of the armed forces, includ-ing the demobilization and reintegration of for-



mer armed forces and liberation movement per-sonnel; and a reduction in the level of small arms.He urged the executive and legislative branchesof Government to come together to reach a com-promise soon on constitutional issues. The Gov-ernment’s efforts to build peace and democracywere handicapped by its limited resources, andhe called on the international community to pro-vide assistance.

Security Council consideration. The SecurityCouncil, at a closed meeting on 8 July [meeting4567], discussed the situation in Guinea-Bissauand received a briefing from the Secretary-General’s Representative and Head of UNOGBIS,David Stephen (United Kingdom).

In a 29 August letter to the Council President[S/2002/979], the Ad Hoc Working Group on Con-flict Prevention and Resolution in Africa trans-mitted recommendations, which had beenagreed to by Council members during informalconsultations in July and August (see p. 94), someof which concerned Guinea-Bissau. The Work-ing Group suggested that the Economic and So-cial Council be invited to play an important rolein the peace-building process in Guinea-Bissau,including by conducting a diagnostic of prioritiesfor long-term planning. The Security CouncilPresident could request IMF, the World Bank andthe African Development Bank to show flexibil-ity in providing assistance to Guinea-Bissau andassist in the political mobilization for funding byrequesting the donor community to provide as-sistance on the basis of a step-by-step approach.Another suggestion was to have a strong nation aslead country in galvanizing support for Guinea-Bissau. The Council could encourage UNDP andthe international financial institutions to con-sider ways to strengthen the capacities of theGovernment in economic and financial manage-ment. The Council could call for the disburse-ment of pledges made at the last round-tablemeeting on assistance to Guinea-Bissau.

At the request of Council members, theUnited States wrote to the Executive Director ofthe World Bank on 7 August concerning the criti-cal social and economic situation in Guinea-Bissau. In a 23 August response, transmitted tothe Council on 27 September [S/2002/1155], the Ex-ecutive Director said that the Bank was currentlyassisting Guinea-Bissau through a number ofprojects that it hoped could contribute to peace-building efforts. The Bank would continue tofollow the macroeconomic situation and wouldassist the Government in restoring macro-economic stability while respecting its prioritiesof peace and stability.

Report of Secretary-General (December).The Secretary-General, on 13 December [S/2002/1367], reported on developments in Guinea-Bissau and UNOGBIS activities during the sixmonths since his previous report, as the Councilhad requested at informal consultations on8 July. During the period under review, the con-stitutional impasse had persisted, generating in-creased tensions among the various organs ofgovernment, especially between the executive, onthe one hand, and the judiciary and the legisla-ture on the other. Tensions also deepened withinthe executive, especially when the then PrimeMinister, Alhamara N’Tchia Nhasse, publicly ac-cused President Yalá of being the person behindthe instability in the country. A confrontation wasaverted after civil society leaders, military offi-cers and the Secretary-General’s Representativein Guinea-Bissau worked with both leaders, whoagreed to cooperate in the national interest.Meanwhile, several opposition politicians andsome journalists and civil society leaders com-plained of heightened harassment by securityofficials.

On 15 November, the President, following con-sultations with the National Assembly and theCouncil of State, dismissed the Government ofPrime Minister Nhasse and dissolved Parlia-ment, announcing the holding of legislative elec-tions within 90 days. He said he had acted withinthe framework of the Constitution because theprevailing situation, in his view, was indicative ofa political, financial and economic crisis. Themajor opposition parties did not dispute thePresident’s move and, in a joint statement of 16November, supported his decision to bring for-ward legislative elections, which would normallyhave been held in November 2003. However, theycalled on the international community to providefinancial support and electoral observers to en-sure free and fair polls. They also urged the Pres-ident to organize urgent elections for the posts ofPresident and Vice-President of the SupremeCourt, as he had promised on 31 October.

On 16 November, President Yalá named MarioPires as the new Prime Minister. Mr. Pires an-nounced the composition of a 20-member Cabi-net two days later. Dominated by the President’sparty, PRS, the new Government’s political basewas seen as reflecting the President’s determina-tion to consolidate his grip on power.

Relations between Guinea-Bissau and theGambia returned to normal after tensions de-veloped in June over allegations by PresidentYalá that his opponents were preparing an attackfrom Gambian territory. The improvement in re-lations was facilitated by visits to the two coun-tries, in July and August, and to the ECOWAS

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Chairman, President Wade of Senegal, by theSecretary-General’s Special Envoy, James VictorGbeho, who contributed to the restoration ofdirect bilateral cooperation between the twocountries.

The general security situation was affected bythe political climate, leading to reports of allegedcoup plots. The military authorities were calledupon to mediate between the President and thePrime Minister. The demobilization phase of theGovernment’s programme of demobilization, re-insertion and reintegration, managed by theWorld Bank, was completed. About 4,500 of the16,000 ex-combatants and other military person-nel who participated had been demobilized. Dueto budgetary constraints, not every candidatewho expressed interest was included in the pro-gramme. The total cost of the programme was$19.6 million, to which the Government had yetto make its agreed contribution of $10.8 million.Demining continued, with 2,899 mines havingbeen destroyed. A mechanism to collect smallarms, which circulated among the civilian popu-lation, was initiated.

UNOGBIS continued to monitor human rightsand maintain dialogue on the subject with the au-thorities and civil society. As a result of a generalamnesty granted by Mr. Yalá in June, there wereno political detainees in Guinea-Bissau at the endof the year. Concern remained, however, over re-ports of intimidation by security personnel of op-position leaders and journalists, and violenceagainst women remained largely unpunished.Although donors had provided support, the jus-tice system experienced operational shortcom-ings, due in particular to logistic and capacityconstraints. Consequently, traditional leadersand police officers were frequently resorting toan informal system of justice that was largely ar-bitrary and devoid of due process. To strengthenthe capacity of State institutions to uphold therule of law and promote human rights, UNOGBISand UNDP organized training seminars for 50military officers, for representatives of 30women’s organizations on women’s rights, for 65magistrates and lawyers and for members of Par-liament.

The socio-economic situation remained criti-cal, due to widespread unemployment andmonths of unpaid salary arrears. Declining reve-nues from cashew nuts and fishery, Guinea-Bissau’s main income-generating sources, de-creased the Government’s capacity to pay salariesand service the external debt.

The Secretary-General said that the newGovernment was essentially a caretaker adminis-tration, serving in the interim until elections wereheld. As urgent action was necessary to restore

the checks and balances and separation of pow-ers, he urged the President to move towards thepromulgation of the Constitution.

Extension of UNOGBISThe Secretary-General, on 5 August [S/2002/

916], proposed to the Security Council that theUNOGBIS mandate, which was due to expire at theend of 2002, be extended to 31 December 2003.The Council President, in a response of 9 August[S/2002/917], said that the members took note ofthe proposal.

Côte d’Ivoire

In September, armed rebels in Côte d’Ivoireattempted unsuccessfully to overthrow thecountry’s elected Government. The two sidesagreed to a ceasefire on 18 October and for anintervention force to supervise the truce. At therequest of the Côte d’Ivoire Government, Francesent troops to the country in October to preventfurther fighting on a provisional basis pendingthe deployment of an ECOWAS MonitoringGroup (ECOMOG) force. The Security Council,in December, expressed support for the planneddeployment of an ECOMOG force under the com-mand of Senegal, and called for a political solu-tion. It expressed concern at reports of mass kill-ings and serious violations of human rights inCôte d’Ivoire and welcomed the Secretary-Gen-eral’s request to the High Commissioner for Hu-man Rights to send a fact-finding mission to thecountry.

Coup attempt

The President of the Security Council, in a31 October press statement [AFR/506-SC/7558], saidthat Council members strongly condemned theattempt to overthrow the democratically electedGovernment of Côte d’Ivoire. The Councilcalled for full respect of the constitutional orderand emphasized support for the legitimate Gov-ernment. All parties were urged to resolve the cri-sis peacefully, to recognize that only through apolitical solution could the crisis be solved, and toensure respect for human rights. The interna-tional community was called on to support theUN flash appeal by providing humanitarian as-sistance to those in the subregion affected by theIvorian crisis. The Council commended ECOWASactivities to promote a peaceful resolution of theconflict, supported the efforts of the ECOWASContact Group on Côte d’Ivoire, and called onthe international community to provide assist-ance for the ECOMOG force agreed at the ContactGroup summit meeting on 23 October.



South Africa, in its capacity as current chair-man of the African Union (AU), transmitted on26 September [S/2002/1091] a communiqué on thesituation in Côte d’Ivoire, issued by the AUCentral Organ of the Mechanism for ConflictPrevention, Management and Resolution, whichmet on 24 September in Addis Ababa. Expressingconcern about the situation that caused consider-able loss of human lives and the destruction ofproperty, the Central Organ condemned the at-tempt to undermine constitutional legality inCôte d’Ivoire; appealed to the parties to seek a so-lution in conformity with constitutional legality;expressed satisfaction with the initiatives taken,including at the ECOWAS level, aimed at facili-tating a resolution of the crisis; and encouragedthe regional leaders to pool efforts with a view topromoting a peaceful solution.

Peacekeeping forces

On 19 November [S/2002/1266], Côte d’Ivoirenotified the Security Council of its agreement tothe deployment of the ECOWAS intervention forceto replace the French forces, which had been de-ployed in Côte d’Ivoire at the request of theGovernment since 18 October. According to Côted’Ivoire, an agreement for the cessation of hostil-ities went into force on 18 October and providedfor the deployment of an intervention force tosupervise the ceasefire. The ECOWAS membersthat had agreed to participate in the force wereBenin, Ghana, Niger, Senegal and Togo. Once inplace, the West African intervention force wouldrelieve the French forces deployed to supervisethe truce.

Senegal, on 2 December [S/2002/1310], referredto the ceasefire agreement signed on 17 Octoberin Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire, and announced its in-tention to participate in the ECOWAS interpositionforce in Côte d’Ivoire and to command it, sinceSenegal would provide the largest contingent(650 soldiers). Senegal, the current ECOWASChairman, welcomed France’s rapid response tothe situation in Côte d’Ivoire, which had helpedto avoid a tragedy. Senegal counted on the UnitedNations, especially the Security Council and theSecretary-General, to support the joint efforts ofIvorians and ECOWAS so that the parties could re-store peace.

On 19 December [S/2002/1386], Senegal trans-mitted the communiqué issued at the ECOWAS ex-traordinary summit on Côte d’Ivoire (Dakar,Senegal, 18 December). At the meeting, Pres-ident Laurent Gbagbo of Côte d’Ivoire requestedthat the ECOWAS force be set up immediately andexpressed appreciation to Senegal for agreeing tobe the commander. The summit reaffirmed thelegitimacy of President Gbagbo and requested

the AU and the United Nations and its Secretary-General to assist in finding a solution to the crisis.It appealed to the Security Council to assistECOWAS in finding a solution and urged Franceand the African Council members to call for aCouncil meeting without delay.



The Security Council expresses its grave concernat the situation in Côte d’Ivoire and its serious conse-quences for the population of this country and theregion. The Council firmly condemns attempts touse force to influence the political situation in Côted’Ivoire and to overthrow the elected Government.It calls for full respect for the constitutional order ofCôte d’Ivoire and emphasizes its full support for thelegitimate Government of the country. It stressesalso the need to respect the sovereignty, politicalunity and territorial integrity of Côte d’Ivoire. Itcalls upon all States in the region to refrain from anyinterference in Côte d’Ivoire.

The Council stresses that the crisis in Côted’Ivoire can be resolved only through a negotiatedpolitical solution. It calls upon all parties involved inthe conflict to work actively to achieve such a solutionand to abstain from any act or declaration that couldjeopardize efforts to that end. Such a solution mustaddress the underlying causes of the conflict.

The Council strongly supports the efforts of theEconomic Community of West African States, cur-rently chaired by Senegal, to promote a peaceful res-olution of the conflict. It urges the leaders of theEconomic Community of West African States to con-tinue their efforts in a coordinated manner. In thisregard it welcomes the final communiqué adoptedon 18 December 2002 at the extraordinary Summitof Heads of State and Government of the EconomicCommunity of West African States in Dakar.

In particular, the Council welcomes the commit-ment by the President of the Republic of Côted’Ivoire to present in the coming days a comprehen-sive plan to end the crisis. It stresses that such a planis a crucial step towards achieving a peaceful solu-tion and calls upon the President of Côte d’Ivoire toinvolve all parties fully and to seek consensus amongthem.

The Council also takes note of paragraph 18 of thefinal communiqué of the Dakar Summit, in whichthe Economic Community of West African Statesrequests the United Nations and the Secretary-General to contribute to the resolution of the crisisin Côte d’Ivoire. The Council commends theSecretary-General for his efforts to promote a nego-tiated settlement, in coordination with the EconomicCommunity of West African States. The Councilrequests him to continue those efforts, particularlyby providing all necessary support and assistance tothe mediation efforts of the Economic Communityof West African States. The Council requests the

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Secretary-General to keep it regularly informedabout the situation.

The Council expresses its full support for the de-ployment in Côte d’Ivoire of the Economic Com-munity of West African States Monitoring Groupforce, under Senegalese command, by 31 December2002, as called for in the final communiqué of theDakar Summit. It commends all countries of theEconomic Community of West African States whichhave decided to contribute troops to this force andcalls upon the international community to provideassistance to it.

The Council also commends France for the effortsit has made, at the request of the Government ofCôte d’Ivoire, to prevent further fighting, on a provi-sional basis pending the deployment of the Eco-nomic Community of West African States Monitor-ing Group force. It also expresses its appreciation forthe efforts of France to contribute to a political solu-tion of the crisis, including the possible hosting ofmeetings on the situation in Côte d’Ivoire. It also rec-ognizes the efforts of the African Union to bringabout a resolution of the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire.

The Council expresses its deepest concern at re-ports of mass killings and grave violations of humanrights in Côte d’Ivoire. It calls upon all parties to en-sure full respect for human rights and internationalhumanitarian law, particularly with regard to the ci-vilian population, regardless of its origin, and tobring to justice all those responsible for any violationthereof. The Council welcomes the decision by theSecretary-General to request the United NationsHigh Commissioner for Human Rights to gatherprecise information about violations of humanrights and international humanitarian law in Côted’Ivoire, including through the dispatch of a fact-finding mission to that country.

The Council also expresses its concern at the hu-manitarian consequences of the crisis in Côted’Ivoire. It calls upon the international communityto provide urgent humanitarian assistance to thosein need in all the countries of the subregion that areaffected by the Ivorian crisis. It also calls upon allparties to provide unhindered access to the affectedpopulations.

Horn of Africa

Eritrea-Ethiopia

In 2002, the United Nations continued to over-see the implementation of the Algiers ceasefireand peace agreements signed by Eritrea andEthiopia in 2000 [YUN 2000, p. 180] and to regulatetheir border dispute, which had erupted inarmed conflict in 1998 and recurred sporadicallysince then. The Boundary Commission, estab-lished by the peace agreement, completed one ofits major tasks in April—delimitation of the bor-der—and began work on demarcation. TheUnited Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea

(UNMEE), also established in 2000, continued tomonitor the border region inside the TemporarySecurity Zone and supported the work of theCommission. In March and again in September,the Security Council extended UNMEE’s mandatefor six-month periods. Although able to carry outits monitoring functions, UNMEE was frequentlyhindered by lack of full cooperation by the twoparties and by the extensive presence of land-mines in the border area.

A Security Council mission, which visited thearea in late February, commended the parties forresolving their differences through a conflict-solving mechanism and for agreeing to give theUnited Nations a central role in implementingthe Boundary Commission’s delimitation decision.The Council, in March, emphasized that untilthe border demarcation was completed, UNMEEwould continue to discharge its mandate.

Following the publication of the boundary de-limitation, the Council, in August, adjustedUNMEE’s mandate to include assisting theBoundary Commission in implementing the de-limitation decision, through demining activitiesand administrative and logistical support for theCommission’s Field Offices. The Commission,with UNMEE support, began work on demarca-tion by clearing access routes to boundary mark-ers and carrying out aerial photography. In July,the Commission issued its demarcation direc-tions.

In late December, the Secretary-General re-ported that the peace process had generally pro-gressed steadily since the 2000 peace agreementwas signed and that there had been no ceasefireviolations since the establishment of the Tempo-rary Security Zone. Despite some resistance to al-lowing UNMEE to operate freely and minor cross-border incidents in October and November, bothEthiopia and Eritrea were moving forward in thepeace process.

Both countries continued to experience severehumanitarian problems, not only those broughtabout by years of hostilities, such as large num-bers of refugees and displaced persons, but alsoby a recurrent drought. The General Assembly,in resolution 57/149, called on the internationalcommunity to respond to the unfolding and im-minent humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia, whichcould affect up to 15 million people (see p. 931).

Implementation of Algiers agreements

In response to Security Council resolution1320(2000) [YUN 2000, p. 176], the Secretary-Generalsubmitted four reports on Ethiopia and Eritrea in2002. Annexed to each report was a correspondingreport of the Boundary Commission, which alsosubmitted three additional reports during the year.



The Security Council mission to the region alsoreported on its visit to the area.

In addition to providing an update on politicaland humanitarian developments, UNMEE activi-ties and the work of the Boundary Commission,the reports reviewed the implementation of thecomprehensive Peace Agreement between thetwo countries, signed in Algiers in December2000 [YUN 2000, p. 180], and the preceding Agree-ment on Cessation of Hostilities, signed in Al-giers in June 2000 [ibid., p. 173], known collectivelyas the Algiers Agreements. Under the PeaceAgreement, the parties committed themselves toaccepting fully the determination of the Bound-ary Commission.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (January)

On 16 January [meeting 4450], following consul-tations among Security Council members andtheir consideration of the Secretary-General’sDecember 2001 report [S/2001/1194] on Ethiopiaand Eritrea [YUN 2001, p. 201], the President madestatement S/PRST/2002/1 on behalf of theCouncil:

The Security Council, recalling all its resolutionsand the statements by its President regarding the sit-uation in Ethiopia and Eritrea, welcomes the pro-gress report of the Secretary-General of 13 Decem-ber 2001.

The Council reaffirms the commitment of allMember States to the sovereignty, independence andterritorial integrity of Ethiopia and Eritrea. TheCouncil also reaffirms its strong support for thecomprehensive Peace Agreement between the Gov-ernment of the State of Eritrea and the Governmentof the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopiasigned in Algiers on 12 December 2000 and the pre-ceding Agreement on Cessation on Hostilitiessigned in Algiers on 18 June 2000 (hereinafter re-ferred to collectively as the “Algiers Agreements”).The Council reaffirms its unwavering commitmentto contribute to the completion of the peace process.

The Council looks forward to the border delimita-tion determination by the Boundary Commission,which is final and binding. The Council stresses thatin accordance with article 4, paragraph 15, of thecomprehensive Peace Agreement, which has the fullsupport of the international community, the partieshave committed themselves to accepting fully the de-termination of the Boundary Commission.

The Council notes that, notwithstanding the out-standing issues, the situation in the TemporarySecurity Zone has remained calm, with the consider-able progress made to date under the peace processpreserved.

The Council reiterates its strong support for theUnited Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea andcalls upon the parties to cooperate fully with the Mis-sion.

The Council notes that the Mission has proved al-legations made in the recent past by the parties, in-cluding concerning military build-up in the Tempo-

rary Security Zone and adjacent areas north of theZone, to be unfounded. The Council welcomes therecent reduction in the use of rhetoric by the partiesand encourages them to continue to defuse tensionand exercise greater degrees of flexibility in their ap-proaches to the peace process.

The Council notes that Eritrea has begun to allowthe Mission to visit some locations in the adjacentarea north of the Temporary Security Zone upon 24-hours notification and calls again upon Eritrea togrant the Mission the full freedom of movement itrequires in this area to allow, in particular, for moni-toring of Eritrea’s redeployed forces and, hence, tofacilitate expeditious responses to any allegations,thereby facilitating mutual confidence.

The Council reiterates its call upon Eritrea to dis-close the number, strength and disposition of its mi-litia and police inside the Temporary Security Zoneand to refrain from deployment close to the south-ern boundary of the Zone, thereby facilitating mu-tual confidence.

The Council also reiterates its call upon Eritrea toconclude the status-of-forces agreement with theSecretary-General. The Council notes in this regardthat the model status-of-forces agreement, as set outin resolution 1320(2000) of 15 September 2000, is ineffect.

The Council notes the information provided byEthiopia regarding mines and calls upon Ethiopia toprovide the Mission with further details on the typesof mines used in the Temporary Security Zone andadjacent areas, as well as more specific informationon minefields already cleared by Ethiopian armedforces, with a view to facilitating the return home ofinternally displaced persons and the forthcomingborder demarcation work.

The Council expresses its regret that there hasbeen no progress regarding the establishment of adirect high-altitude flight route for the Mission be-tween Asmara and Addis Ababa. It notes with deepconcern that the current extended flight route forthe Mission between the two capitals has significantsecurity, logistical and financial implications. TheCouncil calls upon the parties once again to workwith the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in a spirit of compromise to settle the issuefor the mutual benefit of all.

The Council, underlining the need forconfidence-building measures, calls upon the par-ties to release and return unconditionally and with-out further delay, under the auspices of the Interna-tional Committee of the Red Cross, all remainingprisoners of war and to release all other persons de-tained as a result of the armed conflict, in accord-ance with international humanitarian law and theAlgiers Agreements. In this regard, the Council wel-comes the repatriation yesterday of twenty-five Ethi-opian prisoners of war from Eritrea under the aus-pices of the International Committee of the RedCross. The Council encourages authorities and civilsociety in both Ethiopia and Eritrea to afford hu-mane treatment, without discrimination, to eachother’s nationals and persons of each other’s na-tional origin within their respective territories.

The Council, inviting the parties to make furthercontributions to fulfil their financial responsibilities

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regarding the Boundary Commission, expresses itsdetermination to support the practical demarcationof the border. It looks forward to the forthcomingrecommendations by the Secretary-General in thisregard.

The Council, expressing appreciation to thoseMember States that have already provided voluntarycontributions, calls upon Member States in a posi-tion to do so to provide further support to the peaceprocess and to alleviate the difficult humanitariansituation and, where conditions allow, to help to fa-cilitate reconstruction and development in bothcountries, including by making contributionsthrough the following channels:

(a) The United Nations consolidated appealsprocess for 2002;

(b) The United Nations Trust Fund to Supportthe Peace Process in Ethiopia-Eritrea; and

(c) The United Nations Trust Fund in Support ofthe Delimitation and Demarcation of the Ethiopia-Eritrea Border, established pursuant to resolution1177(1998) of 26 June 1998.

The Council confirms its intention to send a mis-sion to the two countries in February 2002.

Security Council mission. The Security Coun-cil President, on 31 January [S/2002/129], in-formed the Secretary-General that the Councilhad decided to send a mission to Eritrea andEthiopia from 21 to 25 February in support of thepeace process and efforts to implement the Al-giers Agreements and relevant Council resolu-tions. In accordance with its terms of reference,the mission would relay to the parties the impor-tance that the international community attachedto their embracing the Boundary Commission’sforthcoming border delimitation determinationas the ultimate measure of their commitment tothe peace process. The mission would also ad-dress the renewal of the UNMEE mandate andways the Mission could assist in the demarcationprocess, including through mine clearance. TheCouncil emphasized the need for confidence-building measures, such as the release of all pris-oners of war and civilian internees and dialoguebetween religious leaders. The mission wouldalso address the humanitarian situation resultingfrom the conflict, and stress that the overall ob-jective of the peace process was to normalize rela-tions between the two countries.

In its report [S/2002/205], the mission statedthat, at meetings with Prime Minister MelesZenawi in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and with Pres-ident Isaias Afwerki in Asmara, Eritrea, it hadcommended both parties for having chosen to re-solve their differences through an internationalconflict-solving mechanism and for havingagreed to give the United Nations such a centralrole in implementing the decision of the Bound-ary Commission. The mission welcomed the in-creasingly constructive tone of the public state-

ments made by the parties over the previous fewmonths. In order to enhance popular under-standing of UNMEE’s role, especially amongthose living in the Temporary Security Zone(TSZ), the mission encouraged the leaders tomake arrangements for UNMEE radio broadcasts.It noted that the situation on the ground, and in-side the TSZ in particular, remained calm andthere had been few incidents.

The mission underlined its expectation thatsteps for implementing the Boundary Commis-sion’s delimitation determination would com-mence immediately following the Commission’sannouncement, expected in late March. Thosesteps would include technical arrangements toestablish an aerial photo map to be used in the de-marcation process. The mission welcomed theparties’ agreement to the establishment of fieldoffices for the Commission. In order to facilitateimplementation, it called for developing the in-stitutional framework for the peace process by,for example, strengthening the Military Coordi-nation Commission and establishing sector-levelcommittees. A role for guarantors, witnesses andfacilitators of the Algiers Agreements was alsosuggested. The mission urged the parties to re-frain from destabilizing actions, such as popula-tion and troop movements, until procedures wereagreed upon. The mission emphasized the needfor demining as a prerequisite for border demar-cation, particularly regarding the deminingof access routes to the border areas, and forconfidence-building measures.

With regard to the prior notification proce-dure introduced by Eritrea allowing UNMEE tovisit locations north of the TSZ, the mission ex-pected Eritrea to allow full freedom of move-ment for UNMEE to monitor Eritrea’s redeployedforces, to disclose the number, strength and dis-position of its militia and police inside the TSZ,and to conclude the status-of-forces agreementwith the Secretary-General. The mission ex-pressed disappointment at the parties’ failure toestablish a direct high-altitude flight route forUNMEE between Addis Ababa and Asmara.

The mission recommended that the SecurityCouncil consider how UNMEE could play an ap-propriate role in the demarcation process; theBoundary Commission should proceed with thephysical demarcation on the ground immediatelyas stretches of the border were declared mine-free.

The guarantors, facilitators and witnesses ofthe peace process, OAU and the friends of Eritreaand Ethiopia were encouraged to intensify con-tacts with both countries in order to promote aconstructive dialogue. The mission welcomed theefforts of NGOs in assisting both countries in de-



velopment and rehabilitation, and donors’ con-tributions to funds for that purpose.

On 6 March [meeting 4485], the Security Councilconsidered the mission’s report. Addressing themeeting, the head of the mission, Ole Peter Kolby(Norway), said that the parties demonstratedcommitment to the implementation of the Al-giers Agreements. He stressed that UNMEE hadto continue its work in security arrangements un-til the demarcation process had been completed.The mission, he said, had highlighted the par-ties’ obligation under international humanita-rian law and under the Algiers Agreements to re-lease all prisoners of war and civilian detainees.

Report of Secretary-General (March). In his8 March progress report on Ethiopia and Eritrea[S/2002/245], the Secretary-General said that thesituation in the TSZ had remained generally calmsince his previous report of December 2001 [YUN2001, p. 201] and that the work of the BoundaryCommission was proceeding in accordance withits programme. Annexed to the report was thefourth report of the Boundary Commission, cov-ering the period from 1 December 2001 to 28 Feb-ruary 2002.

The parties continued, with few exceptions, torespect the boundaries and integrity of the TSZ.Under the ceasefire agreement, security ar-rangements, with UNMEE monitoring the TSZ,were to remain in effect until delimitation anddemarcation were completed. UNMEE intensi-fied its monitoring of the redeployed forces ofEritrea outside the TSZ and improved its liaisonrelations with Eritrean officers at the local level.As a result, despite restrictions on its freedom ofmovement in the adjacent area north of the TSZ,UNMEE visited Eritrean positions north of theZone, acquiring an understanding of develop-ments both inside the Zone and in adjacent areas.The posture of both sides remained essentiallydefensive. Tension and suspicion continued to ex-ist. Minor incidents had been reported, such asoccasional accidental firing, alleged crossings ofthe boundary by the military of both sides, al-leged cattle-rustling, and alleged abduction ofvillagers from the border areas.

Despite UNMEE’s requests, Eritrea did not pro-vide information on the numbers, strength anddisposition of its police or local militia inside theTSZ. Ethiopian military authorities continued toprotest about the numbers of Eritrean militiaand police, and to state that they were drawn fromregular Eritrean Defence Force units. UNMEE es-timated that the Eritrean police and local militiainside the Zone had remained roughly constantat 9,600. Eritrean police or militia units some-times sought to deploy to new locations, which, inthe Mission’s view, were located too close to the

southern boundary of the Zone and could there-fore destabilize the situation. One such attemptwas made on 5 February by Eritrean police to es-tablish a new observation post, a move thatUNMEE protested.

Eritrea continued to restrict UNMEE’s freedomof movement. While the restrictions had eased insome areas, there was little change in Sector Cen-tre. On the Ethiopian side, UNMEE enjoyednearly total freedom of movement. There was noprogress regarding the establishment of a directhigh-altitude flight route for UNMEE aircraft be-tween Asmara and Addis Ababa, resulting in ad-ditional expenses to the Mission of more than$1.4 million. Ethiopian senior liaison officerswere available to UNMEE and accompaniedUNMEE patrols. On the Eritrean side, the liaisonsystem was effective only in Sectors East andWest, but problems continued in Sector Centre.The Military Coordination Commission met on5 February and received a briefing from theUNMEE Force Commander. During the periodunder review, there were no major changes in theUNMEE force deployment. The total strength ofits military component was 3,962. At the time ofthe report, Eritrea had not signed the status-of-forces agreement, despite repeated requests fromthe Security Council and the Secretary-General.

Landmines and unexploded ordnance re-mained a major threat to the population of the twocountries and to UN and other humanitarianpersonnel. From December 2001 to mid-February2002, five civilians were killed and six injured insuch incidents in the TSZ and northern adjacent ar-eas. More than 1,100 Eritrean mine action per-sonnel were working in the TSZ. In cooperationwith other organizations, UNMEE continuedmine-risk education programmes for the localpopulation. Training of volunteer facilitators toconduct such education was continuing. The UNMine Action Service and UNDP released a strat-egy on UN assistance for mine action in Eritrea.The demining of access routes to the border areawas progressing under UNMEE’s Mine Action Co-ordination Centre.

The Boundary Commission, financed throughvoluntary contributions to the United NationsTrust Fund for the Delimitation and Demarca-tion of the Border, continued its work and was fi-nalizing its decision on delimitation. Preliminarywork was being carried out on the demarcationstage of its programme but demarcation couldnot proceed until locations of boundary markershad been cleared of landmines. Arrangementsfor the preparation of the 1:25,000 map on whichthe final demarcation would be marked were inhand.

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The humanitarian situation in the TSZ and ad-jacent areas remained stable and humanitarianprogrammes were able to undertake both emer-gency interventions and reconstruction activities.More than 180,000 internally displaced personsand over 38,000 refugees had been assisted byEritrea and the international community to re-turn to their areas of origin inside the Zone, but57,000 internally displaced persons were still un-able to return to their homes due to the presenceof mines, insecurity or the fact that severalvillages were under Ethiopian administration.Eritrean refugees were being repatriated fromthe Sudan and food assistance and clean waterwere being supplied to war-affected people. Be-cause the situation had stabilized, emergencyoperations and recovery and development pro-grammes were under way concurrently.

In the human rights area, UNMEE continued toinvestigate allegations of cross-border expulsionsand abductions. Initial reports of the expulsionof civilians from Tigray State in Ethiopia provedunfounded. Information obtained pointed tocontinuing exclusion of Eritreans or personsof Eritrean descent from participation incommunity activities in Ethiopia and denial ofaccess to social amenities, including food aid. Re-patriated Ethiopians reported they had left vol-untarily due to discrimination in Eritrea. On 15January, Eritrea released 25 prisoners of war(POWs) and expressed a readiness to release allEthiopian POWs in accordance with the AlgiersAgreements, while Ethiopia released 58 POWsand 2 civilian internees. More than 1,560 POWsremained in Ethiopia and more than 320 inEritrea.

The Mission’s public information officecontinued to report on the peace process andpublicize its mandate and work. In view of thesuspension in October 2001 of Radio UNMEE pro-grammes by Eritrea, UNMEE was discussing withthe Eritrean Ministry of Information the termsof an agreement to resume transmission. Theprogrammes continued to be posted on the UNweb site in English and six local languages.

The Secretary-General anticipated that theBoundary Commission’s delimitation decisionwould be issued within the next month. He rec-ommended, in the meantime, that UNMEE’s man-date be extended for six months, until 15 Septem-ber. He also recommended that a mechanism forproblem-solving during implementation of thedelimitation decision be established.


On 14 March [meeting 4491], the Security Coun-cil held an exchange of views with the troop-contributing countries.

On 15 March [meeting 4494], the Council unani-mously adopted resolution 1398(2002). Thedraft [S/2002/266] was prepared during consulta-tions among Council members.

The Security Council,Recalling its resolutions 1298(2000) of 17 May 2000,

1308(2000) of 17 July 2000, 1312(2000) of 31 July 2000,1320(2000) of 15 September 2000, 1344(2001) of 15March 2001 and 1369(2001) of 14 September 2001, thestatements by its President of 9 February (S/PRST/2001/4) and 15 May 2001 (S/PRST/2001/14) and of 16January 2002 (S/PRST/2002/1), and all other rele-vant resolutions and statements pertaining to the situ-ation between Ethiopia and Eritrea,

Recalling also the report of 27 February 2002 of theSecurity Council mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea un-dertaken in the period 21 to 25 February 2002,

Reaffirming the commitment of all Member States tothe sovereignty, independence and territorial integrityof Ethiopia and Eritrea,

Reaffirming also the need for both parties to fulfiltheir obligations under international law, including in-ternational humanitarian law, human rights law andrefugee law, and to ensure the safety of all personnelof the United Nations, the International Committee ofthe Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations,

Reaffirming its strong support for the comprehensivePeace Agreement between the Government of theState of Eritrea and the Government of the FederalDemocratic Republic of Ethiopia signed in Algiers on12 December 2000, and the preceding Agreement onCessation of Hostilities between the Government ofthe Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and theGovernment of the State of Eritrea, signed in Algierson 18 June 2000 (hereinafter referred to collectively asthe “Algiers Agreements”),

Also reaffirming its strong support for the help in imple-menting the Algiers Agreements continuously pro-vided by the Secretary-General and his Special Repre-sentative, including through their good offices,

Further reaffirming its strong support for the roleplayed by the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia andEritrea in the implementation of its mandate and thefacilitation of a peaceful settlement of the dispute,

Reaffirming its strong support for the Organization ofAfrican Unity Liaison Mission in Ethiopia-Eritrea,and inviting the Secretary-General of the Organiza-tion of African Unity to continue to offer the full sup-port of that organization for the peace process,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-Generalof 8 March 2002,

1. Decides to extend the mandate of the UnitedNations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea at the troopand military observer levels authorized by resolution1320(2000) until 15 September 2002;

2. Expresses its satisfaction and anticipation that a finallegal settlement of the border issues is about to bereached in accordance with the Algiers Agreements,and welcomes in this regard recent statements by bothparties reaffirming that the upcoming border delimi-tation determination (hereinafter referred to as “thedecision”) by the Boundary Commission is final andbinding;

3. Commends the parties on the progress made thusfar in implementing the Algiers Agreements, includ-



ing the continued observance of the TemporarySecurity Zone and the steps taken in cooperation withthe United Nations Cartographer to prepare for theimplementation of the decision by the Boundary Com-mission once it has been announced;

4. Calls upon the parties to cooperate fully and ex-peditiously with the Mission in the further implemen-tation of its mandate, to abide scrupulously by the let-ter and spirit of their agreements and to engage closelywith the Special Representative of the Secretary-General regarding the implementation of the decisionby the Boundary Commission, including expeditiouslyengaging with the Mission in their plans for thedemining necessary for demarcation;

5. Emphasizes the importance of ensuring expeditiousimplementation of the upcoming decision by the Bound-ary Commission while maintaining stability in all areasaffected by the decision, and encourages the parties toconsider further practical ways and means of conductingimplementation-related consultations, possibly throughappropriate strengthening of the Military CoordinationCommission and/or other arrangements with thesupport of the guarantors and facilitators of and wit-nesses to the Algiers Agreements;

6. Emphasizes also that in accordance with article 14of the Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities, the secu-rity arrangements are to remain in effect, and that, ac-cordingly, arrangements for the separation of forces,as achieved by the Temporary Security Zone, will con-tinue to be of key importance;

7. Emphasizes further that any transfer of territoryand civil authority, as well as population movementsand movements of troops, pursuant to the decision bythe Boundary Commission, should take place in an or-derly manner through dialogue and modalities facili-tated by the United Nations, in accordance with article4, paragraph 16, of the comprehensive Peace Agree-ment, and without any unilateral actions;

8. Emphasizes that until the border demarcation hasbeen completed, the Mission will continue to dischargeits mandate;

9. Emphasizes its resolve to support the parties in theimplementation of the decision by the Boundary Com-mission, and invites the Secretary-General to submit assoon as possible recommendations to the Council onways in which the Mission can play an appropriate rolein the border demarcation process, including with re-gard to demining for demarcation, taking into accountthe decision by the Boundary Commission, the contri-butions by the parties, the capacity of the Mission andthe resources available in the United Nations TrustFund in Support of the Delimitation and Demarcationof the Ethiopia-Eritrea Border;

10. Calls again upon Eritrea, notwithstanding theprior notification procedure, to allow the Mission fullfreedom of movement to monitor the redeployedforces, to disclose the number, strength and disposi-tion of its militia and police inside the TemporarySecurity Zone, and to conclude the status-of-forcesagreement with the Secretary-General;

11. Urges Ethiopia to provide the United NationsMine Action Coordination Centre with clarificationsto the information already put forward, as promised inthis regard;

12. Expresses its concern that there has been noprogress regarding the establishment of a direct high-

altitude flight route for the Mission between Asmaraand Addis Ababa, and calls again upon the parties towork with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in a spirit of compromise to settle the issue forthe mutual benefit of all;

13. Calls upon the parties to release and return with-out further delay all remaining prisoners of war andcivilian internees under the auspices of the Interna-tional Committee of the Red Cross in accordance withthe Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and the Al-giers Agreements;

14. Also calls upon the parties to take other measuresthat will build confidence and promote reconciliationbetween the two peoples for their mutual benefit, in-cluding by affording humane treatment to each other’snationals in accordance with the Algiers Agreements;facilitating sustainable reintegration of refugees, in-ternally displaced persons and demobilized soldiers;promoting cross-border contacts at the local levelaimed at resolving disputes and rebuilding communityrelations; and by facilitating further dialogue amongcivil society at all levels in the two countries, such asthat recently undertaken by the religious leaders;

15. Encourages the parties to make arrangements toenable the Mission to disseminate information to rele-vant population groups in the Mission area about thedelimitation and demarcation of the border betweenthe two countries and the role of the United Nations inthis regard;

16. Also encourages the parties to focus on recon-struction and development of their economies and onimproving their relations, for the benefit of all thepeople and with the view to promoting regional peaceand security;

17. Encourages the guarantors and facilitators ofand witnesses to the Algiers Agreements to providetheir continued support for the peace process, and in-vites all States and international organizations to sup-port the process, including by exercising the highestdegree of responsibility in discouraging arms flows tothe region and by providing contributions to the TrustFund to Support the Peace Process in Ethiopia andEritrea, the Trust Fund in Support of the Delimitationand Demarcation of the Ethiopia-Eritrea Border andto the United Nations consolidated appeals process for2002;


Boundary Commission decisionOn 15 April [S/2002/423], the Eritrea-Ethiopia

Boundary Commission transmitted its decisionregarding delimitation to the parties involvedand to the Secretaries-General of the UnitedNations and OAU. Under the terms of the 2000Algiers Agreements, the Boundary Commis-sion’s mandate was to delimit and demarcate thecolonial treaty border based on pertinent colo-nial treaties (1900, 1902 and 1908) and applicableinternational law. The UN Cartographer servedas Secretary to the Commission and providedtechnical expertise. In its report, the Commissionreviewed the history of the boundary dispute andthe bases of its determination of the boundary. It

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stated that the boundary had been determined bythe unanimous decision of the five Commissionmembers.

In a press statement of 16 April [SC/7362], theSecurity Council President said that Councilmembers, having heard a briefing by theSecretary-General and his Special Representa-tive, Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, welcomed theCommission’s decision announced in TheHague, Netherlands, on 13 April. Council mem-bers commended the commitment of Eritrea andEthiopia to accept the decision as final and bind-ing and called on them to cooperate with theCommission and UNMEE in implementing thedecision and all aspects of the demarcation pro-cess, including demining. They urged both Gov-ernments to strengthen reconciliation by ad-dressing the remaining issues, including therelease of POWs. They called on the parties to pro-vide full freedom of movement to UNMEE and tofacilitate the establishment of a direct route forUNMEE between Asmara and Addis Ababa. In an-other press statement on 17 April [SC/7363], thePresident expressed members’ satisfaction that afinal legal settlement of the border issues hadbeen completed. Members underlined their com-mitment to support implementation of thedecision and to contribute to the completion ofthe peace process. The President issued furtherpress statements on 2 May [SC/7386] and 29 May[SC/7416], following briefings by the Secretariat onthe peace process between Eritrea and Ethiopia.Council members reiterated the need for bothparties to cooperate with the Commission andUNMEE in implementing the decision and en-couraged an early establishment of a commonframework for the demarcation process.

Also welcoming the decision, the EU, on 15April [S/2002/426], stated that the final legal settle-ment of the border was a central element of thecomprehensive peace agreement signed in 2000.Pledging its support for UNMEE and the SpecialRepresentative, the EU underlined that they re-quired permanent access to the appropriategovernment authorities. The EU urged both sidesto respect the TSZ, to maintain continued separa-tion of forces and to ensure there was no unilat-eral movement of population or troops, as thosearrangements would set the conditions necessaryfor demarcation to begin. It called on the partiesto ensure an orderly transfer of territorial controlin line with the Commission’s decision.

At private meetings with Eritrea and Ethiopia,respectively, on 13 May [meetings 4529 & 4530], theSecurity Council discussed the situation betweenEritrea and Ethiopia. On 5 July [S/2002/732], theSecretary-General transmitted to the Council areply from the Boundary Commission regarding

Ethiopia’s “request for interpretation, correctionand consultation” concerning the boundarydecision. Ethiopia had raised questions in con-nection with towns and villages along the bound-ary, river boundaries, nature and variation of theterrain and several particular points along theboundary. Having considered the request, theCommission concluded that it was inadmissibleand no further action would be taken on it. Thedocument would, however, remain on the recordas a statement of Ethiopia’s views, and the 14June response from Eritrea would also remain onthe record as a statement of Eritrea’s views on thematters raised in the Ethiopian request. To theextent that the Commission might deem appro-priate, some of those matters might be consid-ered further during the demarcation.

Report of Secretary-General (July). In a 10July report on Ethiopia and Eritrea [S/2002/744],the Secretary-General described his efforts to en-gage the parties on the way forward. He statedthat the parties had accepted the Boundary Com-mission’s delimitation decision as final and bind-ing. Following the publication of the decision inApril, Ethiopia notified the United Nations thatit would prohibit UNMEE and Boundary Com-mission personnel from crossing from Eritreainto Ethiopia. Ethiopia said it had not been prop-erly consulted regarding UNMEE logistical sup-port for and transport of personnel of the Com-mission’s Secretary and Field Office; that UNMEEhad not kept its personnel lists properly updated;that it had improperly transported internationaljournalists from Asmara to Badme; and that theCommission had failed to open a field office onthe Ethiopian side of the border. The Secretary-General assured Ethiopia that the Mission wouldmaintain strict impartiality. UNMEE continued tomonitor the area, which remained calm and sta-ble, and to clear mines along access routes to theborder area. To give additional momentum to thepeace process, the Secretary-General dispatchedthe Under-Secretary-General for PeacekeepingOperations to the region from 17 to 21 June to dis-cuss the next steps in the peace process and therole of UNMEE in those efforts. At that time, bothparties emphasized their interest in the expedi-tious demarcation of the border. Consequently,the Secretary-General was able to make recom-mendations to the Security Council regardingadjustments to UNMEE’s mandate.

Concerning mine clearance, the Secretary-General said that UNMEE was prepared to clearthe sites for demarcation pillars and other sur-veying sites. Civilian contractors would providequality assurance and verification. The partieswould continue to carry out humanitariandemining in the border area so that their respect-



ive peoples could inhabit and use the land. Otherrecommendations concerned modalities fortransferring territorial control to ensure an or-derly process, once an area had been demarcated.The withdrawing party would redeploy its civil-ian administration, local militia and police, andarmed forces; UNMEE, with enhanced monitor-ing capabilities, would verify that the withdrawalwas done correctly; and the incoming partywould establish its civil administration prior tothe return of the incoming population. UNMEEwould supply administrative and logistical sup-port for demarcation, by, for example, providingoffice space, communications, transport, medicalevacuation services and liaison functions.

Until the completion of demarcation and thetransfers of territorial control, the security ar-rangements maintained by UNMEE would be es-sential, the Secretary-General stated. In connec-tion with the maintenance of stability in areasadjacent to the TSZ, he expressed concern aboutpress reports regarding new settlements in theborder area. Eritrea had requested the BoundaryCommission to order interim measures of protec-tion. The Secretary-General appealed to the par-ties, at that crucial juncture between delimitationand the completion of demarcation, to refrainfrom establishing any new settlements near theborder until it had been demarcated and the or-derly transfer of territorial control had been ac-complished. In his view, the successful conclu-sion of the process, in which the parties hadinvested heavily, was within sight and the continu-ing exercise of statesmanship on both sides wouldensure that it was reached.

Having issued its decision on 13 April, theBoundary Commission reported that prepara-tory work for the demarcation had begun withsurveying and aerial photography of the borderto construct the definitive 1:25,000 scale map ofthe border region. On 27 April, however, Ethio-pia prohibited further work within the territoryunder its control, and later criticized UNMEE con-cerning logistical assistance given to the ChiefSurveyor and expressed doubt about the neutral-ity of the Boundary Commission’s Field Office.At a 21 May meeting with the parties to discussthe procedure for demarcation, it was made clearto the parties that each was obliged to cooperatewith the demarcation process and that neithercould raise special conditions for its cooperation.At the time of the report, the ban had not beenlifted.

On 13 May, within the 30-day period allowedfor such steps, Ethiopia filed its “request for in-terpretation, correction and consultation” (seep. 188). Eritrea, on 17 May, raised four questions

regarding the decision, to which the BoundaryCommission President responded.

UNMEE and Boundary Commission activitiesThe Boundary Commission, by a letter that the

Secretary-General forwarded to the SecurityCouncil on 29 July [S/2002/853], transmitted thetext of its order to the parties concerning resettle-ment activities. By that order, the Commission re-jected Eritrea’s request for interim measures anddecided that any Ethiopian-sponsored resettle-ment of Ethiopian nationals in Dembe Mengulafter 13 April should not have taken place. Ethio-pia was ordered to arrange for the return to Ethi-opian territory of those persons in DembeMengul who had gone there since 13 April. Eachparty was to ensure that no further population re-settlement took place across the delimitation line.

The Security Council President, in a 12 Julystatement to the press [SC/7453-AFR/433], said thatCouncil members noted that the Boundary Com-mission had adopted the demarcation directionscontaining the operational arrangements for theborder demarcation, including appropriate sup-port from UNMEE and its relationship with theCommission. Members expected that the 15 Julymeeting in The Hague between Eritrea and Ethi-opia and the Commission would initiate full co-operation by the parties in order to ensure an ex-peditious and orderly process.

On 22 July [SC/7460], the Council President saidthat the members had discussed one aspect of theUNMEE mandate—demarcation of the boundary,with a need to focus on demining along demarca-tion lines.


The Security Council, on 13 August [meeting4599], held a private meeting with UNMEE troop-contributing countries.

On 14 August [meeting 4600], the Council unani-mously adopted resolution 1430(2002). The draft[S/2002/924] was prepared in consultations amongCouncil members.

The Security Council,Recalling its relevant resolutions concerning the sit-

uation between Eritrea and Ethiopia, in particular res-olution 1398(2002) of 15 March 2002,

Also recalling the report of 27 February 2002 of theSecurity Council mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea un-dertaken in the period from 21 to 25 February 2002,

Further recalling the Delimitation Decision of theBoundary Commission of 13 April 2002, subsequentlyembraced by the parties as final and binding in accord-ance with the comprehensive Peace Agreement signedin Algiers on 12 December 2000,

Reaffirming its strong support for the comprehensivePeace Agreement and the preceding Agreement onCessation of Hostilities signed in Algiers on 18 June

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2000 (hereinafter referred to collectively as “the Al-giers Agreements”),

Reaffirming its strong support also for the help in im-plementing the Algiers Agreements continuously pro-vided by the Secretary-General and his Special Repre-sentative, including through their good offices, and forthe role played by the United Nations Mission in Ethio-pia and Eritrea in the implementation of its mandate,thereby contributing towards the completion of thepeace process,

Reaffirming the need for both parties to fulfil theirobligations under international law, including interna-tional humanitarian law, human rights law and refu-gee law, and to ensure the safety of all personnel of theUnited Nations, the International Committee of theRed Cross and other humanitarian organizations,

Reaffirming its strong support for the African UnionLiaison Mission in Ethiopia-Eritrea, and inviting thePresident ad interim of the Commission of the AfricanUnion to continue actively the role of the former Or-ganization of African Unity in support of the peaceprocess,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-Generalof 10 July 2002,

1. Decides to adjust the mandate of the UnitedNations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, in order to as-sist the Boundary Commission in the expeditious andorderly implementation of its Delimitation Decision,to include with immediate effect:

(a) Demining in key areas to support demarcation,and

(b) Administrative and logistical support for theField Offices of the Boundary Commission,in accordance with the recommendations provided bythe Secretary-General in paragraphs 13, 14 and 17 ofhis report, and resolution 1398(2002), the costs of civil-ian demining contractors and Field Office support tobe funded as outlined in paragraphs 14 and 17 of thereport;

2. Endorses the technical steps for territorial trans-fers as a broad framework for the process as recom-mended by the Secretary-General in his report, anddecides to review, as necessary, the implications for theMission in this regard, while strongly urging the par-ties to provide their full and prompt cooperation in theprocess with a view to ensuring an expeditious transi-tion for the benefit of the affected populations;

3. Calls upon the parties to cooperate fully and ex-peditiously with the Mission in the implementation ofits mandate, as adjusted by the present resolution, byabiding scrupulously by the letter and spirit of theiragreements and by resolving all outstanding issues inaccordance with the Algiers Agreements;

4. Encourages the parties to continue to cooperatefully and expeditiously with the Mission in providingthe information and maps required by the Mission forthe demining process;

5. Calls upon the parties to cooperate fully andpromptly with the Boundary Commission, includingby implementing without conditions its binding De-marcation Directions, by abiding promptly by all itsOrders, including the two issued on 17 July 2002, andby taking all steps necessary to ensure the personalsecurity of the staff of the Commission when operat-ing in territories under their control;

6. Appeals to the parties to exercise restraint, andemphasizes that, in accordance with paragraph 14 ofthe Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities, the securityarrangements are to remain in effect, and that, accord-ingly, arrangements for the separation of forces, asachieved by the Temporary Security Zone and throughthe contributions of the Mission, will continue to be ofkey importance;

7. Calls upon the parties to refrain from unilateraltroop or population movements, including the estab-lishment of any new settlements in areas near the bor-der, until demarcation and orderly transfer of territo-rial control has been accomplished, in accordance witharticle 4, paragraph 16, of the comprehensive PeaceAgreement;

8. Demands that the parties allow the Mission fullfreedom of movement and remove with immediateeffect any and all restrictions on, and impediments tothe work of, the Mission and its staff in the dischargeof its mandate;

9. Expresses its disappointment that there has been noprogress regarding the establishment of a direct high-altitude flight route for the Mission between Asmaraand Addis Ababa, given the importance to the demar-cation process of a direct flight route, and renews itsappeal to the parties to work with the Special Repre-sentative of the Secretary-General in a spirit of com-promise to settle the issue for the mutual benefit of all;

10. Calls again upon the parties to release and returnwithout further delay all remaining prisoners of warand civilian internees under the auspices of the Inter-national Committee of the Red Cross in accordancewith the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 andthe Algiers Agreements;

11. Further calls upon the parties to increase theirefforts to take other measures that will buildconfidence and promote reconciliation between thetwo peoples for their mutual benefit, including in par-ticular the areas listed in paragraph 14 of resolution1398(2002);

12. Encourages the guarantors, facilitators and wit-nesses of the Algiers Agreements and the Friends ofthe United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea tointensify their contacts with the authorities of bothcountries with the view to contributing to an expedi-tious demarcation process;

13. Strongly emphasizes the importance of an expedi-tious and orderly demarcation process in order to fur-ther peace and normalize the relations between theparties, to enable displaced persons to return homeand in order for the parties to move completely beyondthe border issue and pave the way for reconstructionand development as well as political and economic co-operation;


Report of Secretary-General (August). In a 30August progress report on Ethiopia and Eritrea[S/2002/977], the Secretary-General said that, dur-ing the period under review, the situation in theTSZ remained generally calm and, on the whole,the armed forces of Ethiopia and Eritrea main-tained a relatively good level of cooperation withUNMEE. Both sides continued to relocate heavymilitary equipment to rear areas and to construct



semi-permanent shelters near their deploymentareas in anticipation of the rainy season. How-ever, there had been an increase in the numberof incidents and subsequent accusations andcounter-accusations by the parties of physical as-sault and abduction of local populations on bothsides of the southern boundary of the Zone. Ac-cording to UNMEE, the origin of those incidentslay mostly in local disputes over grazing lands. Inresponse, UN troops had intensified their moni-toring activities in trouble areas.

Ethiopia, on 6 May, lifted its prohibition onUNMEE travel across the southern boundary ofthe TSZ. However, the tightening of immigrationformalities by the Ethiopian authorities at the in-ternational airport at Addis Ababa and the impo-sition of security searches on UNMEE personnelcontinued to cause delays and constituted a viola-tion of the status-of-forces agreement. On theEritrean side, there had been a decrease in thepreviously reported restrictions on the Mission’sfreedom of movement in the area adjacent tothe TSZ, due in large part to the relocation ofEritrean forces in preparation for the rainy sea-son. No progress was made in establishing adirect high-altitude UNMEE flight path betweenAsmara and Addis Ababa. Despite the repeatedrequests of the Security Council, Eritrea had notsigned the status-of-forces agreement.

On 8 July, the Boundary Commission adopteddemarcation directions to govern its forthcomingwork. The Commission held a meeting with theparties (The Hague, 15-16 July) to discuss thedirections and establishment of the Commis-sion’s new Field Office at Adigrat, Ethiopia. ThatOffice had already begun surveying activities.

Landmines and unexploded ordnance re-mained a serious threat to UN staff and humani-tarian personnel. Between June and the end ofAugust, four civilians were killed and 12wounded in such incidents. UNMEE’s Mine Ac-tion Coordination Centre acted as the coordinat-ing authority for mine clearance in support ofboundary demarcation.

As at 13 August, approximately 57,000 inter-nally displaced persons remained in camps inEritrea and 52,000 persons had been repatriatedto Eritrea from the Sudan under a tripartite pro-gramme involving the two Governments andUNHCR. A serious drought in the region addedto humanitarian concerns and increased the ex-pected amounts needed for food aid. Reports ofcases of cross-border harassment and abductionscontinued on both sides. Repatriations of bothEritreans and Ethiopians, assisted by the Inter-national Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), con-tinued, and more than 500 people were repatri-ated on both sides. Both countries continued to

discriminate against each other’s citizens. In Julyand August, Eritrea released and repatriated 53Ethiopian civilians who had been arrested dur-ing the conflict and were held in detention withinEritrea. After several months of no action,Eritrea released and repatriated 15 EthiopianPOWs on 2 August. ICRC later announced thatEthiopia and Eritrea had committed themselvesto releasing all remaining POWs. Subsequently,on 29 August, Eritrea released and repatriated279 Ethiopian POWs, the last of those known byICRC to be held by Eritrea. Ethiopia was believedto be holding 1,300 Eritrean POWs.

The Mission’s public information office con-tinued to report on developments in the peaceprocess. Transmissions of weekly programmescontinued to be broadcast by Radio Eritrea, butEthiopia had not consented to a similar arrange-ment. Meanwhile, UNMEE broadcast its biweeklyprogrammes on short-wave frequencies andposted them on its web site in six languages. TwoUNMEE outreach centres were opened, one inAddis Ababa and one in Asmara.

The Secretary-General was encouraged by thefact that the parties remained committed to thepeace process; he appealed to the two countries tosustain that course and extend the necessary co-operation to UNMEE and the Boundary Commis-sion for the expeditious demarcation of the bor-der. For its part, the United Nations wouldremain committed to playing its role through thedemarcation phase, and the Secretary-Generalrecommended that UNMEE’s mandate be ex-tended for six months, until 15 March 2003.

The Boundary Commission reported that itsstaff had been working on the boundary map andthe location and erection of the boundary mark-ers. That had involved principally the emplace-ment of secondary datum markers and groundcontrol points. The Chief Surveyor submitted tothe parties several reports: a summary of the sur-vey of the ground control points for satellite im-agery; a summary of the specifications for pri-mary and secondary data, offsite data processingand quality assurance; a summary of work to beundertaken before the placing of boundarymarkers could begin; and an amended field re-port of the primary datum observations. The de-marcation directions issued on 8 July were bind-ing on the parties and contained detailed rulesgoverning the demarcation process.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (September)

On 6 September [meeting 4606], the SecurityCouncil unanimously adopted resolution 1434(2002). The draft [S/2002/980] was prepared inconsultations among Council members.

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The Security Council,Reaffirming all its previous resolutions and state-

ments pertaining to the situation between Eritrea andEthiopia, notably the requirements contained therein,including in particular its resolution 1430(2002) of 14August 2002,

Reaffirming its unwavering support for the peace pro-cess and its commitment, including through the roleplayed by the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia andEritrea in the implementation of its mandate, to thefull and expeditious implementation of the compre-hensive Peace Agreement signed by the parties on 12December 2000 and the preceding Agreement on Ces-sation of Hostilities of 18 June 2000 (hereinafter re-ferred to collectively as “the Algiers Agreements”), theDelimitation Decision of the Boundary Commission of13 April 2002, embraced by the parties as final andbinding in accordance with the Algiers Agreements,including the Orders issued on 17 July 2002, and theensuing binding Demarcation Directions,

Welcoming the recent confirmations by both partiesto implement fully their commitments under article 2of the comprehensive Peace Agreement, in accordancewith the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and inso doing, welcoming the recent release and repatria-tion by Eritrea of 279 prisoners of war and strongly en-couraging Ethiopia to follow through on its pledge re-lating to the release and repatriation of its prisoners ofwar and civilian internees, and calling upon both par-ties to continue to clarify the cases of any remainingprisoners of war and to resolve all other remainingissues in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, incooperation with the International Committee of theRed Cross,

Expressing concern regarding reported incidents ofcross-border harassment and abductions of civilians onboth sides, referred to in the report of the Secretary-General of 30 August 2002, and calling upon both par-ties to ensure an immediate end to such incidents andto cooperate fully with investigations by the Mission inthis regard,

Havingconsidered thereportoftheSecretary-General,1. Decides to extend the mandate of the United

Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea until 15March 2003 at the troop and military observer levelsauthorized by its resolution 1320(2000) of 15 Septem-ber 2000;

2. Also decides to review frequently the progressmade by the parties in the implementation of theircommitments pursuant to the Algiers Agreements, in-cluding through the Boundary Commission, and to re-view any implications for the Mission, including withregard to the process of territorial transfers during thedemarcation as outlined by the Secretary-General inhis report of 10 July 2002;


Appointment. On 4 October [S/2002/1120], theSecretary-General notified the Security Councilof his intention to appoint Major General RobertGordon (United Kingdom) as the new ForceCommander of UNMEE, with effect from 1 No-vember. Major General Gordon would replaceMajor General Patrick C. Cammaert, whose two-year tour of duty would expire at the end of Octo-

ber. The Council took note of his intention on8 October [S/2002/1121].

Communication. Eritrea, in a press statementforwarded to the Security Council on 31 October[S/2002/1218], claimed that Ethiopia had officiallyannounced that it had established an axis withthe Sudan and Yemen to carry out acts of aggres-sion against Eritrea (see also p. 217), a violation ofinternational law and the UN Charter and a de-velopment that would directly affect the entireHorn of Africa region. Each of those three coun-tries, Eritrea said, had been individually pursu-ing bellicose policies of aggression and subver-sion against Eritrea for several years.

Boundary Commission. On 14 November[S/2002/1245], the Secretary-General transmittedto the Security Council the Boundary Commis-sion’s determinations of 7 November. The Com-mission determined that its jurisdiction andpowers extended to its taking cognizance of and,where necessary, making appropriate decisionson any matter it found necessary for the perform-ance of its mandate. It was accordingly entitled totake cognizance of any population movementacross the boundary as determined in the delimi-tation decision and to make such orders as itfound necessary. With regard to the Commis-sion’s order of 17 July, Ethiopia, having failed toremove from Eritrean territory Ethiopians whohad moved into that territory after the delimita-tion decision, had not complied with its obliga-tions. The Commission emphasized that anydecision it made to inspect any location in theboundary area, and in particular Tserona orZalambessa or their environs, had to be compliedwith.

Report of Secretary-General (December). On20 December [S/2002/1393], the Secretary-Generalissued his last report of the year on Ethiopia andEritrea, annexed to which was the seventhBoundary Commission report. During the four-month period of review, the situation in the TSZremained generally calm, the armed forces ofEthiopia and Eritrea cooperated relatively wellwith UNMEE, and no significant military activi-ties were observed on either side of the Zone.However, during September and October, a se-ries of cross-border incidents occurred in SectorCentre, involving cattle-rustling, abductions andclashes over grazing land between residents inthe border areas. The situation became especiallytense on 4 October when Ethiopian militia andvillagers threatened UNMEE peacekeepers. Whilethe cross-border harassment and cattle-rustlingwere beyond the scope of the UNMEE mandate,the Secretary-General’s Special Representativeencouraged both sides to find a solution to theproblem of such incidents. UNMEE intensified its



patrols in the areas of concern and was in contactwith local administrators so as to prevent futureincidents.

As at 10 December, UNMEE military personneltotalled 4,140. With regard to freedom of move-ment of UNMEE personnel, there were nochanges since the previous report (see p. 191) norany progress in establishing a flight between thecapitals of the two countries.

After a seven-month interlude, the MilitaryCoordination Commission held its fourteenthmeeting (Nairobi, 11 December), when it re-viewed the military situation in the Mission areaand discussed issues of coordination related toborder incidents and modalities for demining fordemarcation purposes.

In preparation for the demarcation process,the Boundary Commission held a meeting withthe parties (London, 6-7 November), at which itissued a time frame for demarcation activitiesfrom 31 December 2002 to 31 August 2003. Actualdemarcation was scheduled to commence in May2003. The Commission also issued determina-tions regarding Ethiopian settlements across thedelimitation line [S/2002/1245] (see above). TheSpecial Representative initiated discussions withthe parties on how the United Nations could fa-cilitate resolution of problems due to the transferof territorial control, as called for in the AlgiersPeace Agreement of December 2000.

While the Boundary Commission was workingon finalizing maps on which demarcation wouldbe based, the UNMEE Mine Action CoordinationCentre was planning for mine clearance in keyborder areas, including potential access routes topossible boundary pillar sites. UNMEE providedoffice space, communications and other logisticalsupport for the Commission’s Field Offices inAddis Ababa, Adigrat and Asmara. As requiredby the demarcation directions, the parties desig-nated their liaison representatives and field liai-son officers. Meetings were held in Addis Ababaon 28 October and in Asmara on 31 October withrepresentatives of each party to discuss the sched-ule of operations and other technical matters.

Landmines and unexploded ordnance re-mained a threat, killing two civilians and injuringsix others in the TSZ during the reporting period.Eritrea established its own demining agencyand assumed responsibility for humanitariandemining in the country on 31 August, leading tothe departure of some international organiza-tions involved in mine-action activities. As a re-sult, humanitarian mine-action capacity in theZone and adjacent areas was reduced. In view ofthe circumstances, the UN Mine Action Coordi-nation Centre developed a revised work plan, fo-cusing on UNMEE mine-action activities associ-

ated with the demarcation of the border. Goodprogress was made in clearing all routes in theZone. On average, 20 kilometres were surveyedand 10 kilometres were cleared every day.

The humanitarian situation in Ethiopia andEritrea was dire due to the effects of the drought.Both countries suffered massive crop failure andlivestock losses. In Eritrea, the Government re-ported that 1.4 million people were directly af-fected by the drought, in addition to the thou-sands still recovering from the border conflict.Among those, internally displaced persons, refu-gees, expellees, vulnerable urban-dwellers, thoseaffected by HIV/AIDS and soldiers awaiting de-mobilization were the more notable groups. Thenumber of those considered vulnerable was esti-mated at 2.3 million. In Ethiopia, more than6 million people were in need of food aid, and upto 14 million drought-affected persons could bein need of assistance, mainly food aid, in a worst-case scenario for 2003. The UN programme ofquick-impact projects continued, with activitiesundertaken in the areas of water, sanitation, re-construction, education and health. Rehabilita-tion needs in the TSZ and adjacent areas re-mained great, and additional funding wasrequired in order for them to continue.

The repatriation of civilians by both Ethiopiaand Eritrea continued under the auspices ofICRC. Eritrea repatriated 346 persons of Ethio-pian origin during the reporting period, bring-ing the total in 2002 to 1,048. Ethiopia repatri-ated 528 persons of Eritrean origin during theyear. In accordance with the Algiers PeaceAgreement, Ethiopia had released the lastEritrean detainees who had been registered andvisited by ICRC, among whom 1,130 POWs and 95civilian internees returned to Eritrea on 29 No-vember. Since the beginning of the war in 1998,1,067 Ethiopian POWs, 5,055 Ethiopian civilianinternees, 2,067 Eritrean POWs and 1,086Eritrean civilian internees had been repatriatedunder ICRC auspices.

The Secretary-General reiterated his appealsto Eritrea to conclude a status-of-forces agree-ment with the United Nations and to the donorcommunity to contribute to the Trust Fund forthe Delimitation and Demarcation of the Border.

While the overall situation in the TSZ and adja-cent areas had remained generally calm, the re-cent cross-border incidents had revealed a newdimension of the conflict between the two coun-tries, namely, the local competition for scarceresources in the drought-affected border areas.The looming drought in the Horn of Africa,and particularly in Eritrea and Ethiopia, theSecretary-General remarked, was a source of

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deep concern, and he appealed to Member Statesfor support.

UNMEE financingOn 27 February, the Secretary-General re-

ported on the financial performance of UNMEEfor 31 July 2000 to 30 June 2001 [A/56/840].The General Assembly had appropriated$189,190,200 gross ($186,608,500 net) for theoperation of the Mission. Expenditures for theperiod totalled $164,106,000 gross ($162,204,000net), resulting in an unencumbered balance of$25,084,200 gross ($24,404,500 net) that wasmainly due to lower actual costs for military andcivilian personnel owing to delayed deployment.

On 8 March, the Secretary-General issued aproposed budget for UNMEE for 1 July 2002 to30 June 2003 [A/56/862], which amounted to$220,830,200 gross ($216,814,800 net). Of the to-tal budget, 55 per cent related to military person-nel, 28 per cent to operational costs, 13 per cent tocivilian personnel, 2 per cent to other pro-grammes and 2 per cent to staff assessment.

ACABQ reviewed both financial reports in areport of 5 April [A/56/887/Add.9]. In view of thelikelihood that UNMEE might begin downsizingin 2003, ACABQ considered the decision to rentnew premises to be without operational justifi-cation. It recommended that the Assembly ap-prove an appropriation of $220,830,200 gross($216,814,800 net) for 1 July 2002 to 30 June2003.


On 27 June [meeting 105], the General Assembly,on the recommendation of the Fifth Committee[A/56/714/Add.1], adopted resolution 56/250 Bwithout vote [agenda item 137].

Financing of the United Nations Missionin Ethiopia and Eritrea


General on the financing of the United Nations Mis-sion in Ethiopia and Eritrea and the related reports ofthe Advisory Committee on Administrative and Bud-getary Questions,

Bearing in mind Security Council resolution 1312(2000) of 31 July 2000, by which the Council estab-lished the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia andEritrea, and the subsequent resolutions by which theCouncil extended the mandate of the Mission, the lat-est of which was resolution 1398(2002) of 15 March2002,

Recalling its resolution 55/237 of 23 December 2000on the financing of the Mission and its subsequent res-olutions thereon, the latest of which was resolution56/250 A of 24 December 2001,

Reaffirming the general principles underlying the fi-nancing of United Nations peacekeeping operations,as stated in General Assembly resolutions 1874(S-IV)

of 27 June 1963, 3101(XXVIII) of 11 December 1973and 55/235 of 23 December 2000,



1. Takes note of the status of contributions to theUnited Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea as at30 April 2002, including the contributions outstand-ing in the amount of 56.6 million United States dol-lars, representing some 14 per cent of the total assessedcontributions, notes with concern that only seventeenMember States have paid their assessed contributionsin full, and urges all other Member States, in particu-lar those in arrears, to ensure payment of their out-standing assessed contributions;

2. Expresses its appreciation to those Member Stateswhich have paid their assessed contributions in fulland on time, and urges all other Member States tomake every possible effort to ensure payment of theirassessed contributions to the Mission in full and ontime;









Financial performance report forthe period 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001

11. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-Generalon the financial performance of the Mission for the pe-riod from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001;



12. Approves, on an exceptional basis, the special ar-rangements for the Mission with regard to the applica-tion of article IV of the Financial Regulations of theUnited Nations, whereby appropriations required inrespect of obligations owed to Governments providingcontingents and/or logistic support to the Missionshall be retained beyond the period stipulated underfinancial regulations 4.3 and 4.4, as set out in the an-nex to the present resolution;

Budget estimates for theperiod 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003

13. Decides to appropriate to the Special Account forthe United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritreathe amount of 230,845,300 dollars for the period from1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003, inclusive of 220,830,200dollars for the maintenance of the Mission, 8,943,600dollars for the support account for peacekeeping oper-ations and 1,071,500 dollars for the United Nations Lo-gistics Base;

Financing of the appropriation14. Decides also to apportion among Member States

the amount of 230,845,300 dollars at a monthly rate of19,237,108 dollars in accordance with the levels set outin resolution 55/235, as adjusted by the General As-sembly in its resolution 55/236 of 23 December 2000,and taking into account the scale of assessments for theyears 2002 and 2003 as set out in its resolution 55/5 Bof the same date, subject to the decision of the SecurityCouncil to extend the mandate of the Mission;

15. Decides further that, in accordance with the pro-visions of its resolution 973(X) of 15 December 1955,there shall be set off against the apportionment amongMember States, as provided for in paragraph 14 above,their respective share in the Tax Equalization Fundof 5,328,800 dollars for the period from 1 July 2002 to30 June 2003, at a monthly rate of 444,067 dollars,comprising the estimated staff assessment income of4,015,400 dollars approved for the Mission for the pe-riod from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003, the proratedshare of 1,217,900 dollars of the estimated staff assess-ment income approved for the support account for theperiod from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003 and the in-crease in staff assessment income of that account forthe period from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001, and theprorated share of 95,500 dollars of the estimated staffassessment income approved for the United NationsLogistics Base for the period from 1 July 2002 to 30June 2003 and the reduction in staff assessment in-come of that account for the period from 1 July 2000 to30 June 2001;

16. Decides that for Member States that have ful-filled their financial obligations to the Mission, thereshall be set off against their apportionment, as pro-vided for in paragraph 14 above, their respective shareof the unencumbered balance of 25,084,200 dollarsand their respective share of other income of 858,000dollars in respect of the financial period ended 30June 2001, in accordance with levels set out in resolu-tion 55/235, as adjusted by the General Assembly in itsresolution 55/236, and taking into account the scale ofassessments for 2001, as set out in its resolution 55/5 B;

17. Decides also that for Member States that have notfulfilled their financial obligations to the Mission,their respective share of the unencumbered balance of25,084,200 dollars and other income of 858,000 dol-

lars in respect of the financial period ended 30 June2001 shall be set off against their outstanding obliga-tions in accordance with the scheme set out in para-graph 16 above;

18. Decides further that the decrease in the staffassessment income of 679,700 dollars shall be set offagainst the credits from the unencumbered balance inrespect of the financial period ended 30 June 2001 re-ferred to in paragraphs 16 and 17 above;

19. Emphasizes that no peacekeeping operation shallbe financed by borrowing funds from other activepeacekeeping operations;

20. Encourages the Secretary-General to continue totake additional measures to ensure the safety andsecurity of all personnel under the auspices of theUnited Nations participating in peacekeeping opera-tions;

21. Invites voluntary contributions to the Mission incash and in the form of services and supplies accepta-ble to the Secretary-General, to be administered, asappropriate, in accordance with the procedure andpractices established by the General Assembly;

22. Decides to include in the provisional agenda ofits fifty-seventh session the item entitled “Financing ofthe United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea”.ANNEXSpecial arrangements with regard to theapplication of article IV of the FinancialRegulations of the United Nations

1. At the end of the twelve-month period providedfor in financial regulation 4.3, any unliquidated obli-gations of the financial period in question relating togoods supplied and services rendered by Governmentsfor which claims have been received or which are cov-ered by established reimbursement rates shall be trans-ferred to accounts payable; such accounts shall remainrecorded in the Special Account for the UnitedNations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea until paymentis effected.

2. In addition:(a) Any other unliquidated obligations of the finan-

cial period in question owed to Governments for provi-sion of goods and services rendered but not yet veri-fied as well as other obligations owed to Governmentsfor which claims have not yet been received shall re-main valid for an additional period of four years fol-lowing the end of the twelve-month period providedfor in financial regulation 4.3;

(b) Claims received during this four-year period aswell as approved verification reports shall be treated asprovided for under paragraph 1 of the present annex,if appropriate;

(c) At the end of the additional four-year period,any unliquidated obligations shall be cancelled and thethen remaining balance of any appropriations retainedtherefor shall be surrendered.

On 18 December [A/57/673], the Secretary-General submitted to the Assembly the budgetfor UNMEE for 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004, whichamounted to $198,355,200 gross. The budgetprovided for the deployment of 3,980 troops, 220military observers, 256 international staff, 282national staff and 88 United Nations Volunteers.

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The Assembly, on 20 December, decided thatthe agenda item on UNMEE financing would re-main for consideration during its resumed fifty-seventh (2003) session (decision 57/585) and thatthe Fifth Committee should continue to considerthe item at that session (decision 57/556).

Somalia

Somalia’s Transitional National Government(TNG), established in 2000 following the Arta(Djibouti) peace conference [YUN 2000, p. 215], at-tempted in 2002 to bring together the Somali fac-tions that had not become a part of the nationalreconciliation process and to halt the internalconflict. Two main factions—Puntland and Soma-liland—remained outside the Arta process at thebeginning of 2002, but Puntland joined duringthe year, leaving Somaliland as the major groupoutside the process. Somalia continued to sufferfrom political turmoil and insecurity. Intensefighting occurred between militias loyal to TNGand the Somali Reconciliation and RestorationCouncil.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Devel-opment (IGAD) organized regional mediationefforts, while UN efforts to assist national recon-ciliation were led by the Secretary-General’s Rep-resentative and his Special Adviser. At theSecurity Council’s request, an inter-agency mis-sion visited Somalia in January; it reported thatSomalia remained one of the most dangerous en-vironments in which the United Nations oper-ated, and under those circumstances a compre-hensive peace-building programme could not belaunched. Although there was little change inthe situation, the Council, in March, requestedthe Secretary-General to undertake preparatoryactivities on the ground for a peace-building mis-sion in such areas as disarmament, demobiliza-tion, rehabilitation of militia members, combat-ing trafficking of small arms, training police,dialogue on humanitarian and developmentissues, and HIV/AIDS education and prevention.The United Nations Political Office for Somalia(UNPOS) continued to operate from Nairobi.

After months of delay, the Somali national rec-onciliation process took a significant step for-ward in October at the Eldoret, Kenya, confer-ence, held under IGAD auspices, which some 350Somali leaders, political figures and civil societyrepresentatives attended. The conference culmi-nated in the signing, on 27 October, of the Decla-ration on Cessation of Hostilities and the Struc-tures and Principles of the Somalia NationalReconciliation Process, by which the participantspledged to set up federal governance structures,cease hostilities and guarantee the security of all

humanitarian and development personnel andinstallations. Although the IGAD initiative madecommendable progress, Somalis undertook nosignificant reconciliation efforts at the local andregional levels and the internal political situationwas marked by an increase in factional and inter-and intra-clan fighting.

In another positive development, Somali lead-ers in Mogadishu committed themselves, in earlyDecember, to ceasing hostilities and bringing anend to killings and abductions of innocent peo-ple, and to solving differences through dialogueand good will. Afterwards, however, serious hos-tilities occurred, involving the militias and sup-porters of some who had signed the Eldoret Dec-laration.

The Security Council Committee establishedin 1992 to monitor an arms embargo on Somaliabecame more active in 2002 as the Council ex-pressed concern about the flow of weapons andammunition to the warring factions and decidedto set up a Panel of Experts to investigate the mat-ter.

The humanitarian situation in Somalia, oneof the poorest countries in the world, remained aserious concern due to the lack of access to hu-manitarian assistance of those most in need, theinternal conflict, destitution and drought. InDecember, the General Assembly, in resolution57/154, urged the international community toprovide assistance for humanitarian relief andthe rehabilitation of Somalia (see p. 896).

Political and security situation

Report of Secretary-General (February). TheSecretary-General, in response to Security Coun-cil presidential statement S/PRST/2001/30[YUN 2001, p. 210], submitted a 21 February reporton the situation in Somalia covering the five-month period since his previous report [ibid.,p. 209]. He provided an account of political devel-opments, the humanitarian situation, activitiesof UN agencies, regional national reconciliationefforts and the results of consultations held by hisSpecial Adviser, Mohamed Sahnoun (Algeria).

Mr. Sahnoun represented the Secretary-General at the IGAD Summit (Khartoum, Sudan,10-11 January) and ascertained the views of mem-ber countries as to how the international com-munity could support their efforts to foster na-tional reconciliation in Somalia. That meetingcalled for Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya to coordi-nate efforts under the IGAD Chairman on hold-ing a Somalia reconciliation conference in Nai-robi, with President Daniel Arap Moi of Kenya ascoordinator.

Mr. Sahnoun reported to the Secretary-General that the situation in Somalia had



changed considerably and that Somalis weretired of conflict and division. The IGAD countriesrealized that the existence of a failed State couldinflame regional instability, possibly includingterrorist activity in Somalia. The Ministers forForeign Affairs of IGAD member States (Nairobi,14 February) established a technical committee,composed of the front-line States (Djibouti, Ethi-opia, Kenya) and the IGAD secretariat, to work outthe modalities for the proposed national recon-ciliation conference for Somalia, to be convenedby Kenya in late April. The conference would in-clude TNG and all other Somali parties withoutconditionalities. The Special Adviser also re-ported that there was support in principle by allconcerned for re-establishing the Committee ofFriends on Somalia, both in Nairobi and at UNHeadquarters, to focus on drawing attention toSomalia’s needs in the area of national reconcili-ation and to help mobilize funds for rehabilita-tion and development. The United Nations,through UNPOS and its agencies, stood ready tosupport the IGAD initiative.

In response to a Security Council request, theUnited Nations sent an inter-agency mission toSomalia from 15 to 23 January to assess securityconditions. It found that Somalia remained oneof the most dangerous environments in which theUnited Nations operated. Conditions varied rad-ically from place to place and were difficult topredict. The mission noted that, while TNG hadexpanded its influence, various de facto authori-ties continued to control most parts of thecountry, as well as sections of Mogadishu. Themost obvious example was “Somaliland”, whichhad maintained a high degree of autonomy forsix years. In places under TNG control, civilianswere able to resume economic, social and, insome instances, political activities. However, thecountry remained highly militarized, and groupscompeted for the limited political, economic andsocial entitlements available, often resulting inviolent clashes. The mission noted a trend to-wards improved security conditions in some re-gions, including “Somaliland”. The authoritiesin control of most of the areas surveyed providedverbal assurances for the protection of UN staffand assets. In Mogadishu, however, authoritiesprovided inconclusive guarantees for staffsecurity. The lack of a single authority throughwhich the United Nations could engage withinMogadishu and the continued closure of the airand sea ports did not bode well for an increasedUN presence there. Those issues needed to beaddressed prior to considering further engage-ment by the United Nations.

The mission noted with concern the reportedtraining of militia and plans for major offensives,

and it believed that a high degree of cautionshould be exercised to ensure staff safety. It sup-ported the continuation of the UN Security Man-agement System in Somalia, which it found ap-propriate to the current level of threat and UNengagement. Under that regime, the UN prac-tised incremental engagement with Somali com-munities that were moving towards peacethrough evaluation of security conditions.

The humanitarian situation in Somalia re-mained grave. UN agencies had expanded theiroperations to deliver food to vulnerable popula-tions, and had increased safe water supplies.However, destitution and displacement had pre-vented sustainable recovery. Numerous UNagencies carried out operational activities for as-sistance (see also p. 895). The Secretary-Generalcalled on the international community to in-crease its programmes of assistance to Somalia,wherever the security situation allowed, and onSomali leaders to assure the safety of UN and hu-manitarian workers.

Appointment. On 12 February [S/2002/176], theSecretary-General informed the Security Coun-cil of his intention to appoint Winston A.Tubman (Liberia) as his Representative in Soma-lia and Head of UNPOS, to succeed David Stephen(United Kingdom). The Council, on 19 February[S/2002/177], took note of his intention.


On 28 March [meeting 4502], following consulta-tions among Security Council members, the Pres-ident made statement S/PRST/2002/8 on be-half of the Council:

The Security Council recalls the statements by itsPresident of 11 January (S/PRST/2001/1) and31 October 2001 (S/PRST/2001/30), and all otherdecisions concerning the situation in Somalia. TheCouncil, having considered the report of theSecretary-General of 21 February 2002 and havingheld a public meeting on 11 March 2002, reaffirmsits commitment to a comprehensive and lasting set-tlement of the situation in Somalia, reaffirming itsrespect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, polit-ical independence and unity of the country, consis-tent with the principles of the Charter of the UnitedNations.

The Council reiterates its support for the Artapeace process, which continues to be the most viablebasis for peace and national reconciliation in Soma-lia. The Council urges the Transitional NationalGovernment, local authorities and political and tra-ditional leaders in Somalia to make every effort tocomplete, without preconditions, the peace and rec-onciliation process through dialogue and involve-ment of all parties, in a spirit of mutual accommoda-tion and tolerance, with the view to establishing anall-inclusive government in Somalia based on thesharing and devolution of power through the demo-cratic process.

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The Council strongly supports the decisions of theninth Summit of the Intergovernmental Authorityon Development, and by the Foreign Ministers Com-mittee of the Intergovernmental Authority on De-velopment on 14 February 2002 to convene a nationalreconciliation conference for Somalia in Nairobi inApril 2002, including the Transitional NationalGovernment and all other Somali parties, withoutconditions. The Council strongly supports the callupon Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti (the front-lineStates) by the ninth Summit to coordinate theirefforts for national reconciliation in Somalia underthe supervision of the Chairman of the Intergovern-mental Authority, and to hold the reconciliation con-ference under the auspices of President Daniel ArapMoi of Kenya, as the coordinator of the front-lineStates, to continue the peace process in Somalia andreport to the Chairman of the IntergovernmentalAuthority. The Council will follow the further devel-opments closely and emphasizes that the construc-tive and coordinated involvement by all front-lineStates is crucial for the restoration of peace and sta-bility in Somalia. The Council calls upon all States inthe region, including States that are not members ofthe Intergovernmental Authority, to contribute con-structively to the peace efforts for Somalia, includingby using their influence to bring on board Somaligroups that have thus far not joined the peace pro-cess. The Council encourages the Secretary-General, through his Special Adviser and the UnitedNations Political Office for Somalia, to support ac-tively the initiative of the Intergovernmental Author-ity in the important period ahead.

The Council, underlining the fact that the futureof Somalia depends, first of all, on the commitmentof Somali leaders to end the suffering of their peopleby negotiating a peaceful end to the conflict,strongly urges all parties to participate at thedecision-making level in the Reconciliation Confer-ence. The Council expresses its intention to considerthe situation in Somalia taking into account the out-come of the Reconciliation Conference upon its con-clusion, including with regard to participation in aconstructive manner by the respective parties or anylack thereof.

The Council, deeply concerned about the recentfighting in Mogadishu and in the Gedo region, callsfor an immediate end to all acts of violence in Soma-lia. The Council condemns the leaders of thosearmed factions that continue to be obstacles to peaceand stability in Somalia. The Council emphasizesthat the efforts for peace in the country should not beheld hostage to deliberate acts of violence or otheracts aimed at preventing the country from returningto normality and the setting up and rehabilitation ofits governing structures.

The Council notes with serious concern the con-tinued flow of weapons and ammunition supplies toSomalia from other countries, the reported trainingof militia and plans for major offensives in southernand north-eastern parts of the country. The Councilis also concerned about the illicit trafficking andtrade in small arms in the entire subregion. TheCouncil insists that no State, in particular those ofthe region, should interfere in the internal affairs ofSomalia. Such interference only further destabilizes

Somalia, contributes to a climate of fear, impacts ad-versely on individual human rights and couldjeopardize the sovereignty, territorial integrity, pol-itical independence and unity of the country. TheCouncil insists that the territory of Somalia shouldnot be used to undermine stability in the subregion.The Council emphasizes that the situation in Soma-lia and the objective of long-term regional stabilitycan most effectively be addressed if all States in theregion play a positive role, including in the processof rebuilding national institutions in Somalia.

The Council calls upon all States and other actorsto comply scrupulously with the arms embargo es-tablished pursuant to resolution 733(1992) of 23 Jan-uary 1992 and to report all information on any viola-tions to the Security Council Committee establishedpursuant to resolution 751(1992) of 24 April 1992.The Council expresses its determination to put inplace concrete arrangements and/or mechanisms,by 30 April 2002, for the generation of independentinformation on violations and for improving the en-forcement of the embargo.

The Council emphasizes the necessity for furtherefforts against international terrorism in accordancewith resolution 1373(2001) of 28 September 2001.The Council notes the commitment of the Transi-tional National Government to combat internationalterrorism and welcomes the report submitted in thisregard. The Council further notes the stated inten-tions of local authorities in various parts of thecountry to take steps pursuant to resolution 1373(2001). The Council, insisting that persons and enti-ties must not be allowed to take advantage of the situ-ation in Somalia to finance, plan, facilitate, supportor commit terrorist acts from the country, empha-sizes that efforts to combat terrorism in Somalia areinseparable from the establishment of peace andgovernance in the country. In this spirit, the Councilurges the international community to provide assist-ance to Somalia for the further and comprehensiveimplementation of resolution 1373(2001).

The Council notes that the downturn in remit-tances and freezing of accounts of individuals fol-lowing the closing of the offices of the Al-BarakaatGroup reduced household incomes in Somalia. TheCouncil underlines, as a matter of urgency, the ne-cessity to develop mechanisms that facilitate legiti-mate financial transfer to and from Somalia whilepreventing further financial flows to terrorists andterrorist groups, taking fully into account the differ-ent concerns involved. The Council is encouraged bythe initiative by the United Nations DevelopmentProgramme to establish a monitoring and regula-tory framework for money transfer companies to fa-cilitate their operations locally and internationally.

The Council expresses concern about the human-itarian situation in Somalia, particularly in the Gedoand Bari regions. The Council draws attention to theurgent need for international assistance, inter alia,in covering food and water shortfalls, thereby alsocombating potentially further destabilizing migra-tion and the outbreak of disease. It further under-lines that longer-term intervention is required tostimulate economic recovery, rebuild householdasset bases and promote sustained productivity. TheCouncil calls upon Member States to respond ur-



gently and generously to the United Nations Consol-idated Inter-Agency Appeal for 2002.

The Council, noting that problems in livestock ex-ports have severely affected the humanitarian andeconomic situation in Somalia, welcomes the liftingof the ban on exports from Somalia by some States,and calls upon States that maintain the ban to take ac-tive steps towards the resumption of livestock im-ports from Somalia. The Council appreciates theefforts by the United Nations Development Pro-gramme and the Food and Agriculture Organizationof the United Nations to promote the lifting of theban imposed by a number of States.

The Council notes the recent security assessmentof the inter-agency mission to Somalia. The Councilfurther notes that the security regime will follow theUnited Nations practice of incremental engagementwith Somali communities that are moving towardspeace, through constant evaluation of security con-ditions. The Council requests the Secretary-Generalto keep the security situation under review, includ-ing through regular inter-agency headquarters as-sessment missions.

The Council notes with satisfaction that, in spiteof the difficult security conditions, the UnitedNations, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Move-ments and non-governmental organizations con-tinue to provide humanitarian and development as-sistance to all areas of Somalia. The Councilcondemns attacks on humanitarian personnel andcalls upon all parties in Somalia to respect fully thesecurity and safety of personnel of the UnitedNations, the International Committee of the RedCross and non-governmental organizations, and toguarantee their complete freedom of movement andaccess throughout Somalia.

The Council values the desire of the TransitionalNational Government and various local authoritiesin Somalia to cooperate with the United Nations increating an enabling environment for humanitarianand development assistance, and commends thepeace-building activities currently implemented byUnited Nations agencies in the country. The Councilnotes that safe access for staff and assets of theUnited Nations, the Red Cross and Red CrescentMovements and non-governmental organizations al-ready exists in a number of areas. It further notes thetrend towards improved security conditions in anumber of areas in the north, middle and south ofSomalia, in accordance with the report of theSecretary-General.

The Council notes the recommendation by theSecretary-General that the international communitymust increase its programmes of assistance to Soma-lia in creative and innovative ways, wherever thesecurity situation allows, including by makinggreater efforts to ensure that the peace dividend as-pect of targeted assistance is fully exploited. TheCouncil reiterates that a comprehensive post-conflict peace-building mission should be deployedonce security conditions permit.

The Council requests the Secretary-General, as amatter of urgency and under the current circum-stances, to utilize to the fullest his Representative, inclose cooperation with the United Nations ResidentCoordinator for Somalia, to coordinate ongoing

peace-building activities and provide for their incre-mental expansion, including strengthening the staffin a coherent manner and in accordance with thesecurity arrangements. Preparatory activities on theground for a comprehensive peace-building missionshould take the following elements into account,while also considering other proposals for post-conflict peace-building activities:

(a) Community-based peace-building;(b) Disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation

and reintegration of militia, including in particularchild soldiers;

(c) Assessing and combating illicit trade and traf-ficking of small arms;

(d) Training of police with a view to establishinguniform standards of law enforcement throughoutSomalia;

(e) Quick-impact projects aimed at improvingsecurity;

(f) Intensifying women’s participation at all levelsin peace-building;

(g) Intensifying dialogue on humanitarian anddevelopment issues, including resolution of landclaims at the local level;

(h) AIDS education and prevention.The Council requests the Secretary-General to es-

tablish, without further delay, a trust fund forpeace-building in Somalia to support the prepara-tory activities on the ground for a comprehensivepeace-building mission and supplement the UnitedNations Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal, as en-visaged in his report of 19 December 2000 and as in-dicated through the statements by its President of11 January (S/PRST/2001/1) and 31 October 2001(S/PRST/2001/30), and invites donors to come for-ward and make contributions at an early stage.

The Council, underlining its strong resolve tosupport in a practical manner the United Nationssystem in its incremental approach to peace-building in Somalia in line with the present state-ment, endorses a working mission to the region, atthe appropriate level, consisting of interested mem-bers of the Council and Secretariat staff. It wouldwelcome the facilitation and inputs by the UnitedNations Political Office for Somalia and the UnitedNations country team for Somalia in this regard. TheCouncil expresses its determination to address,based on the report to be submitted by the missionand the upcoming report by the Secretary-General,how it may further support in a practical and con-crete manner the peace efforts in Somalia on a com-prehensive basis.

The Council endorses the establishment of theSomalia Contact Group, to operate in Nairobi andNew York. The Council invites the Nairobi branch ofthe Contact Group, inter alia, to promote the com-pletion of the Arta peace process, including throughthe Intergovernmental Authority on Developmentinitiative referred to above; to support the imple-mentation of the pilot peace-building programme,as stipulated above; and to elaborate practical waysand means of facilitating exchange of informationthrough engaging various actors in the region, in-cluding the community of non-governmental organ-izations. The Council further underlines that theprimary purpose of the New York branch of the Con-

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tact Group should be to support the work of the Sec-retariat on Somalia with a view to ensuring that thesituation in the country is given due consideration bythe United Nations.

The Council welcomes the appointment of Mr.Winston A. Tubman as the new Representative of theSecretary-General and Head of the United NationsPolitical Office for Somalia and his assumption ofduties in Nairobi in April 2002. The Council ex-presses its gratitude to the departing Representative,Mr. David Stephen, for his tireless efforts over fouryears in support of national reconciliation in Soma-lia.

The Council requests the Secretary-General to ad-dress fully the requirements of the present state-ment in his report due on 30 June 2002.

The Council remains seized of the matter.

Communications (May). Somalia, in a 16 Mayletter to the Security Council [S/2002/550], claimedthat Ethiopia was interfering in its national affairsand that Ethiopian military forces, on 15 May, hadinvaded the southern Somalian towns of BuloHawo and Garbaharey in the Gedo region, killingmany people. The Ethiopians, having shelledthose towns, reportedly forced hundreds to fleeto Kenya. TNG of Somalia called on the SecurityCouncil, among others, to condemn the aggres-sion and to call on Ethiopia to stop its cross-bor-der terrorism.

Ethiopia, in a 21 May response [S/2002/562], re-jected the claims of an Ethiopian invasion andsaid that TNG was attempting to use Ethiopia as ascapegoat because it was unwilling to face the im-pending Somalia peace process by IGAD in Nai-robi.What happened in Gedo was a fight betweena group armed by TNG and supporters of the So-mali Reconstruction and Restoration Council;there was no Ethiopian involvement.

Press statement by Security Council. ThePresident of the Security Council, in an 18 Junepress statement [SC/7426], said that Council mem-bers were concerned about the humanitarian sit-uation in Somalia, including in parts of the Gedoregion where fighting had caused casualties,large-scale internal displacement, outflow of ref-ugees and disruption of humanitarian assistance.Concerned at the presence of refugees along theborder, the Council urged neighbouring Statesto move refugees away from border areas. Theywere also concerned about the destabilizing flowof weapons and ammunition to Somalia fromother countries and expressed their determina-tion to generate information on violations of thearms embargo against Somalia (see p. 204).

Report of Secretary-General (June). In a 27June report [S/2002/709], submitted in response topresidential statement S/PRST/2002/8 (above),the Secretary-General highlighted the regionalpeace effort spearheaded by IGAD in support of

national reconciliation in Somalia, includingsteps taken to convene a national reconciliationconference for Somalia in Nairobi. The reportalso covered the internal political situation,security developments, the humanitarian situa-tion, UN activities, the arms embargo and opera-tional activities by UN agencies in support ofpeace.

TNG continued to reiterate its commitment toreconciliation, and the Somali Restoration andReconciliation Council, on 1 March, declaredthat it would participate in the Nairobi reconcili-ation conference. The Prime Minister welcomedthat decision but expressed concern that theCouncil and Ethiopia expected the conference tostart from scratch, rather than building on theArta peace process. The new “President of Soma-liland” stated that he would continue his prede-cessor’s policies and would not participate in theIGAD conference.

Continuing insecurity in Mogadishu and inthe southern part of the country resulted incivilian casualties, including humanitarian aidworkers. Kidnapping incidents rose sharply inMogadishu. Following the abduction of two UNofficials and the eruption of fighting between mi-litias, the United Nations suspended all activitiesin urban Mogadishu on 7 May. During fightingin the Gedo region, a number of civilians werekilled and a large number of refugees fled toKenya. The humanitarian situation remaineddire and access to vulnerable groups reached alow point.

The IGAD Technical Committee on Somalia,comprising the front-line States of Djibouti, Ethi-opia and Kenya and the IGAD secretariat, met inNairobi from 3 to 5 April to discuss the terms ofreference for a conference. It sent a subcommit-tee to Somalia from 17 to 20 April, which Djiboutideclined to join, stating later that its decision wasbecause of Ethiopia’s military presence in Soma-lia. Two opposing views emerged over participa-tion in the IGAD conference. While TNG and Dji-bouti insisted that the outcome of the ArtaConference be built upon, that TNG be acceptedas the Government and that the other Somali par-ties participate in the conference as the opposi-tion, the Somali Restoration and ReconciliationCouncil and Ethiopia were of the view that all theSomali parties should participate on the basis ofequality.

The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser,Mohamed Sahnoun, and his Representative forSomalia, Winston Tubman, participated in theIGAD Partner Forum (Rome, 11 April), whichsupported IGAD’s efforts to prepare the confer-ence. They urged all Somali parties to participate



in the conference constructively and without pre-conditions.

During the four-month review period, TNG ex-pressed concern over Ethiopia’s alleged inter-vention in Somalia on several occasions. Ethiopia,it said, was supplying arms and ammunition toSomali groups opposing TNG. TNG also calledfor Ethiopia’s exclusion from the IGAD TechnicalCommittee charged with preparing the confer-ence. Ethiopia rejected those accusations.

The Secretary-General’s Representative andHead of UNPOS, appointed in April, consultedSomali parties, the UN country team for Somaliaand the international community in Nairobi, andheld talks with regional leaders and others.Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia in-formed the Representative that his country hadwithdrawn its support from the Arta process be-cause of TNG’s links with Al-Itihaad, a terroristgroup. He added that Ethiopia was involved dip-lomatically and politically in Somalia and wouldcontinue to be involved, not least to protect its na-tional security interests. The OAU Secretary-General pledged closer monitoring of and assist-ance for the peace process in Somalia.

Despite the efforts of Kenya in coordinatingthe IGAD initiative to convene the national recon-ciliation conference for Somalia, the conferencewas not held in April as anticipated. TheSecretary-General described the IGAD peace pro-cess as at an impasse because of differences onhow to proceed on national reconciliation. Theenvironment of apparent suspicion, both amongregional countries and inside Somalia, needed tobe defused urgently if a productive conferencewas to be held. Consensus among the IGAD front-line States was essential for the IGAD effort tosucceed. The Secretary-General hoped that theestablishment of the Somalia Contact Groupin Nairobi and in New York, as endorsed bythe Security Council in presidential statementS/PRST/2002/8, which would be convened inthe coming weeks, would prove to be a useful fo-rum for the exchange of information and coordi-nation of peacemaking efforts among externalactors. In his view, those efforts should focus onhelping the IGAD member States to reach a com-mon approach to national reconciliation in So-malia. His Representative and his Adviser couldfocus on strengthening collaboration among theIGAD front-line States and other neighbouringcountries.

Somalia had witnessed an escalation of vio-lence in recent months, particularly in Mo-gadishu and Gedo. The Secretary-General urgedSomali leaders to refrain from military actionand violence and to participate constructively inthe peace process. The IGAD peace initiative pre-

sented an important opportunity and it was theduty of leaders to lead, not to pursue narrow par-tisan advantage.

The humanitarian situation remained precari-ous. The best intentions and plans of UN agen-cies and their partners were hostage to thosewho held power in different parts of Somalia;nevertheless, they were putting in place someunique programmes of capacity-building in vari-ous parts of the country. The Secretary-Generalappealed to Member States to contribute to hu-manitarian and recovery efforts in Somalia.

Report of Secretary-General (October). On25 October [S/2002/1201], the Secretary-Generalsubmitted a report on the situation in Somalia,covering developments since his June report.During that period, although the IGAD peace ini-tiative made commendable progress, Somalismade no significant reconciliation efforts at thelocal and regional levels. Instead, the internalpolitical situation was marked by the reiterationof positions and an increase in factional andinter- and intra-clan fighting.

At a press conference in Mogadishu on 29June, the Prime Minister of TNG, Hassan AbshirFarah, said that the Government wanted theSecurity Council to send troops to Somalia to as-sist with disarmament and help establish a stablegovernment. He also requested that the Leagueof Arab States (LAS), the United States and the EUbe included in mediation efforts. Some Somalileaders, however, particularly those allied to theSomali Restoration and Reconciliation Council,opposed the request and stated that the Gov-ernment did not represent the people of Somalia.

With regard to the Eldoret Conference (see be-low), TNG was of the view that the participantsshould include representatives from those fac-tions that did not attend the Arta Conference, aswell as representatives of Somaliland, Puntland,the Bay and Bakool regions, the signatories of thepeace agreement reached at Nakuru, Kenya, inDecember 2001 [YUN 2001, p. 212], and a limitednumber of traditional elders, women, youth andSomalis in the diaspora. TNG also said that theUnited Nations, the EU, the AU, LAS, the Organi-zation of the Islamic Conference and the five per-manent members of the Security Council shouldparticipate in and be co-signatories to any agree-ment reached at Eldoret, and the internationalcommunity should be responsible for enforcingthe agreements and providing financial and ma-terial assistance for disarmament and rehabilita-tion in Somalia.

The report described the security situation, inparticular where fighting had occurred betweenclans and sub-clans (north Mogadishu, Gedo,Baidoa, Puntland). The security situation in

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Mogadishu continued to deteriorate and severalUN national staff were kidnapped. Increasing in-stability throughout the country continued to im-pede humanitarian access.

The Secretary-General’s Representative forSomalia continued his contacts with Somali lead-ers both in Nairobi and in Somalia. Three meet-ings of the Somalia Contact Group were held dur-ing the reporting period (New York, 5 July;Nairobi, 25 July and 5 October). Numerous oper-ational activities in support of peace were carriedout by UN agencies, despite areas of instabilityin north-eastern, central and southern Somalia,which caused considerable disruption to pro-grammes. In September, the UN country teamfinalized a common strategic framework for hu-manitarian and development activities. In addi-tion to coordination of development activities,organizations of the UN system focused on theparticipation of women in peace-building, demo-bilization of military forces, civil protectionthrough the rule of law, the return of refugees,raising awareness of HIV/AIDS and respect forhuman rights.

The Secretary-General commended IGAD forthe regional approach towards national reconcili-ation in Somalia. The international communitywelcomed the opening of the Conference atEldoret on 15 October (see below).

Somalia had experienced an escalation of vio-lence in recent months, resulting in the loss ofhuman lives, further deterioration of the human-itarian situation and a worsening of the fragileeconomy. Concerted international action wasneeded to put an end to the impunity with whicharmed groups harassed humanitarian and devel-opment agencies in their work and caused suffer-ing to communities in need. More than 400,000Somalis were living in exile; with the help ofUNHCR and local authorities, a good numberwere gradually returning to Somalia, and assist-ance was needed for their reintegration, as wellas for humanitarian and recovery work. TheUnited Nations would do all it could to help theSomali people, including through the deploy-ment of a post-conflict peace-building mission assoon as security conditions permitted.

IGAD peace initiativeAfter months of delay, IGAD was able to bring

the parties together for the Somali National Rec-onciliation Conference. President Daniel ArapMoi inaugurated the IGAD-sponsored Confer-ence at Eldoret, Kenya, on 15 October. The So-mali delegations attending included TNG,Puntland and the Somali Restoration and Recon-ciliation Council, as well as its allied faction—theSomali National Front. The Conference culmi-

nated in the signing of the Eldoret Declarationon 27 October (see below).

The IGAD Ministerial Committee on Somalia,prior to the opening of the Conference, agreedon a three-phased approach to the national rec-onciliation process [S/2002/1201]. The first phasewould involve some 300 participants in theEldoret Conference, who would agree to bebound by the agreements reached, and 75 se-lected individuals to serve on committees on rec-onciliation issues. Participants were expected tosign a ceasefire agreement and guarantee safe ac-cess for humanitarian assistance. The secondphase would entail committee work on drafting aconstitution and agreements on the Somali econ-omy. The third phase would lead to agreement onthe committees’ recommendations and the inau-guration of an all-inclusive government.

The Security Council President, in a 24 Sep-tember press statement [SC/7513-AFR/488], statedthat the members reaffirmed their support forthe IGAD-sponsored reconciliation process. In an-other statement of 14 October [SC/7530-AFR/496],the President welcomed the launching of the pro-cess and encouraged the Somali and regionalparties to participate constructively. Membersrecognized the crucial role played by the IGADTechnical Committee in laying the foundationsfor the process. On 5 September [S/2002/1077], LASwelcomed the forthcoming conference, as did theEU on 4 October [S/2002/1127].

Eldoret DeclarationOn 27 October, representatives of 22 parties or

groups at the Conference signed the Declarationon Cessation of Hostilities and the Structures andPrinciples of the Somalia National Reconcilia-tion Process (the Eldoret Declaration), whichwas forwarded to the Security Council by Kenyaon 11 December [S/2002/1359]. Under its terms, theparties agreed to create federal governance struc-tures for Somalia, embodied in a charter or con-stitution and acceptable to all the parties; to en-dorse decentralization of Somalia’s governancestructures; and to ensure the rights, representa-tion and protection of all Somali individuals andgroups. In addition to a cessation of hostilities,they agreed to implement the UN arms embargoon Somalia and allow its monitoring. They alsoagreed to guarantee the security of humanitarianand development assistance personnel. For thefuture of the peace process, they would under-take political negotiations and technical discus-sions during each phase of the national reconcili-ation process. They would combat all forms ofterrorism and prevent the use of Somali territoryas a base for any terrorist activities. IGAD, the AUand the international community were invited to



support and monitor the implementation of theDeclaration.



The Security Council, recalling its decisions con-cerning the situation in Somalia, in particular thestatement by its President of 28 March 2002(S/PRST/2002/8) and its resolutions 733(1992) of23 January 1992 and 1425(2002) of 22 July 2002, andtaking note of the report of the Secretary-General of25 October 2002, reaffirms its commitment to a com-prehensive and lasting settlement of the situation inSomalia and its respect for the sovereignty, territo-rial integrity, political independence and unity ofthe country, consistent with the purposes and princi-ples of the Charter of the United Nations.

The Council firmly supports the unified ap-proach of the Intergovernmental Authority on De-velopment to national reconciliation in Somalia, andreiterates its strong support for the Somalia NationalReconciliation Process and the ongoing Somalia Na-tional Reconciliation Conference in Eldoret, Kenya,as sponsored by the Intergovernmental Authority.The Council urges all parties throughout Somalia toparticipate in the process in accordance with theframework established by the IntergovernmentalAuthority, and expects the decisions adoptedthroughout the process to be abided by and imple-mented expeditiously, including the Declaration onCessation of Hostilities and the Structures and Prin-ciples of the Somalia National Reconciliation Pro-cess, signed by all delegates in Eldoret on 27 October2002 (hereinafter referred to as “the Eldoret Decla-ration”).

The Council welcomes the Eldoret Declaration asan important step towards the overriding objectiveof ending the violence and the suffering of theSomali people and bringing them the peace they sodearly deserve. The Council calls upon all parties tocease all acts of violence and to respect the cessationof hostilities.

The Council also welcomes the Joint Declarationissued by the involved parties in Mogadishu on 2 De-cember 2002 (hereinafter referred to as “the Mo-gadishu Declaration”), including their stated com-mitment to cease all hostilities and jointly bring to anend all killings and abductions of innocent peopleand hijacking of public transportation in the city, aswell as to solve all differences through dialogue andgoodwill. The Council notes the further agreementreached on 4 December 2002 by involved parties tocooperate through peaceful means in order, interalia, to reopen the international airport and seaportin Mogadishu and to restore public services in thecity.

The Council notes with satisfaction the com-mencement of the second phase of the Somalia Na-tional Reconciliation Process in Eldoret on 2 Decem-ber 2002 and welcomes this as a significant stepforward. The Council will continue to follow this

process with keen interest and strongly encouragesall parties to continue to participate constructively, inaccordance with the framework established by theTechnical Committee of the Intergovernmental Au-thority, in a spirit of tolerance and mutual accommo-dation during each phase of the process.

The Council commends the Government ofKenya for its special commitment as host and theTechnical Committee of the Intergovernmental Au-thority comprising the three front-line States, Dji-bouti, Ethiopia and Kenya, for its crucial role in facil-itating the process. The Council strongly encouragestheir continued active and positive role in promotingthe process.

The Council encourages Member States in a posi-tion to do so urgently to provide further contribu-tions in support of the process through the TechnicalCommittee of the Intergovernmental Authority.

The Council, condemning recent attacks on hu-manitarian personnel and civilians in Somalia, wel-comes the agreement by all delegates in Eldoret toguarantee the security of all humanitarian and de-velopment personnel and installations, and urgesthem to take practical steps to grant safe and unfet-tered access to humanitarian personnel in theirefforts to deliver assistance throughout Somalia.

The Council expresses serious concern regardingthe situation of displaced persons in Somalia andurges relevant authorities and Member States to pro-vide support for the return and reintegration ofSomali refugees and the provision of urgent human-itarian assistance to, and protection for, those whohave been internally displaced. It notes with particu-lar concern the situation of 150,000 internally dis-placed persons in areas of Mogadishu that remaininaccessible to humanitarian workers. The Councilcalls upon the armed factions to provide immediatesafe access to these and other vulnerable populationsthroughout the country, consistent with the EldoretDeclaration and the Mogadishu Declaration.

The Council calls again upon all Member States,entities and individuals to respect fully the armsembargo established by resolution 733(1992), asstrengthened by resolution 1425(2002), and urges allSomali and regional parties as well as government of-ficials and other actors contacted outside the regionto cooperate fully with the Panel of Experts in itsquest for information related to the embargo, inaccordance with resolution 1425(2002) and article 2,paragraph 5, of the Eldoret Declaration. The Coun-cil appreciates the oral briefing by the Panel on 14November 2002 to the Council, through the SecurityCouncil Committee established pursuant to resolu-tion 751(1992) concerning Somalia, and looks for-ward to the written report of the Panel at the end ofits mandated period.

The Council requests the Secretary-General tocontinue putting in place, in a coherent manner, pre-paratory activities on the ground for a comprehen-sive post-conflict peace-building mission in Somaliaonce security conditions permit, as stipulated in thestatement by the President of the Security Council of28 March 2002.

The Council recognizes that a comprehensivepost-conflict programme for disarmament, demobi-lization, rehabilitation and reintegration will be an

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important contribution for peace and stability inSomalia.

The Council encourages the Secretary-General tosupport actively the Intergovernmental Authority–sponsored Somalia National Reconciliation Processand the ongoing Conference in Eldoret.

The Council expresses its commitment to assistthe parties in the implementation of the steps andconclusions for peace, as adopted throughout theSomalia National Reconciliation Process.

Further developments. Despite the signing ofthe Eldoret Declaration, inter- and intra-clanfighting continued to break out in a number ofplaces, and Somaliland remained the main grouprefusing to participate in the peace process[S/2003/231]. Inside Somalia, it had become in-creasingly clear that the continued outbreaks ofhostilities were motivated by individual rivalriesof faction leaders and criminal activities ratherthan wider issues. In Somaliland, security condi-tions remained generally calm despite someclashes with Puntland, and local and municipalelections took place in December.

The security situation in several parts of Soma-lia, particularly in the south and in and aroundMogadishu and Baidoa, continued to pose diffi-culties for the delivery of humanitarian assist-ance. The provision of humanitarian and reha-bilitation assistance to a significant proportion ofthe population, which was already facing destitu-tion and malnutrition, was repeatedly disrupted.The seaport and airport in Mogadishu remainedclosed. The level of banditry and extortion washigh and the kidnapping of Somalis working forinternational aid organizations remained a seri-ous concern.

In a positive development on 2 December, fiveMogadishu faction leaders and TNG signed anagreement in which they pledged to ensure peaceand security in Mogadishu. Two days later, thefive faction leaders signed another agreementthat included a commitment to work towards re-opening the Mogadishu seaport and airport andto restore public services in the city. Another en-couraging development was that the work of thesix Reconciliation Committees had continued de-spite controversy regarding representation at theplenary meeting of the Conference. However,following the signing of the December agree-ments, serious hostilities occurred involving themilitias and supporters of some of the very lead-ers who had signed the Eldoret Declaration andthe December agreements. As a result, the deliv-ery of essential humanitarian and developmentassistance continued to be seriously affected, theMogadishu seaport and airport remained closedand fighting in and around Baidoa had blocked

off an essential port of entry for the delivery ofhumanitarian assistance.

Arms embargo

The Security Council, in presidential state-ment S/PRST/2002/8 of 28 March (see p. 197),called on all States and other actors to complywith the arms embargo against Somalia estab-lished by resolution 733(1992) [YUN 1992, p. 199]and to report information on violations to theCommittee established pursuant to resolution751(1992) [ibid., p. 202].

On 3 May (below), the Council requested theSecretary-General to appoint a team of experts todetail the resources and expertise required for apanel of experts to generate independent infor-mation on violations of the arms embargo.


On 3 May [meeting 4524], the Security Councilunanimously adopted resolution 1407(2002).The draft [S/2002/507] was prepared in consulta-tions among Council members.

The Security Council,Recalling its relevant resolutions concerning the sit-

uation in Somalia, in particular resolution 733(1992) of23 January 1992,

Recalling also the statement by its President of 28March 2002 (S/PRST/2002/8),

Noting with serious concern the continued flow ofweapons and ammunition supplies to Somalia fromother countries, undermining peace and security andthe political efforts for national reconciliation inSomalia,

Welcoming the forthcoming visit of the Chairman ofthe Security Council Committee established pursuantto resolution 751(1992) of 24 April 1992 (hereinafter re-ferred to as “the Committee”) to Somalia and States inthe region in June 2002, and looking forward to his re-port in this regard,


1. Requests the Secretary-General to establish,within one month from the date of adoption of thepresent resolution, in preparation for a panel of ex-perts, a team of experts consisting of two members fora period of thirty days, to provide the Committee withan action plan detailing the resources and expertisethat the panel of experts will require to be able to gen-erate independent information on violations and forimproving the enforcement of the weapons andmilitary equipment embargo established by paragraph5 of resolution 733(1992) (hereinafter referred to as“the arms embargo”), including by:

— Investigating the violations of the arms embargocovering access to Somalia by land, air and sea, in par-ticular by pursuing any sources that might revealinformation related to violations, including relevantStates, intergovernmental organizations and interna-tional law enforcement cooperation bodies, non-governmental organizations, financial institutions andintermediaries, other brokering agencies, civil aviation



companies and authorities, members of the Transi-tional National Government, local authorities, politi-cal and traditional leaders, civil society and the busi-ness community;

— Detailing information in relevant areas of exper-tise related to violations and enforcement of the armsembargo in its various aspects;

— Carrying out field-based research, where possi-ble, in Somalia, States neighbouring Somalia andother States, as appropriate;

— Assessing the capacity of States in the region toimplement fully the arms embargo, including througha review of national customs and border control re-gimes;

— Providing recommendations on possible practi-cal steps for further strengthening the enforcement ofthe arms embargo;

2. Requests the Chairman of the Committee to for-ward the report of the Team of Experts, within twoweeks of its reception, to the Security Council for itsconsideration;

3. Expresses its determination to examine the findingsof the experts and the Chairman of the Committeeand to take further action in follow-up to the statementby the President of the Security Council of 28 March2002 (S/PRST/2002/8) and paragraph 1 above by theend of July 2002;

4. Calls upon all States and the Transitional Na-tional Government and local authorities in Somalia tocooperate fully with the Chairman of the Committeeand the Team of Experts in their quests for in-formation in accordance with the present resolution,including by facilitating visits to sites and actors and byproviding full access to government officials and rec-ords, as requested by the Chairman of the Committeeor the Team of Experts;

5. Urges all other individuals and entities contactedby the Chairman of the Committee or the Team ofExperts to cooperate fully by providing relevantinformation and facilitating their investigations, in-cluding political and traditional leaders, members ofcivil society and the business community, financialinstitutions and intermediaries, other brokeringagencies, civil aviation companies and authorities,non-governmental organizations, intergovernmentalorganizations and international law enforcement co-operation bodies;

6. Requests the Chairman of the Committee and theTeam of Experts to notify the Council immediately,through the Committee, of any lack of cooperation bythe authorities and entities referred to above;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to work activelythrough technical assistance and cooperation with theTransitional National Government, local authoritiesand traditional civil and religious leaders to enhancethe administrative and judicial capacities throughoutSomalia to contribute to the monitoring and enforce-ment of the arms embargo, in accordance with thestatement by the President of the Security Council of28 March 2002, and invites all humanitarian and de-velopmental actors to promote and reinforce this ob-jective in a coordinated manner through their pro-grammes of assistance for Somalia;

8. Requests all States to report to the Committee nolater than sixty days from the adoption of the presentresolution and thereafter according to the timetable

set by the Committee on measures they have in place toensure the full and effective implementation of thearms embargo, and with the view to complementingthe action taken by the Council pursuant to paragraph3 above;

9. Calls upon all States, in particular those in the re-gion, to provide the Committee with all availableinformation on violations of the arms embargo;


The Secretary-General, in accordance withresolution 1407(2002) (above), informed theSecurity Council on 23 May [S/2002/575] of his ap-pointment of the two members of the Team ofExperts that would detail the resources and ex-pertise needed for the Panel of Experts to gener-ate independent information on violations of thearms embargo on Somalia and to recommendpractical steps for implementing it. On 22 August[S/2002/951], the Secretary-General informed theCouncil of his appointment of the threemembers of the Panel of Experts.

Communications. In 2002, Somalia twice com-plained to the arms embargo Committee thatEthiopia was violating the embargo by supplyingarms to opposition groups in Somalia. On 16 May[S/2002/570], it said Ethiopia was flooding arms,ammunition and landmines into several specificregions by supplying warlords who opposed bothTNG and the national reconciliation process. On17 June [S/2002/684], Somalia alleged that Ethio-pia had sent a convoy of nine trucks with weaponsand ammunition to Somalia. The continuousflow of arms, it said, constituted a threat to peaceand security in the Horn of Africa.

Team of Experts. The Team of Experts ap-pointed pursuant to Security Council resolution1407(2002) submitted its report to the Council on3 July [S/2002/722]. It described the general situa-tion in Somalia, pointing out that the countryhad, since 1988, experienced a civil war that haddriven millions of people abroad and killed andmaimed hundreds of thousands more. No effec-tive central government had been in place since1991. A number of groupings in the country hadsignificant military capacity that they sustainedthrough acquisitions of arms and military equip-ment from outside the country. While there wascurrently a regional attempt to find a political so-lution leading to the creation of an effectivegovernment and administration, the failure toenforce the arms embargo threatened to under-mine that attempt.

The Team of Experts noted the allegationsthat some Governments supplied arms to armedgroupings in Somalia to further political objec-tives, that armed groupings in Somalia took ad-vantage of illicit trafficking networks to meettheir requirements, and that international net-

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works motivated by political or ideological factorssupplied arms to groupings in Somalia. Accord-ing to the team, arms acquisitions were financedin different ways; through revenues from busi-ness activities, remittances from overseas Somalipopulations, and donations from other Statesand international agencies, from the proceeds oforganized crime and through contact with terror-ist networks. In the short term, the embargo’s ef-fectiveness could be improved through direct in-tervention with States neighbouring Somalia.Among its recommendations, the Team sug-gested that the Security Council clarify the scopeof the embargo to make clear that providing fi-nancing and services that supported military ac-tivities was a violation of the embargo. A regionalmonitoring system should be established in theregion and sustained by local initiatives in co-operation with the United Nations. The Teamalso recommended the methodology to be usedby the Panel of Experts, which was to be based inNairobi.


On 22 July [meeting 4580], the Security Councilunanimously adopted resolution 1425(2002).The draft [S/2002/799] was prepared in consulta-tions among Council members.

The Security Council,Reaffirming its resolutions concerning the situation

in Somalia, in particular on the weapons and militaryequipment embargo established by paragraph 5 of res-olution 733(1992) of 23 January 1992 (hereinafter re-ferred to as the “arms embargo”), resolution 1407(2002) of 3 May 2002, and the statement by its Pres-ident of 28 March 2002 (S/PRST/2002/8),

Noting with serious concern the continued flow ofweapons and ammunition supplies to and through So-malia from sources outside the country, in contraven-tion of the arms embargo, which is severely undermin-ing peace and security and the political efforts fornational reconciliation in Somalia,

Reiterating its call upon all States and other actors tocomply scrupulously with the arms embargo and its in-sistence that all States, in particular those of the re-gion, should not interfere in the internal affairs of So-malia; such interference only further destabilizesSomalia, contributes to a climate of fear, impacts ad-versely on human rights and could jeopardize the sov-ereignty, territorial integrity, political independenceand unity of Somalia,

Underlining the role of the Intergovernmental Au-thority for Development, in particular the front-lineStates (Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya), in bringing last-ing peace to Somalia, and expressing its support and ex-pectation that the planned national reconciliation con-ference for Somalia, to be held in Nairobi, will moveforward as a matter of urgency and with the pragmaticandresult-orientedinvolvementofthefront-lineStates,

Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 27June 2002 and the report of the Team of Experts ap-pointed by the Secretary-General, detailing the re-

sources and expertise required for a panel of expertsto generate independent information on the violationsand for improving the enforcement of the arms em-bargo, in accordance with resolution 1407(2002),


1. Stresses that the arms embargo on Somalia pro-hibits financing of all acquisitions and deliveries ofweapons and military equipment;

2. Decides that the arms embargo prohibits thedirect or indirect supply to Somalia of technical advice,financial and other assistance, and training related tomilitary activities;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to establish, with-in one month from the date of adoption of the presentresolution, in consultation with the Security CouncilCommittee established pursuant to resolution 751(1992) of 24 April 1992 (hereinafter referred to as “theCommittee”), a panel of experts consisting of threemembers to be based in Nairobi for a period of sixmonths, in order to generate independent informationon violations of the arms embargo and as a step to-wards giving effect to and strengthening the embargo,with the following mandate:

— Investigating the violations of the embargo cov-ering access to Somalia by land, air and sea, in particu-lar by pursuing any sources that might revealinformation related to violations, including relevantStates, intergovernmental organizations and interna-tional law enforcement cooperation bodies, non-governmental organizations, financial institutions andintermediaries, other brokering agencies, civil aviationcompanies and authorities, members of the Transi-tional National Government, local authorities, politi-cal and traditional leaders, civil society and the busi-ness community;

— Detailing information in relevant areas of exper-tise related to violations and measures to give effect toand strengthen the arms embargo in its various as-pects;

— Carrying out field based research, where possi-ble, in Somalia, States neighbouring Somalia andother States, as appropriate;

— Assessing the capacity of States in the region toimplement fully the arms embargo, including througha review of national customs and border control re-gimes;

— Providing recommendations on possible practi-cal steps and measures for giving effect to andstrengthening the arms embargo;

4. Also requests the Secretary-General to ensure thatthe Panel of Experts comprises, and has access to, suf-ficient expertise in the areas of armament and financ-ing thereof, civil aviation, maritime transport and re-gional affairs, including specialized knowledge ofSomalia, in accordance with the resource require-ments and administrative and financial arrangementsoutlined in the report of the Team of Experts pursu-ant to resolution 1407(2002);

5. Requests the Panel of Experts in its work inaccordance with its mandate to take fully into accountthe recommendations provided in the report of theTeam of Experts pursuant to resolution 1407(2002), in-cluding regarding cooperative arrangements, method-ology and issues related to the strengthening of thearms embargo;



6. Requests all States and the Transitional NationalGovernment and local authorities in Somalia to co-operate fully with the Panel of Experts in its quest forinformation in accordance with the present resolution,including by facilitating visits to sites and actors and byproviding full access to government officials and rec-ords, as required by the Panel of Experts;

7. Calls again upon all States, in particular those inthe region, to provide the Committee with all availableinformation on violations of the arms embargo;

8. Urges all other individuals and entities con-tacted by the Panel of Experts to cooperate fully byproviding relevant information and facilitating its in-vestigations, including political and traditional lead-ers, members of civil society and the business com-munity, financial institutions and intermediaries,other brokering agencies, civil aviation companiesand authorities, non-governmental organizations, in-tergovernmental organizations and international lawenforcement cooperation bodies;

9. Requests the Panel of Experts to notify the Coun-cil immediately, through the Committee, of any lack ofcooperation by the States, authorities, individuals andentities referred to in paragraphs 6 and 8 above;

10. Also requests the Panel of Experts to brief theChairman of the Committee to inform his mission tothe region, scheduled for October 2002, and to providean oral briefing to the Council, through the Commit-tee, in November 2002;

11. Further requests the Panel of Experts to submit afinal report at the end of its mandated period to theCouncil, through the Committee, for its consideration;

12. Requests the Chairman of the Committee to for-ward the report of the Panel of Experts, within twoweeks of its reception, to the Council for its consider-ation;

13. Expresses its determination to consider the reportof the Panel of Experts and any relevant proposals forfollow-up action and recommendations on possiblepractical steps for strengthening the arms embargo;

14. Requests the Secretary-General in his next re-port, which is due on 31 October 2002, to include up-dates:

— On the activities undertaken to coordinate on-going peace-building initiatives and to provide fortheir incremental expansion, and on the preparatoryactivities undertaken on the ground in preparation fora comprehensive peace-building mission once securityconditions permit, in accordance with the statementby the President of the Security Council of 28 March2002;

— On the technical assistance and cooperation pro-vided to enhance the administrative and judicial ca-pacities throughout Somalia to contribute to the moni-toring of and giving full effect to the arms embargo, inaccordance with the statement by its President of 28March 2002 and resolution 1407(2002);

— On the reporting by States to the Committee onmeasures they have in place to ensure the full andeffective implementation of the arms embargo, inaccordance with resolution 1407(2002);

15. Also requests the Secretary-General to inviteMember States to make contributions to the UnitedNations Trust Fund for Peace-Building in Somalia, ac-knowledging any pledges already made, and to ensureproper coordination among the involved United

Nations agencies in implementing the tasks to be car-ried out in accordance with the statement by thePresident of the Security Council of 28 March 2002;

16. Calls upon Member States to come forward withcontributions to the United Nations activities in sup-port of Somalia, including the Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for 2002;


Security Council Committee. On 30 Decem-ber, the Chairman of the Security Council Com-mittee established pursuant to resolution 751(1992) [YUN 1992, p. 202] concerning the arms em-bargo on Somalia submitted its report coveringactivities in 2002 [S/2002/1430].

In response to the Council’s request containedin resolution 1407(2002) that all States report tothe Committee on their measures to enforce thearms embargo, 38 Member States had replied bythe end of the year.

In June, the Committee held informal consul-tations with the Team of Experts and, in Novem-ber, it heard an oral briefing by the Panel of Ex-perts. The Committee, in November andDecember, approved requests from the UnitedKingdom, on behalf of HALO Trust, to importhumanitarian mine-clearance equipment toSomalia.

The Committee in 2002 markedly increased itslevel of activity compared with previous years,mainly as a result of increased attention given tothe arms embargo by the Council and the Coun-cil’s decision to set up a Panel of Experts onSomalia. The Committee continued to rely onStates and organizations to provide informationon embargo violations.

UNOSOM II financing

The United Nations Operation in Somalia(UNOSOM), established by Security Council reso-lution 751(1992) [YUN 1992, p. 202], was withdrawnfrom Somalia in March 1995 [YUN 1995, p. 400].

On 16 April 2002 [A/56/915], the Secretary-Gen-eral issued the final performance report ofUNOSOM II, which superseded the revised costestimates and financial performance data pre-sented in 1995 [YUN 1995, p. 404]. The report con-tained information on reimbursements to troop-contributing Governments, expenditure, cashposition, outstanding liabilities and unpaid as-sessed contributions. The Secretary-General rec-ommended that the General Assembly retain$19,616,000 gross and net from the balance of ap-propriations of $40,940,700 gross ($39,990,400net) to meet the cost of outstanding governmentclaims,andsuspendtemporarily financial regula-tions in respect of the remaining surplus of

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$21,324,700 gross ($20,374,400 net) in the light ofthe continuing cash shortage of the mission.

ACABQ reviewed the report and, in its own re-port of 17 May [A/56/949], recommended that theAssembly accept the Secretary-General’s propo-sals.


On 27 June [meeting 105], the General Assembly,on the recommendation of the Fifth Committee[A/56/974], adopted resolution 56/501 withoutvote [agenda item 147].

Financing of the United NationsOperation in Somalia II


General on the financing of the United Nations Oper-ation in Somalia II and the related report of the Advi-sory Committee on Administrative and BudgetaryQuestions,

Recalling Security Council resolutions 751(1992) of24 April 1992, by which the Council established theUnited Nations Operation in Somalia, and 814(1993) of26 March 1993, by which the Council expanded thesize of the Operation and authorized the mandate forthe expanded Operation (United Nations Operationin Somalia II), and the subsequent resolutions of theCouncil that extended the mandate of the Operation,the latest of which was resolution 954(1994) of 4 No-vember 1994, by which the Council extended the man-date of the Operation for a final period until 31 March1995,

Recalling also its resolution 47/41 A of 1 December1992 on the financing of the Operation and its subse-quent resolutions and decisions thereon, the latest ofwhich was decision 53/477 of 8 June 1999,

Reaffirming that the costs of the Operation are ex-penses of the Organization to be borne by MemberStates in accordance with Article 17, paragraph 2, ofthe Charter of the United Nations,

Recalling its previous decisions regarding the factthat, in order to meet the expenditures caused by theOperation, a different procedure is required from thatapplied to meet expenditures of the regular budget ofthe United Nations,

Taking into account the fact that the economicallymore developed countries are in a position to make rel-atively larger contributions and that the economicallyless developed countries have a relatively limitedcapacity to contribute towards such operations,

Bearing in mind the special responsibilities of theStates permanent members of the Security Council, asindicated in General Assembly resolution 1874(S-IV)of 27 June 1963, in the financing of such operations,

Mindful of the fact that it is essential to provide theOperation with the necessary financial resources toenable it to meet its outstanding liabilities,

1. Takes note of the status of contributions to theUnited Nations Operation in Somalia II as at 30 April2002, including the contributions outstanding in theamount of 60.8 million United States dollars, repre-senting some 3 per cent of the total assessed contribu-tions, notes with concern that only one hundred and

forty-eight Member States have paid their assessedcontributions in full, and urges all other MemberStates, in particular those in arrears, to ensure pay-ment of their outstanding assessed contributions;


3. Expresses concern at the financial situation withregard to peacekeeping activities, in particular as re-gards the reimbursement of troop contributors thatbear additional burdens owing to overdue payments byMember States of their assessments;




7. Endorses the recommendations contained in thereport of the Advisory Committee on Administrativeand Budgetary Questions;

8. Authorizes the Secretary-General to retain anamount of 19,616,000 dollars from the balance of ap-propriations of 40,940,700 dollars to meet the cost ofoutstanding Government claims;

9. Decides to suspend for the immediate future theprovisions of regulations 4.3, 4.4 and 5.2 (d) of the Fi-nancial Regulations of the United Nations in respectof the remaining surplus of 21,324,700 dollars in orderto allow for the reimbursement of troop contributorsand in the light of the cash shortage of the Operation,and requests the Secretary-General to provide an up-dated report in one year;

10. Decides also to defer consideration of the treat-ment of the increase in staff assessment income of950,300 dollars in respect of the surplus referred to inparagraph 9 above;


12. Requests the Secretary-General to settle expedi-tiously the claims pending to troop-contributing coun-tries, particularly claims towards write-offs;

13. Decides to include in the provisional agenda ofits fifty-seventh session the item entitled “Financing ofthe United Nations Operation in Somalia II”.

On 20 December, the Assembly decided thatthe item on UNOSOM II financing would remainfor consideration at its resumed fifty-seventh(2003) session (decision 57/585) and that theFifth Committee should continue its consider-ation of the item at that session (decision57/556).



North Africa

Western Sahara

The United Nations, in continuing its effortsto mediate in the situation in Western Sahara, in2002 considered other options to holding a refer-endum for the people to decide between inde-pendence or integration of the Territory withMorocco, as first proposed in 1990. That settle-ment plan, approved by the Security Council inresolution 658(1990) [YUN 1990, p. 920], outlinedterms for a referendum and was agreed to by bothMorocco and the Frente Popular para laLiberación de Saguía el-Hamra y de Río de Oro(POLISARIO). As the Secretary-General reportedin February, the parties had not been willing tocooperate fully with the United Nations on im-plementing the settlement plan or finding an-other political solution.

The Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy vis-ited the countries involved in the dispute in early2002. Algeria joined POLISARIO in rejecting his2001 proposal for a division of powers between alocal administration for local issues and Moroccofor foreign affairs, national security and defence.There were indications, however, that Algeriawas prepared to discuss with POLISARIO a divi-sion of the Territory as a solution to the dispute.That proposition was unacceptable to Morocco,which also expressed unwillingness to go forwardwith the original settlement plan. In February,Algeria said it preferred an option whereby thesettlement plan would be carried out without theconcurrence of both parties.

The United Nations Mission for the Referen-dum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), establishedby Council resolution 690(1991) [YUN 1991, p. 794]to implement the settlement plan, continued tomonitor the ceasefire between Morocco andPOLISARIO and to report on developments.Meanwhile, the Identification Commission, es-tablished to identify eligible voters, collated andarchived voter data, although it operated with areduced staff as its work neared completion. Onthree occasions during the year, the SecurityCouncil extended MINURSO’s mandate.

Despite the stalled negotiations on a way for-ward, Morocco and POLISARIO agreed to someconfidence-building measures, such as familialvisits, exchange of communications and releaseof prisoners.

Report of Secretary-General (January). TheSecretary-General, in response to Security Coun-cil resolution 1380(2001) [YUN 2001, p. 219], on 10January submitted an interim report on the situ-

ation concerning Western Sahara [S/2002/41],which covered developments since his previousreport of 20 June 2001 [YUN 2001, p. 216]. TheSecretary-General described the efforts of hisPersonal Envoy, James A. Baker III (UnitedStates), to negotiate a solution among Algeria,Mauritania, Morocco and POLISARIO during thesecond half of 2001 [ibid., p. 219].

As at 4 January 2002, the strength of the civil-ian police component of MINURSO stood at 26 of-ficers, who continued to protect files and sensi-tive materials at the Identification Commissioncentres at Laayoune and Tindouf and to under-take training and planning activities. TheMINURSO military component stood at theauthorized strength of 230 personnel. It contin-ued to monitor the ceasefire between the RoyalMoroccan Army and POLISARIO military forces.The Secretary-General stated his intention toprovide, before the end of the current MINURSOmandate on 28 February, an assessment of thesituation and recommendations on the futuremandate and composition of the Mission.

The Secretary-General described the recentrelease of a number of Moroccan prisoners ofwar (POWs), as well as Saharan detainees [YUN2001, p. 220], as a positive development, but addedthat the continued detention of over 1,350 prison-ers of war, most of them for more than 20 years,was a serious humanitarian issue. He called onPOLISARIO to release them without delay. Thesituation of the Saharan refugees in the Tindouf(Algeria) camps was also a matter of concern,and he appealed to the international communityto provide support for their humanitarian needsuntil their voluntary and durable return to theTerritory. He expected Morocco and POLISARIOto cooperate with UNHCR to implementconfidence-building measures, as called for bythe Security Council in resolution 1263(1999)[YUN 1999, p. 185].

Legal opinion. In response to a Security Coun-cil request, the Under-Secretary-General for Le-gal Affairs, the Legal Counsel, submitted a 29January letter [S/2002/161] containing his opinionon the legality, in the context of international law,of actions by the Moroccan authorities in offeringand signing contracts with foreign companies forthe exploration of mineral resources in WesternSahara. Morocco had provided information ontwo contracts concluded in October 2001 with aFrench firm and a United States firm for oilexploration in areas offshore Western Sahara.The Legal Counsel reviewed the law applicableto mineral resource activities in Non-Self-Governing Territories (NSGTs), the case law ofthe International Court of Justice and the prac-tice of States. He observed that the UN Charter

Africa 209


recognized the principle that the interests of thepeoples of such Territories were paramount andconcluded that, while the specific contracts werenot in themselves illegal, if further explorationand exploitation activities were to proceed in dis-regard of the interests and wishes of the peopleof Western Sahara, they would be in violation ofthe principles of international law applicable tomineral resource activities in NSGTs.

Algeria, reacting to the Legal Counsel’s opin-ion on 1 February [A/56/809-S/2002/144], noted hisaffirmation that Morocco was not listed as the ad-ministering Power of Western Sahara in the UNlist of NSGTs. Algeria therefore drew the Secre-tariat’s attention to the fact that it should not usethe term “administering Power” in relation toMorocco, as it had in past reports of theSecretary-General. On 8 February [S/2002/153],Morocco said the opinion confirmed that Mo-rocco had acted in complete legality. In addition,it stated that the Secretary-General had referredto Morocco as the “administrative Power” in hisreport of 24 April 2001.

Report of Secretary-General (February). Inresponse to resolution 1380(2001) [YUN 2001, p. 219],the Secretary-General reported in February[S/2002/178] on developments in Western Saharasince his January interim report.

On 24 and 25 January, his Personal Envoyvisited Morocco to inform the authorities ofthe rejection by Algeria and POLISARIO of thedraft framework agreement he had drawn upin 2001 [YUN 2001, p. 216], by which Moroccowould have competence over foreign relations,national security and defence, and internalissues such as executive, legislative and judicialfunctions would be governed by the popula-tion of Western Sahara. In Mr. Baker’s view,Algeria and POLISARIO would be prepared todiscuss a division of the Territory as a politicalsolution to the dispute over Western Sahara.The Personal Envoy also visited MINURSOheadquarters in Laayoune, where he met withthe Secretary-General’s recently appointedSpecial Representative, William Lacy Swing.

The Special Representative, following intro-ductory meetings with Moroccan authorities andthe POLISARIO leadership, visited Algeria from14 to 17 January for meetings with PresidentAbdelaziz Bouteflika and senior officials, fol-lowed by meetings with the POLISARIO Secretary-General in the Tindouf area. On 13 and 14 Febru-ary, he met with President Maaouya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya and senior officials of Mauritania inNouakchott.

The Identification Commission, established toidentify eligible voters, continued to consolidateand collate all data on applicants to the referen-

dum, collected during their identification andthe submission of appeals. Having reduced itsstaff to 40, the Commission proceeded with theelectronic archiving of individual files. As at 31January, the total number of files electronicallyarchived exceeded 43,000. The Commission ini-tiated a technical review of the logistical require-ments in the event of a resumption of the appealsprocess.

The military component of MINURSO stood atthe authorized strength of 230 as at 7 February.During early 2002, MINURSO continued discus-sions with POLISARIO at various levels, with a viewto easing or lifting the restrictions imposed by thelatter on the freedom of movement of UNmilitary observers east of the defensive sandwall(berm) since January 2001 [YUN 2001, p. 215]. Noprogress was reported in that area. On the west-ern side of the berm, MINURSO patrols continuedto visit Moroccan army facilities, in accordancewith the ceasefire arrangements. The strength ofthe civilian police component of MINURSO stoodat 25 officers.

UNHCR continued to carry out its mandatedresponsibilities for the Western Saharan refugeesin camps in Tindouf. After discussions withMINURSO, Algeria, Morocco and POLISARIO,UNHCR proposed cross-border confidence-building measures for Saharan refugees. Algeriaand Morocco indicated that they were preparedin principle to accept the proposals under certainconditions. UNHCR remained concerned aboutfinancial constraints, which caused frequentshortages in food for Saharan refugees. It con-ducted food assessment missions in the Tindoufcamps and monitored the Saharan refugee situa-tion in northern Mauritania.

In January, POLISARIO released 115 of the Mo-roccan POWs it was holding, leaving 1,362 in cus-tody. Those released were repatriated under theauspices of ICRC on 17 January.

The Secretary-General assessed UN attemptsto mediate in the Western Sahara dispute, partic-ularly the efforts of Mr. Baker since he acceptedthe role of Personal Envoy in 1997. The PersonalEnvoy had recently expressed his disappoint-ment at the lack of progress towards finding asolution. Despite assertions to the contrary, theparties had not been willing to cooperate fullywith the United Nations on implementing thesettlement plan or finding a political solution.Mr. Baker believed that, notwithstanding indica-tions from Morocco of a willingness to negotiate,it was pointless to pursue, at that time, any morediscussion on the draft framework agreement, asneither Algeria nor POLISARIO was willing toengage in discussing it. He also believed that,notwithstanding indications from Algeria and



POLISARIO of a willingness to negotiate a possi-ble division of the Territory, it was pointless topursue any such discussion as Morocco wasunwilling to discuss such an approach. TheSecretary-General concurred with those views.

Faced with that bleak situation, the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy believed therewere four options for the Security Council’s con-sideration. Under the first option, the UnitedNations could resume trying to implement thesettlement plan, but without requiring the con-currence of both parties before action could betaken. Morocco had expressed unwillingness togo forward with the settlement plan; the UnitedNations might not be able to hold a referendumwhose results were acceptable to both sides; andthere would be no mechanism to enforce the re-sults. As a second option, the Personal Envoycould revise the draft framework agreement;however, he would not seek the concurrence ofthe parties as he had done in the past. The re-vised framework agreement would be presentedby the Council to the parties on a non-negotiablebasis. The third option would call for the Per-sonal Envoy to explore one final time with theparties whether or not they would be willing todiscuss a division of the Territory, with the un-derstanding that nothing would be decided untileverything was decided. A proposal on divisionwould be drawn up by the Personal Envoy andsubmitted to the parties by the Council on a non-negotiable basis. As a fourth option, the Councilcould decide to terminate MINURSO.

In order to give the Council time to decide, theSecretary-General recommended that the man-date of MINURSO be extended for two months,until 30 April.

Communications (February). On 21 February[A/56/829-S/2002/188], Algeria referred to the fouroptions presented in the Secretary-General’s lastreport (see above) and proclaimed its preferencefor the first, adding that the settlement plancould be implemented and the decolonizationprocess completed if only the United Nationswould demonstrate the necessary commitment.Algeria believed that the proposal not to requirethe concurrence of both parties would permit anorderly implementation of the plan. It objectedto the draft framework agreement because itwould give one country sovereignty over a terri-tory that it occupied unlawfully. On 25 February[A/56/835-S/2002/197], Algeria said that Moroccowas attempting to mislead the world as to the realissues in Western Sahara, which was essentially adecolonization problem. Algeria continued tosupport the right of the Saharan people to self-determination. The only thing still missing in

achieving that goal was the political will of Mo-rocco, it added.

Morocco, on 25 February [S/2002/192], rejecteda division of Western Sahara, which it claimedwould undermine the territorial integrity of Mo-rocco and its sovereignty over its southern prov-inces. Morocco called on the Council to delinkhumanitarian issues from the political settlementand to demand the release of the 1,362 Moroc-cans still held in Algerian territory after 20 years.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (February)

On 27 February [meeting 4480], the SecurityCouncil unanimously adopted resolution 1394(2002). The draft [S/2002/201] was prepared inconsultations among Council members.

The Security Council,Reaffirming its resolutions on the question of West-

ern Sahara and its commitment to assist the parties toachieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solu-tion,

Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General of19 February 2002,

1. Decides, as recommended by the Secretary-General in his report, to extend the mandate of theUnited Nations Mission for the Referendum in West-ern Sahara until 30 April 2002 and to consider activelythe options described in his report, addressing thisissue in its programme of work;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a reporton the situation before the end of the present mandate;

3. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

Report of Secretary-General (April). The Sec-retary-General, in response to resolution1394(2002) (above), reported on 19 April on thesituation concerning Western Sahara [S/2002/467], covering developments since his Februaryreport. During that period, the Special Represen-tative maintained regular contacts with the par-ties. However, the Secretary-General’s PersonalEnvoy had suspended direct contact with the par-ties until such time as the Council had taken a de-cision on how it wished him to proceed. TheIdentification Commission continued its work inits offices in both Laayoune and Tindouf on elec-tronic archiving of individual files of all personswho had applied to be included in the list ofvoters. As at 15 April, 71,736 files out of a totalof 244,643 had been processed. On 21 March,POLISARIO informed the Special Representativeof its decision to lift, from the end of April, the re-strictions it had imposed on the freedom ofmovement of UN military observers east of thedefensive berm since January 2001. On the west-ern side of the berm, MINURSO continued to visitRoyal Moroccan Army ground units. Despite theSpecial Representative’s efforts in pursuit ofcross-border confidence-building measures, no

Africa 211


progress was reported due to a lack of consensuson the issue.

UNHCR and WFP coordinated a donor visit tothe Tindouf camps on 10 and 11 April. On 14April, WFP announced a two-year, $30 million aidproject for the refugees. On 27 February, Pres-ident Bouteflika of Algeria visited the refugeecamps in the Tindouf area, where he met withthe POLISARIO leadership. That was the first re-ported visit to the camps by an Algerian head ofState since their establishment in 1976. On 5 and6 March, King Mohammed VI of Morocco vis-ited the towns of Dakhla and Laayoune in theTerritory. During his visit, he announced the cre-ation of a new agency for the social and economicdevelopment of the Territory. POLISARIO pro-tested the King’s visit in a 4 March letter to theSecurity Council.

Given the current low level of food in the refu-gee camps, the Secretary-General urged the in-ternational community to extend financial sup-port to enable UNHCR and WFP to meet thehumanitarian needs of the refugees.

The Secretary-General expressed the hopethat the Council would decide how it would pro-ceed with the peace process and that it would takeappropriate action on MINURSO’s mandate. HisPersonal Envoy was prepared to undertake activi-ties that the Council proposed towards a resolu-tion of the dispute, provided that it did not sup-port any changes to the first three options thatwould require the concurrence of the parties.Such changes would simply encourage a continu-ation of the conflict and the current stalemate.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (April)

On 30 April [meeting 4523], the Security Councilunanimously adopted resolution 1406(2002).The draft [S/2002/492] was submitted by theUnited States.

The Security Council,Recalling all its resolutions on the question of West-

ern Sahara, in particular resolution 1394(2002) of 27February 2002,

1. Decides to extend the mandate of the UnitedNations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sa-hara until 31 July 2002 in order to consider further thereport of the Secretary-General of 19 February 2002;


Communications (July). In July, the SecurityCouncil received a number of communicationsfrom the parties to the dispute, providing theirviews on the proposed peace options. POLISARIO,in a letter forwarded by Namibia on 11 July[S/2002/749], reviewed the history of the disputeand commented on the draft framework agree-ment, which it described as planned integrationof the Territory into Morocco and an attempt

to legitimize Morocco’s illegal occupation.POLISARIO could not accept the frameworkagreement as an alternative to the settlement plansince it would deprive the Sahrawi people ofthe right to self-determination. On 18 July[S/2002/782], Algeria also rejected the draft planand stated that it was the responsibility of theUnited Nations to complete the process of decol-onization in the Territory, to let the peoplechoose their destiny and to ensure that interna-tional law prevailed over the policy of fait accom-pli and occupation of territory by force. Mo-rocco, on the other hand, in letters of 15 and 23July [S/2002/758, S/2002/823], expressed its willing-ness to negotiate on the basis of the draft frame-work agreement in order to achieve a solution tothe dispute and urged the Council to allow Mr.Baker to carry on his task of political mediation.

On 22 July [S/2002/807], Algeria, reaffirming itssupport for the settlement plan as the only frame-work agreed to by the two parties and the mostappropriate tool for finding a lasting solution,expressed its opposition to a draft resolution cir-culating among Security Council members thatsupported the second option. Morocco com-mented on an amendment to the draft, whichproposed a fifth option by combining option 1(settlement plan) and option 2 (framework agree-ment) [S/2002/832]. Morocco said that the newtactic was doomed to failure and could only jeop-ardize the opportunity to reach a lasting settle-ment. Algeria noted the changes to the draft andaffirmed that the new approach was promising[S/2002/835].


On 30 July [meeting 4594], the Security Councilunanimously adopted resolution 1429(2002).The draft [S/2002/850] was prepared in consulta-tions among Council members.

The Security Council,Recalling all its resolutions on the question of West-

ern Sahara, in particular resolutions 1359(2001) of 29June 2001 and 1394(2002) of 27 February 2002,

Stressing that in view of lack of progress in the settle-ment of the dispute over Western Sahara, the searchfor a political solution is critically needed,

Concerned that this lack of progress continues tocause suffering to the people of Western Sahara, re-mains a source of potential instability in the regionand obstructs the economic development of theMaghreb region,

Reaffirming its commitment to assist the parties toachieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable politicalsolution which would be of benefit to the Maghreb re-gion,

Seeking to alleviate the consequences of conflict inWestern Sahara and, accordingly, to secure the imme-diate release of prisoners of war and other detainees,



to establish the fate of persons unaccounted for, and torepatriate refugees,

Determined to secure a just, lasting and mutually ac-ceptable political solution which will provide for theself-determination of the people of Western Sahara inthe context of arrangements consistent with the pur-poses and principles of the Charter of the UnitedNations,

Expressing its continuing full support for the role andwork of the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy,

Commending the parties for their continuing commit-menttotheceasefireandwelcomingtheessentialcontri-bution which the United Nations Mission for the Refer-endum in Western Sahara is making in that regard,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General of 19 February 2002 and the four options con-tained therein,

Underlining the validity of the settlement plan, whilenoting the fundamental differences between the par-ties in implementing the plan,

Noting the fundamental differences with regard tothe four options contained in the report of theSecretary-General,

1. Continues to support strongly the efforts of theSecretary-General and his Personal Envoy to find apolitical solution to this long-standing dispute, invitesthe Personal Envoy to pursue these efforts taking intoaccount the concerns expressed by the parties, and ex-presses its readiness to consider any approach whichprovides for self-determination that may be proposedby the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, con-sulting, as appropriate, others with relevant experi-ence;

2. Calls upon all the parties and the States of the re-gion to cooperate fully with the Secretary-General andhis Personal Envoy;

3. Calls upon the parties to collaborate with theOffice of the United Nations High Commissionerfor Refugees in the implementation of confidence-building measures, and urges the international com-munity to provide generous support to the Office ofthe High Commissioner and the World Food Pro-gramme in order to help them to overcome the deteri-orating food situation among the refugees;

4. Calls upon Morocco and the Frente Popular parala Liberación de Saguía el-Hamra y de Río de Oro tocontinue to cooperate with the efforts of the Interna-tional Committee of the Red Cross to resolve the prob-lem of the fate of all those unaccounted for since thebeginning of the conflict;

5. Welcomes the release of 101 Moroccan prisoners ofwar, and calls upon the Frente Popular para laLiberación de Saguía el-Hamra y de Río de Oro to re-lease without further delay all remaining prisoners ofwarincompliancewithinternationalhumanitarianlaw;

6. Decides to extend the mandate of the UnitedNations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sa-hara until 31 January 2003;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a reporton the situation, before the end of the present man-date, that contains any further proposal from theSecretary-General and his Personal Envoy togetherwith recommendations pertaining to the most appro-priate configuration of the Mission;


Further developments. The Special Represen-tative and a senior UNHCR official held consulta-tions with the parties and neighbouring Statesin November and December on implementingconfidence-building measures [S/2003/59]. UNHCRproposed measures for the establishment of tele-phone, mail and e-mail services between theterritory west of the berm and the Tindouf refu-gee camps and some parts of Mauritania, as wellas for exchange visits of separated Saharan familymembers between those locations. The measuresalso provided for the holding of non-politicalseminars in neutral venues with Saharan partici-pants from both sides of the berm, and for aUNHCR information campaign on those meas-ures. The parties agreed in principle to the meas-ures. As for neighbouring States, Mauritaniapledged support for the measures, while Algeriaexpressed readiness to support them providedthey were approved by POLISARIO. Morocco, how-ever, raised objections to the modalities for the se-lection of participants for family visits and otherissues. Prospects for such measures remainedclouded by the end of the year.

On 7 July, POLISARIO released 100 of the 1,361POWs it held at that time, and ICRC repatriatedthem to Morocco, bringing the total number ofthose released in 2002 to 216, with 1,260 still held.All of the POWs had been detained for more than10 years after the cessation of active hostilities, incontravention of international humanitarian law,and most (816) had been detained for more than20 years. ICRC continued to exchange informa-tion with the parties to determine the fate of per-sons unaccounted for since the beginning of theconflict.


The General Assembly had before it theSecretary-General’s July report summarizing de-velopments in Western Sahara from 1 July 2001to 30 June 2002 [A/57/206]. A May working paperprepared by the Secretariat also summarized re-cent developments in Western Sahara [A/AC.109/2002/10]. The latter study was submitted to the As-sembly through the Special Committee on the Sit-uation with regard to the Implementation of theDeclaration on the Granting of Independence toColonial Countries and Peoples [A/57/23].

On 11 December [meeting 73], the Assembly, onthe recommendation of the Fourth (Special Polit-ical and Decolonization) Committee [A/57/528],adopted resolution 57/135 without vote [agendaitem 19].

Question of Western SaharaThe General Assembly,Having considered in depth the question of Western

Sahara,

Africa 213


Reaffirming the inalienable right of all peoples toself-determination and independence, in accordancewith the principles set forth in the Charter of theUnited Nations and General Assembly resolution1514(XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the Declara-tion on the Granting of Independence to ColonialCountries and Peoples,

Recalling its resolution 56/69 of 10 December 2001,Recalling also the agreement in principle given on 30

August 1988 by the Kingdom of Morocco and theFrente Popular para la Liberación de Saguía el-Hamray de Río de Oro to the proposals of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Chairman ofthe Assembly of Heads of State and Government ofthe Organization of African Unity in the context oftheir joint mission of good offices,

Recalling further all resolutions of the General As-sembly and the Security Council on the question ofWestern Sahara,

Recalling Security Council resolutions 658(1990) of27 June 1990 and 690(1991) of 29 April 1991, by whichthe Council approved the settlement plan for WesternSahara,

Recalling also Security Council resolution 1359(2001)of 29 June 2001, as well as resolution 1429(2002) of 30July 2002, in which the Council stressed the need forreaching a political solution to the dispute,

Reaffirming the responsibility of the United Nationstowards the people of Western Sahara, as provided forin the settlement plan,

Noting with satisfaction the entry into force of theceasefire in accordance with the proposal of theSecretary-General, and stressing the importance it at-taches to the maintenance of the ceasefire as an inte-gral part of the settlement plan,

Noting also with satisfaction the agreements reachedby the two parties during their private direct talksaimed at the implementation of the settlement planand the acceptance by the two parties of the detailedmodalities for the implementation of the Secretary-General’s package of measures relating to the identifi-cation of voters and the appeals process, and stressingthe importance it attaches to a full, fair and faithfulimplementation of the settlement plan and the agree-ments aimed at its implementation,

Noting that, despite the progress achieved, difficul-ties remain in the implementation of the settlementplan,

Noting also the fundamental differences between theparties in implementing the main provisions of the set-tlement plan,

Stressing that the lack of progress in the settlement ofthe dispute on Western Sahara continues to cause suf-fering to the people of Western Sahara, remains asource of potential instability in the region and ob-structs the economic development of the Maghreb re-gion and that, in view of this, the search for a politicalsolution is critically needed,

Welcoming the efforts of the Secretary-General andhis Personal Envoy in search of a mutually acceptablepolitical solution which will provide for self-determination for the people of Western Sahara,

Having examined the relevant chapter of the report ofthe Special Committee on the Situation with regard tothe Implementation of the Declaration on the Grantingof Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples,

Having also examined the report of the Secretary-General,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;2. Commends the Secretary-General and his Per-

sonal Envoy for their outstanding efforts and the twoparties for the spirit of cooperation they have shown inthe support they provide for those efforts;

3. Takes note of the agreements reached between theKingdom of Morocco and the Frente Popular para laLiberación de Saguía el-Hamra y de Río de Oro for theimplementation of the settlement plan during theirprivate direct talks under the auspices of James BakerIII, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, andurges the parties to implement those agreements fullyand in good faith;

4. Urges the two parties to implement faithfully andloyally the Secretary-General’s package of measuresrelating to the identification of voters and the appealsprocess;

5. Reaffirms theresponsibilityof theUnitedNationstowards the people of Western Sahara, as provided forin the settlement plan;

6. Reiterates its support for further efforts of theSecretary-General for the organization and supervisionby the United Nations, in cooperation with the AfricanUnion, of a referendum for self-determination of thepeopleofWesternSaharathat is impartialandfreeofallconstraints, inconformitywithSecurityCouncil resolu-tions 658(1990) and 690(1991), by which the Council ap-proved the settlement plan;

7. Notes the fundamental differences between theparties in implementing the main provisions of the set-tlement plan;

8. Supports the efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy to reach a political so-lution to the dispute on Western Sahara which willprovide for self-determination for the people of West-ern Sahara;

9. Urges, in this regard, the two parties to continuetheir cooperation with the Secretary-General and hisPersonal Envoy with a view to reaching a mutually ac-ceptable political solution to this dispute;

10. Takes note of the relevant resolutions of theSecurity Council, including resolutions 1349(2001) of27 April 2001 and 1359(2001) of 29 June 2001 as well asresolution 1429(2002) of 30 July 2002;

11. Calls upon the parties to cooperate with the In-ternational Committee of the Red Cross in its efforts tosolve the problem of the fate of people unaccountedfor, and calls upon the parties to abide by their obliga-tion under international humanitarian law to releasewithout further delay all those held since the start ofthe conflict;

12. Requests the Special Committee on the Situationwith regard to the Implementation of the Declarationon the Granting of Independence to Colonial Coun-tries and Peoples to continue to consider the situationin Western Sahara, bearing in mind the implementa-tion of the settlement plan, and to report thereon tothe General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session;

13. Invites the Secretary-General to submit to theGeneral Assembly at its fifty-eighth session a report onthe implementation of the present resolution.



MINURSO

The military component of the UnitedNations Mission for the Referendum in WesternSahara (MINURSO), which, at year’s end, wasunder the command of Major General GyorgySzáraz (Hungary), who succeeded BrigadierGeneral Claude Buze (Belgium) on 11 August,continued to monitor the ceasefire between theRoyal Moroccan Army and the POLISARIOmilitary forces that came into effect in 1991 [YUN1991, p. 796]. The Secretary-General, on 10 July[S/2002/766], informed the Security Council of hisintention to appoint Major General Száraz (Hun-gary) as Force Commander, and the Council, on16 July [S/2002/767], took note of that intention. Atthe end of 2002, the Mission’s military compo-nent stood at 211, against an authorized strengthof 230. The civilian police, under the commandof Inspector General Om Prakash Rathor (In-dia), remained at 26. The police contingent con-tinued to protect files and materials at the Identi-fication Commission centres in Laayoune andTindouf. Training activities also continued.

MINURSO financingIn February [A/56/818], the Secretary-General

reported to the General Assembly on MINURSO’sfinancial performance for the period 1 July2000 to 30 June 2001. Expenditures totalled$45,989,300 gross ($42,215,900 net), resulting inan unencumbered balance of $3,327,737 gross($2,862,202 net).

In April [A/56/826], the Secretary-General pre-sented the proposed MINURSO budget for 1 July2002 to 30 June 2003, which amounted to$41,529,500 gross ($38,488,500 net).

ACABQ reviewed those reports and, in May[A/56/946], issued its comments, including recom-mendations that the amount of $41,529,500 gross($38,488,500 net) be approved for 2002/03. Itrecommended that the total be assessed at amonthly rate of $3,460,792 gross ($3,207,375 net)should the Security Council decide to extendMINURSO’s mandate beyond 31 July 2002.


On 27 June [meeting 105], the General Assembly,on the recommendation of the Fifth Committee[A/56/990], adopted resolution 56/298 withoutvote [agenda item 142].

Financing of the United Nations Mission forthe Referendum in Western Sahara


General on the financing of the United Nations Mis-sion for the Referendum in Western Sahara and therelated reports of the Advisory Committee on Admin-istrative and Budgetary Questions,

Recalling Security Council resolution 690(1991) of29 April 1991 by which the Council established theUnited Nations Mission for the Referendum in West-ern Sahara, and the subsequent resolutions by whichthe Council extended the mandate of the Mission, thelatest of which was resolution 1406(2002) of 30 April2002,

Recalling also its resolution 45/266 of 17 May 1991 onthe financing of the Mission and its subsequent resolu-tions and decisions thereon, the latest of which was res-olution 55/262 of 14 June 2001,




1. Takes note of the status of contributions to theUnited Nations Mission for the Referendum in West-ern Sahara as at 30 April 2002, including the contribu-tions outstanding in the amount of 50 million UnitedStates dollars, representing some 11 per cent of the to-tal assessed contributions, notes with concern that onlynineteen Member States have paid their assessed con-tributions in full, and urges all other Member States,in particular those in arrears, to ensure payment oftheir outstanding assessed contributions;



4. Urges all Member States to make every possibleeffort to ensure payment of their assessed contribu-tions to the Mission in full and on time;

5. Expresses concern at the delay experienced by theSecretary-General in deploying and providing ade-quate resources to some recent peacekeeping missions,in particular those in Africa;





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12. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-Generalon the financial performance of the Mission for the pe-riod from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001;


13. Decides to appropriate to the Special Account forthe United Nations Mission for the Referendum inWestern Sahara the amount of 43,412,900 dollars forthe period from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003, inclusiveof 41,529,500 dollars for the maintenance of the Mis-sion, 1,681,900 dollars for the support account forpeacekeeping operations and 201,500 dollars for theUnited Nations Logistics Base;

Financing of the appropriation14. Decides also to apportion among Member States

the amount of 43,412,900 dollars at a monthly rate of3,617,742 dollars, in accordance with the levels set outin resolution 55/235, as adjusted by the General As-sembly in its resolution 55/236 of 23 December 2000,and taking into account the scale of assessments for theyears 2002 and 2003 as set out in its resolution 55/5 Bof the same date, subject to a decision of the SecurityCouncil to extend the mandate of the Mission;

15. Decides further that, in accordance with the pro-visions of its resolution 973(X) of 15 December 1955,there shall be set off against the apportionment amongMember States, as provided for in paragraph 14 above,their respective share in the Tax Equalization Fundof 3,288,000 dollars for the period from 1 July 2002to 30 June 2003 at a monthly rate of 274,000 dollars,comprising the estimated staff assessment income of3,041,000 dollars approved for the Mission for the pe-riod from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003, the proratedshare of 229,000 dollars of the estimated staff assess-ment income approved for the support account for theperiod from 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003 and the in-crease in staff assessment income of that account forthe period from 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2001, and theprorated share of 18,000 dollars of the estimated staffassessment income approved for the United NationsLogistics Base for the period from 1 July 2002 to 30June 2003 and the reduction in staff assessment in-come of that account for the period from 1 July 2000 to30 June 2001;

16. Decides that for Member States that have ful-filled their financial obligations to the Mission, thereshall be set off against their apportionment, as pro-vided for in paragraph 14 above, their respective shareof the unencumbered balance of 3,327,737 dollars andother income of 2,482,000 dollars in respect of the fi-nancial period ended 30 June 2001, in accordance withthe levels set out in resolution 55/235, as adjusted bythe General Assembly in its resolution 55/236, andtaking into account the scale of assessments for theyear 2001, as set out in its resolution 55/5 B;

17. Decides also that for Member States that have notfulfilled their financial obligations to the Mission,their respective share of the unencumbered balance of3,327,737 dollars and other income of 2,482,000 dol-lars in respect of the financial period ended 30 June2001 shall be set off against their outstanding obliga-tions in accordance with the scheme set out in para-graph 16 above;

18. Decides further that the decrease in the staff as-sessment income of 465,500 dollars in respect of the fi-nancial period ended 30 June 2001 shall be set offagainst the credits from the unencumbered balance re-ferred to in paragraphs 16 and 17 above;



21. Invites voluntary contributions to the Mission incash and in the form of services and supplies accepta-ble to the Secretary-General, to be administered, as ap-propriate, in accordance with the procedure and prac-tices established by the General Assembly;

22. Decides to include in the provisional agenda ofits fifty-seventh session the item entitled “Financing ofthe United Nations Mission for the Referendum inWestern Sahara”.

On 20 December, the General Assembly de-cided that the agenda item on MINURSO financ-ing would remain for consideration at its re-sumed fifty-seventh (2003) session (decision57/585) and that the Fifth Committee shouldcontinue its consideration of the item at that ses-sion (decision 57/556).

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Lockerbie question

The League of Arab States (LAS), in two lettersto the Security Council, made statements on itsposition on the consequences of the 2001 trial oftwo Libyan nationals accused of plotting the 1988bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie,Scotland [YUN 2001, p. 222].

On 23 September [S/2002/1080], LAS trans-mitted a resolution on measures imposed on theLibyan Arab Jamahiriya by the United States andthe United Kingdom as a result of the disputeover the Lockerbie question. The text wasadopted at the regular session of the Council ofthe League at the level of Foreign Minister(Cairo, Egypt, 4-5 September). LAS voiced regretat the conviction of one of the Libyan nationals,and further regretted that the Scottish AppealCourt rejected his appeal of the decision on 14March. The League reaffirmed its rejection ofefforts to block the lifting of the sanctions im-posed on Libya, which, it said, had satisfied all



the requirements of relevant Security Councilresolutions. The League also expressed regretthat, on 7 January, the United States renewed theeconomic embargo it had maintained againstLibya under the National Emergencies Act, firstapplied in 1986. Furthermore, it supportedLibya’s right to receive compensation for thedamage done to it by the sanctions.

The League, on 24 September [S/2002/1074],forwarded a statement noting that contacts werein progress between Libya, the United Kingdomand the United States regarding a joint formula-tion to be submitted to the Council with a view tolifting completely the sanctions against Libya. Itreiterated its view that Libya should receive asympathetic response to its sincere wishes toreach a final solution to the affair.

1986 attack against Libya

The General Assembly, by decision 57/518 of4 December, deferred consideration of the item“Declaration of the Assembly of Heads of Stateand Government of the Organization of AfricanUnity on the aerial and naval military attackagainst the Socialist People’s Libyan ArabJamahiriya by the present United States Ad-ministration in April 1986” and included it in theprovisional agenda of its fifty-eighth (2003) ses-sion.

Sudan

For the nineteenth consecutive year, the Sudansuffered from an internal conflict, which intensi-fied in the early months of 2002. According to re-ports submitted to the Commission on HumanRights, military activities, including aerial bomb-ing in May and June, led to increased casualtiesand hampered the delivery of humanitarian aidto the most needy areas. The issue of access tothose areas was personally brought up by theSecretary-General during his visit to Khartoumin July.

On 22 July, an agreement was signed betweenthe Government and the rebel group known asthe Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army(SPLM/A), which, it was hoped, would open theway for successful peace negotiations.

In October, the Sudan accused Eritrea of sup-porting a rebel attack on its territory. In contrast,the Sudan’s relations with Uganda improved in2002, and the two countries issued joint state-ments on their efforts to cooperate on securityissues.

(For information on the human rights situa-tion in the Sudan, see p. 781.)

Internal situation

On 24 July [SC/7466-AFR/443], the SecurityCouncil President issued a statement in which hesaid that Members of the Council welcomed the20 July signing of the Machakos (Kenya) Protocolbetween the Government of the Sudan andSPLM/A. The agreement represented a signifi-cant breakthrough on major issues and a majorstep towards the realization of a just and lastingpeace. In connection with that signing, memberspaid tribute to President Daniel Arap Moi ofKenya and his special envoy, Lieutenant GeneralSumbeiywo, on behalf of the IntergovernmentalAuthority on Development (IGAD), for their ef-forts in finding a peaceful solution to the con-flict. Members appealed to the parties to work fora successful conclusion of a global and definitiveagreement during 2002.

The EU, in a statement issued by the Presi-dency on 23 July [S/2002/838], welcomed theMachakos Protocol, which addressed the twomost contentious issues, namely, the right to self-determination for the people of south Sudan andState and religion. The EU urged all parties to theconflict to adhere to the agreement and to worktowards a comprehensive peace agreement whennegotiations resumed in mid-August. It con-firmed its support for the IGAD peace process, therole of Kenya therein and those external partnerswho had played a role in achieving results.

On 23 September [S/2002/1078], LAS transmittedto the Security Council President a resolution onthe Sudan, adopted by the ministerial-levelCouncil (Cairo, 3-5 September). The Council af-firmed the League’s commitment to the unity ofthe territory and people of the Sudan and to themaintenance of its sovereignty and territorial in-tegrity, rejecting any attempts to dismember thecountry. It called for international support forthe peace-making efforts. The Council decidedto establish a ministerial committee, comprisingnine nations, to monitor the peace process in theSudan. It invited member States to contribute tothe fund to assist the Sudan in developing thesouth, and called on the United States to lift theunilateral economic sanctions it had imposed onthe Sudan.

Sudan-Eritrea

The Sudan, on 7 October [S/2002/1117], saidthat, on 3 October, along a 180-kilometre-longfront on the Sudan’s boundary with Eritrea,eight Sudanese border towns came under coordi-nated and simultaneous ground attack from in-side Eritrean territory, with artillery supportfrom the Eritrean side. The SPLM/A rebel move-ment announced from Asmara, Eritrea, that theattack had taken place, and warned the inhabit-

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ants of Kassala, a town close to the border, toevacuate within 24 hours. The core of the attack-ing force, according to the Sudan, was providedby the Eritrean army, which had financed, sup-plied, recruited and trained the rebels. Such alarge-scale aggression would not have been possi-ble without direct backing from Eritrea. The op-position had made Asmara a centre for its politi-cal and diplomatic activities and a base for itsleadership and official spokesman. Despite theSudan’s efforts to normalize its relations withEritrea, Eritrea had responded with hostility.The Sudan affirmed its right to defend its terri-tory in accordance with the UN Charter and re-quested the Security Council to require Eritreato preserve peace and security in the region (seealso p. 192).

Sudan-Uganda

The Sudan and Uganda, in a joint statement of13 March [S/2002/269], said that since the conclu-sion of the Nairobi Agreement of December 1999[YUN 1999, p. 176], both Governments had worked tosolve the problems of insecurity, violence and ab-duction of children by the Ugandan Lord’sResistance Army across the Sudanese-Ugandanborder. Concerned parties, such as the CarterCenter, the United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF), the Save the Children Organizationand friendly Governments, were involved inthose efforts.

According to the statement, President OmarHassan Ahmed el-Bashir of the Sudan and Pres-ident Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda met inKhartoum, on 12 January. Subsequent meetingsfollowed between the two parties on implement-ing the Nairobi Agreement and fostering peaceand security across their common border. As aconsequence of those meetings, the Sudan pro-vided access for Ugandan forces to execute a lim-ited military operation within the Sudan to dealwith the Lord’s Resistance Army.

The two Governments issued a joint communi-qué on 27 April [S/2002/512], in which they statedtheir agreement to expand cooperation withinIGAD to work towards regional peace and eco-nomic development. Reaffirming their commit-ments under the Nairobi Agreement, they agreedto upgrade the level of diplomatic representationbetween their countries to the ambassadoriallevel and to establish a Joint Ministerial Commit-tee to develop bilateral relations. During a visit ofthe Sudanese Foreign Minister to Uganda, thetwo sides discussed the prospects of a peaceful so-lution to the conflict in southern Sudan, andUganda agreed to support the realization of asustainable peace in southern Sudan under IGADauspices.

Southern Africa

Angola

The political and military situation in Angolaevolved rapidly in 2002 towards a peaceful settle-ment between the Government and the NationalUnion for the Total Independence of Angola(UNITA). Relations between the two parties took adramatic new direction with their 4 April signingof a memorandum of understanding (MOU),which followed the death in February of JonasSavimbi, the UNITA military leader. Previously,progress towards implementation of the 1994Lusaka Protocol for the Cessation of Hostilitiesand the Resolution of Outstanding MilitaryIssues [YUN 1994, p. 346], the political-judicial in-strument for the resolution of the Angolan con-flict, had remained stalled. By the MOU, theGovernment and UNITA agreed to a generalceasefire, the quartering and demilitarization ofUNITA forces, the formation of a new Angolanarmy and police, the role of the United Nationsin the peace process, and the electoral processand national reconciliation.

Following the MOU signing, fighting stoppedin the entire country and UNITA forces beganarriving at 36 quartering areas. The UnitedNations responded to new requests for furtherinvolvement in the peace process by expandingthe tasks of the United Nations Office in Angola,renaming it the United Nations Mission in An-gola (UNMA). In August, the two sides signed aMemorandum of Commitment for the final im-plementation of the Lusaka Protocol dealingwith national reconciliation, reintegration ofUNITA forces, establishment of UNITA as a politi-cal party and the electoral process.

At the end of the year, the Secretary-Generalaffirmed that, after 27 years of war, there were atlast real prospects for lasting peace in Angola, asboth sides had demonstrated the will to end thesuffering and to work towards restoring the sta-bility necessary for sustainable development.While significant progress had been made on thepolitical track, there were still obstacles to over-come and there remained major challenges inthe humanitarian and developmental sectors.

During 2002, the Security Council continuedto monitor sanctions against UNITA, mainlythrough the Monitoring Mechanism on Sanc-tions against UNITA, which was established in2000 to investigate violations. The original sanc-tions on arms and petroleum had been expandedto include bans on diamond trading and travel bycertain UNITA officials and their families. The



Monitoring Mechanism reported extensively onsanctions violations throughout the year, andconcluded that those measures had contributedsignificantly to the downfall of UNITA. TheSecurity Council, in December, abolished thesanctions.


The Security Council met on 13 February[meeting 4472] to consider the situation in Angola,focusing on humanitarian issues. The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs andEmergency Relief Coordinator, Kenzo Oshima,said that the humanitarian conditions in Angolawere among the worst in the world and that thewar was the root cause of the crisis. Life expect-ancy stood at 44 years, and 63 per cent of allhouseholds lived below the poverty line. Since1999, the number of displaced persons had dou-bled, to over 4 million. Despite being weakenedby sanctions imposed by the Council, UNITA con-tinued to destabilize large parts of the country-side, to disrupt normal economic and social activ-ities and to use guerrilla warfare, attacking thecivilian population and key infrastructure. Hu-manitarian assistance was limited by insecurity,mines, poor infrastructure, lack of capacity andlack of funding.

Also addressing the meeting, Angola urgedthe international community to maintain andstrengthen the sanctions against UNITA, whichhad made it more difficult for it to pursue itsmilitary option. To counter UNITA’s terrorist ac-tivities, the Government had undertaken meas-ures to take control of its national territory and toextend the State’s authority. Angola was facingconstraints in the areas of food, infrastructureand social services.

On 17 July [meeting 4575], the Council again con-sidered the humanitarian situation in Angola,and Mr. Oshima, having returned from a missionto the region, said that the United Nations and itspartners had a unique opportunity to addressboth humanitarian needs and reconstructionand development issues.

Communication (March). In a 28 Februarystatement transmitted to the Secretary-Generalon 1 March [S/2002/227], the EU Presidency, hav-ing learned of the recent death of Jonas Savimbi,leader of the UNITA military wing, reaffirmedthe urgent need to put an end to the internal con-flict. In the EU’s view, a resolution could beachieved only through engagement of all in na-tional reconciliation, on the basis of the LusakaProtocol. It welcomed the Government’s engage-ment to implement the Protocol and encouragedthe United Nations in promoting the peace pro-cess. It hoped that conditions would be created

for holding elections, thereby reinforcing thedemocratic process in Angola.

CeasefireAngola, in a 13 March statement transmitted to

the Security Council on the following day[S/2002/270], said that the Government consideredthe country to be living in a unique moment thatwould lead definitively to the end of the currentarmed conflict. With the objective of promotingtrust, the Government had instructed the Ango-lan Armed Forces (FAA) to cease all offensivemovements as of 14 March, thus permitting con-tacts in the field between the military commandsof FAA and UNITA forces so that a generalceasefire could be worked out in the shortest pos-sible time. There would also be a freezing of:movement of all forces seeking to reinforce or oc-cupy new positions; acts of violence against civil-ians; the destruction of public or private goods;and the obstruction of the free circulation of citi-zens. Stating its belief that UNITA’s demilitariza-tion under the terms of law was fundamental, theGovernment affirmed that it would present aprogramme for the incorporation of UNITAforces into national life. The Government in-tended to contribute to the creation of conditionsthat would permit UNITA to resolve the problemof its leadership and its reorganization and func-tioning as a political party. It would propose anamnesty for crimes committed within the contextof the armed conflict. The extension and instal-lation of State administration throughout thecountry and the nomination of UNITA personnelto political positions would be concluded, in con-formity with administrative tasks contained inthe Lusaka Protocol. Simultaneously, secure con-ditions would be created for the return of dis-placed citizens. With international assistance,the Government would promote a deminingprogramme.

The Government stated that, in order to find apolitical and legal solution to the electoral pro-cess that was not completed in 1992, political, le-gal and administrative measures for the organi-zation of elections would be implemented. Inaddition to completing the process of approvinga new constitution, the Government would en-gage in revising electoral legislation, the resettle-ment of displaced populations and electoral reg-istration and census-taking processes. It wouldwork with all society during the entire process.Humanitarian assistance was needed, and theGovernment was preparing an emergency pro-gramme to support the reintegration and reset-tlement of 4 million displaced persons, the re-turn to society of 150,000 combatants, thereintegration of 100,000 wounded and the shel-

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tering of 50,000 war orphans. As part of itsprogramme for a way out of the crisis, the Gov-ernment was preparing a reconstruction plan—the Public Investment Programme (PIP)—to revi-talize the economy, deliver medical assistance tothe people, raise education levels and move peo-ple and goods.

On 16 March [S/2002/297], the Presidency of theEuropean Council expressed its satisfaction atAngola’s announcement of the cessation of hos-tilities with a view to achieving a ceasefire. TheCouncil welcomed the Government’s intention topermit the political reorganization of UNITA andthe election of its new leadership. It encouragedthe parties to implement the Lusaka Protocolthrough political dialogue under the aegis of theUnited Nations.

Angola, in a letter of 20 March [S/2002/300], re-affirmed its commitments under the Lusaka Pro-tocol and the relevant Security Council resolu-tions. It viewed the United Nations and theTroika of observer States to the Protocol (Portu-gal, Russian Federation, United States) as part-ners in the resolution of the conflict, and itrecognized the role of civil society in the reconcil-iation process. In order to seize the opportunityfor peace, the Government had instructed FAA toestablish contact with the UNITA military leader-ship to negotiate a general ceasefire, indispen-sable for UNITA’s participation in the politicalprocess to follow. An initial meeting took placeon 15 March in Cassamba, Moxico province, An-gola, at which participants reaffirmed their com-mitment to the Lusaka Protocol and agreed on anagenda for further meetings focusing on UNITA’sdemilitarization, the partial integration of UNITAforces into FAA, and the demobilization and rein-tegration of the remaining soldiers into civil soci-ety. To implement those objectives, the partieswould establish a mechanism, framework andtimetable. The Government believed that sanc-tions remained an important instrument in theresolution of the conflict and served as a deter-rent against UNITA’s rearmament. Upon the es-tablishment of a general ceasefire and a mecha-nism for verification, Angola would work withthe Monitoring Mechanism on Sanctions againstUNITA to propose appropriate revisions.


On 28 March [meeting 4499], following consulta-tions among Security Council members, the Pres-ident made statement S/PRST/2002/7 on be-half of the Council:

The Security Council welcomes the communiquéissued by the Government of Angola on 13 March2002 as a positive, constructive and forward-lookingapproach to ending the conflict and resuming the

process of national reconciliation, and calls upon theUnião Nacional para a Independência Total de An-gola to show that it shares a similar position, with theaim of achieving national reconciliation, includingthrough a general ceasefire in Angola.

The Council urges the União Nacional para aIndependência Total de Angola to recognize the his-toric nature of this opportunity to end the conflictwith dignity, to give a clear, positive response to theGovernment’s offer of peace, to implement fully theLusaka Protocol, including by disavowing the use ofarms and demilitarizing completely, and to re-enterpolitical life to pursue its ideals as an important con-tributor to the process of national reconciliation to-wards a fully democratic Angola.

The Council recognizes the positive initiatives ofthe Government of Angola in this process. It also rec-ognizes the vital role to be played by a peacefulUnião Nacional para a Independência Total deAngola and stresses the importance of the role ofother political parties and civil society, includingthe churches, all supported by the internationalcommunity.

The Council expects that the Government of An-gola will fulfil its commitments as rapidly as circum-stances permit, and notes that the response of the in-ternational community, including the provision ofassistance, with the exception of humanitarian as-sistance, would be positively encouraged by theefforts and actions of the Government.

The Council calls upon the Government of An-gola to ensure further the transparency and credibil-ity of the peace process, including by cooperatingwith the United Nations, in the first phase andbeyond. The Council looks forward to discussionsbetween the Special Adviser for Africa and theGovernment of Angola to clarify the role of theUnited Nations.

The Council stresses the active role that theUnited Nations is expected to play in the implemen-tation of the Lusaka Protocol, in close cooperationwith the Government of Angola, and notes the needto renew and possibly redefine the mandate of theUnited Nations Office in Angola by 15 April 2002,taking into account recent developments in Angola,in consultation with the Government of Angola.

The Council declares its support for the full im-plementation of the Lusaka Protocol and its willing-ness to work with all parties in this endeavour, andstresses the importance of the re-commencement ofthe Joint Commission as soon as the União Nacionalpara a Independência Total de Angola is ready toname its members. It calls upon the Government tofacilitate the União Nacional para a IndependênciaTotal de Angola retaking its place on the Commis-sion, while noting that it might be necessary for theparties to build upon the Lusaka Protocol, by com-mon agreement, as appropriate to current circum-stances without altering the fundamental natureand principles of the accord.

The Council stands ready to consider appropriateand specific exemptions from and amendments tothe measures imposed by paragraph 4 (a) of SecurityCouncil resolution 1127(1997) of 28 August 1997, inconsultation with the Government of Angola andwith a view to facilitating the peace negotiations.



The Council welcomes the statement by theGovernment of Angola on facilitation of the politi-cal reorganization of the União Nacional para aIndependência Total de Angola and the choice of itsleadership in complete freedom, in order to have alegitimate interlocutor for national reconciliation.

The Council underlines that the legitimacy of thepeace process depends upon a genuine role for, andfull participation of, political parties and civil societywithout interference, as well as flexibility in ap-proaching questions of national reconciliation.

The Council expresses its concern that the gravehumanitarian situation, especially that of internallydisplaced persons, continues to deteriorate and callsupon the Government of Angola to accelerate fulland immediate access to all those in need of humani-tarian assistance. It welcomes the decision by theGovernment of Angola to include humanitarian as-sistance in its plans to extend territorial adminis-tration throughout Angola, and expects that theGovernment of Angola will cooperate fully throughan agreed coordinating mechanism with the interna-tional donors in developing swiftly an appropriateand effective humanitarian response, includingdemining activities.

The Council invites the Government of Angola tobrief it at the earliest opportunity on the peace pro-cess in all its aspects, as well as national reconciliationand the humanitarian situation.

Angola, by a 1 April letter [S/2002/346], for-warded the text of the Government’s 30 Marchstatement on its ceasefire settlement with UNITAgeneral military staff. Congratulating the mi-litary leadership of FAA and of UNITA’s forces forthe understanding reached on a general cease-fire and the implementation of the remainingmilitary tasks under the Lusaka Protocol, theGovernment said that the milestone created theconditions for the conclusion of the implementa-tion of the Protocol and for the definitive end ofthe armed conflict. The talks between the twoarmed forces had included the issues of disen-gagement, quartering and conclusion of UNITA’sdemilitarization, and the incorporation of itsstaff into FAA and the national police. In that con-text, the Cabinet approved a draft for the amnestylaw to be submitted to the National Assembly toaddress crimes of military nature and against thesecurity of the State that had been committedduring the armed conflict.

Upon resolving the military issues, it would bepossible to proceed to the second phase: that ofaddressing the political items covered in theLusaka Protocol and creating the necessarymechanisms that required UNITA to reachconsensus on the appointment of its participants.The cooperation of the international community,represented by the Troika of observers, was fun-damental, the Government said, for the activerole it would play in implementing the LusakaProtocol, particularly in assisting demobilization

and halting the UNITA military organization, inhumanitarian assistance to populations in needand in other decisive tasks for the normalizationof the life of the nation.

The Troika of observers transmitted to theCouncil a joint statement of 23 April [S/2002/535],in which it said that the ceasefire agreement was aturning point in Angolan history, and it called onUNITA supporters to take the next step—to re-build their party and pursue political aims peace-fully. Welcoming the Government’s intention toprovide conditions for UNITA to resolve inter-nally the issues of its leadership and reorganiza-tion, the Troika added that national reconcilia-tion should encompass all of society. It called onthe Government to put in place quickly the can-tonment areas for UNITA troops. The three coun-tries welcomed the reconstitution of the JointMilitary Commission to oversee the ceasefire andlooked forward to the reconstitution of the JointPolitical Commission. They were prepared tocontinue to assist national reconciliation inAngola.

The UN Standing Advisory Committee onSecurity Questions in Central Africa, at its seven-teenth ministerial meeting (Kinshasa, DRC, 22-26April) [A/57/79-S/2002/551], welcomed the ceasefireagreement and commended the Angolan Gov-ernment on its efforts to create conditions for theresumption of the peace process and nationalreconciliation.

Memorandum of understandingThe Secretary-General, in an 11 April letter to

the Security Council [S/2002/411], affirmed thatthe situation in Angola had changed dramati-cally in recent months. He noted that the Chiefsof Staff of FAA and UNITA signed a memoran-dum of understanding on 4 April as an adden-dum to the Lusaka Protocol [YUN 1994, p. 346], pav-ing the way for a general ceasefire. According tothe MOU, the United Nations was expected to pro-vide military observers and technical and mate-rial support for the quartering, demilitarizationand reintegration of UNITA military forces. Inaddition, it had been asked to provide initialemergency assistance to the families of demobil-ized troops and to assist in the quartering, dis-arming and repatriation of foreign troops. Thetext of the MOU was forwarded to the Council byAngola on 25 April [S/2002/483].

The Government indicated that the signing ofthe MOU marked the beginning of the secondphase of the peace process dealing with the re-maining political items of the Lusaka Protocol.The Secretary-General’s Adviser for Special As-signments in Africa, Under-Secretary-GeneralIbrahim A. Gambari, who witnessed the signing

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ceremony and initialled the MOU, would discusswith the Angolan parties the second phase of thepeace process and clarify the UN role in that re-gard. The Secretary-General would report onthose discussions and make recommendations tothe Council. In the meantime, he recommendedthat the Council extend the mandate of theUnited Nations Office in Angola (UNOA) at thecurrent strength for three months, until 15 July,in order to allow time for further discussion withthe Government and UNITA, and for the prep-aration of a comprehensive report on the situa-tion in Angola and the future role of the UnitedNations in the country. The Council, on 12 April[S/2002/412], concurred with the recommenda-tion.

Mr. Gambari, addressing the Council on 23April [meeting 4517], said that as a result of his dis-cussions in Angola, there was greater clarity con-cerning the future UN role. The signing of theMOU, he observed, had brought a halt to the hos-tilities in one of Africa’s longest-running wars.Mr. Gambari stated that the Angolan Gov-ernment had undertaken the following tasks inthe MOU: to provide assistance to UNITA soldiers;to manage the quartering areas; to select and re-incorporate about 5,000 UNITA fighters into FAAand the police; and to demobilize over 50,000UNITA soldiers. The estimated time frame forthose tasks was 262 days as from 4 April. TheGovernment was also committed to assisting thefamilies of UNITA soldiers, numbering some300,000 persons, and to providing vocationaltraining for and reintegration of former combat-ants into civilian life. Moreover, in its 15-pointpeace plan, which had been announced earlier,the Government pledged to give assistance todemobilized soldiers, estimated at 150,000, totake care of the disabled, orphaned and wid-owed, and to resettle approximately 4.5 milliondisplaced persons. In signing the MOU on behalfof the United Nations, Mr. Gambari had ex-pressed a reservation concerning the non-recog-nition by the United Nations of any general am-nesty that included genocide, crimes againsthumanity and war crimes.

In Mr. Gambari’s view, chances of returning tolarge-scale fighting were negligible due prima-rily to the military debility of UNITA, to which ef-fective UN sanctions had contributed. Other fac-tors were war fatigue on both sides and in thegeneral population; the adherence of all UNITAregional commanders to the MOU; and the physi-cal presence in Luanda of the Chief of Staff ofUNITA military forces, his deputy and other se-nior military officers, as well as the full backinggiven to the MOU by the political leadership ofUNITA under its Secretary-General, Lukamba

Paulo Gato, who had been based in Luanda since3 April. However, the irreversibility of the peaceprocess would depend on a number of factors:UNITA soldiers should be quartered on schedule;the humanitarian requirements of their familiesneeded to be met; conditions had to be met fornational reconciliation and reconstruction; andUNITA should emerge as a united political partyand an interlocutor in the peace process and de-mocratization.

Concerning the UN role in the peace process,Mr. Gambari said that the Organization was ex-pected to participate as observer in the work ofthe Joint Military Commission, which wascharged with implementing the MOU and withproviding up to 11 military observers, includingto the Technical Group of the Joint MilitaryCommission. The United Nations was also ex-pected to provide technical assistance in thequartering areas, of which there were currently36; assist FAA in managing those areas; assist inthe demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants and their families; and provide hu-manitarian assistance to the families of UNITAmilitary forces and to about 4.5 million internallydisplaced persons. The United Nations was ex-pected to chair the Joint Commission during thesecond phase of the peace process, when politicalissues, such as the second round of presidentialelections, the appointment of some high officials,and establishment of new democratic processes,would be discussed. The Government had as-sumed primary responsibility for the fundingand management of the quartering areas and forproviding assistance to family members of UNITAmilitary forces in the quartering areas.

On sanctions (see p. 227), there was consensusthat the lifting of the travel ban on UNITA officialswas in order, but it was premature to talk of lift-ing others, especially those associated with themilitary, such as the arms embargo, fuel,diamond sales, funds and bank accounts.

The Government had agreed in principle thatthe mandate of UNOA needed to be adjusted toallow it to support the peace process.

The Secretary-General, on 25 June [S/2002/714],informed the Council that President JoséEduardo dos Santos of Angola had requested theUnited Nations to provide assistance in the or-ganization and management of the quarteringareas and in the reintegration of UNITA soldiers.The Secretary-General would present recom-mendations to the Council on the UN tasks tosupport the MOU, but, in the meantime, hesought the Council’s approval for deploying upto 10 military liaison officers to Angola to assist inimplementing the MOU, for an initial period ofthree months. On 28 June [S/2002/715], the Coun-



cil agreed with the proposal. While Mr. Gambariwas conducting an assessment mission to Angolato prepare recommendations, the Secretary-General, on 11 July [S/2002/768], requested theCouncil to extend the mandate of UNOA for onemonth, until 15 August. The Council concurredon 16 July [S/2002/769].

Report of Secretary-General (July). TheSecretary-General, in response to resolution1294(2000) [YUN 2000, p. 152], reported in July[S/2002/834] on developments in Angola since hisprevious report of October 2001 [YUN 2001, p. 227].

The Secretary-General described develop-ments leading to the signing of the MOU, begin-ning with his efforts in December 2001 to contactMr. Savimbi. Mr. Savimbi was killed in combat on22 February, however, and FAA quickly estab-lished contacts with UNITA commanders with aview to ending hostilities. On 13 March, theGovernment unveiled its 15-point Agenda forPeace, which included an immediate cessation ofall military offensives by FAA (see above). Thefirst official contacts between the commanders ofFAA and UNITA took place on 15 March and, in ajoint communiqué issued afterwards, the twosides reaffirmed their commitment to the LusakaProtocol. After two weeks of talks, they signed, on4 April, an MOU on the cessation of hostilities andthe resolution of remaining issues under theLusaka Protocol (see above). That document wasintended to replace the Lusaka Protocol with re-gard to its military aspects.

The Joint Military Commission, which was re-instated as the main body supervising the imple-mentation of the MOU, included military officers/observers from FAA, UNITA, the United Nationsand the Troika countries. It was supported by aTechnical Group. The Commission establishedeight regional technical groups, consisting of 24FAA and UNITA staff personnel, responsible forimplementing the MOU in their respective re-gions. All the quartering areas were managed bythe UNITA military but with financial resourcesprovided by the Government. On 7 June, theGovernment declared that the quartering pro-cess had been completed, but extended the pe-riod by a few days to allow UNITA military person-nel in isolated areas to arrive in the designatedquartering areas. The Government projected atotal of 262 days from 4 April to complete theMOU’s implementation, after which it intendedto initiate the second phase of the peace process.That would include the re-establishment of theJoint Commission, to be chaired by the UnitedNations, to implement the outstanding politicalissues. Following the signing of the MOU, fight-ing stopped in the whole country. As at 2 July,more than 84,000 UNITA personnel, including

658 foreign soldiers, had arrived in 36 quarteringareas, accompanied by close to 240,000 familymembers. A World Bank mission to Angola (14May–4 June) identified three groups of formercombatants needing assistance in reintegration:about 79,000 from UNITA, 33,000 from FAA and160,000 from former caseloads.

Among other challenges to the Governmentwas the need to restore the rule of law and Stateadministration throughout the country. TheGovernment planned to hold general electionsafter the conclusion of the peace process, andPresident dos Santos had requested UN supportin organizing those elections; consequently, theSecretary-General dispatched a technical team toclarify the assistance needed for that process.The team identified a number of challenges inthat regard, including the need to establish anappropriate legal framework (revision of theConstitution, electoral law, and appointment ofan Independent Electoral Commission), voterregistration and education, confidence-buildingand national reconciliation programmes.

The report described other areas where An-gola needed significant international assistance,in particular for human rights protection and ed-ucation, protection and rehabilitation of chil-dren, humanitarian assistance, especially fordemobilized UNITA soldiers and their families,and demining. To determine the extent to whichthe UN system could support Angola in the con-solidation of peace, the Secretary-General re-quested his Special Adviser for Special Assign-ments in Africa to lead a multidisciplinary teamto Angola, comprising representatives of human-itarian and development agencies, as well as pol-itical, military, logistical and public informationpersonnel.

Based on the team’s findings, the Secretary-General outlined the tasks before the UnitedNations in support of consolidation of peace andnational reconciliation and noted that the initialfocus would be on the continuing delivery of hu-manitarian assistance throughout the country,and on assisting in the MOU implementation, inparticular the demobilization and reintegrationof ex-combatants. The main tasks of UN supportwould be to: facilitate and coordinate the deliveryof humanitarian assistance to vulnerable groups;provide technical advice and support for mine ac-tion; liaise with the parties through the JointMilitary Commission and other relevant bodieson MOU implementation; advise and observe thequartering, demobilization and reintegrationprocess, if requested by the Government; chairthe Joint Commission and promote national rec-onciliation; assist in the protection and promo-tion of human rights and building of institutions

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to consolidate peace and the rule of law; mobilizeresources in support of the peace process; pro-mote economic recovery through UN agencies;and provide technical advice in preparing andconducting elections.

To implement those tasks effectively, the man-date of UNOA would have to be adjusted. The ex-panded mandate would require a new mission tosucceed UNOA, headed by a Special Representa-tive of the Secretary-General who would assumethe lead in providing UN support for the politi-cal and military functions envisaged in the firstand second phases of the peace process, and helpconclude the implementation of the Lusaka Pro-tocol. For military tasks, the new mission wouldrequire an increase in personnel, including 11military liaison officers to liaise with FAA andUNITA military components. A few political af-fairs officers would be required for assignment tothe Joint Commission when it was re-established,and 16 additional human rights officers would berequired for deployment to key provinces. Thedeployment of a child protection adviser wouldalso be considered and logistical and administra-tive capacity would need to be augmented. Mean-while, the most urgent task of the UN systemwith regard to the consolidation of peace re-mained the delivery of humanitarian assistanceto the 3 million Angolans in need—food delivery,support for resettlement and return, provision ofhealth care, safe water and sanitation systems, ed-ucation and mine action—for which additionalresources were urgently required.

The Secretary-General remarked that the sign-ing of the MOU marked a new era in the Angolanpeace process and presented new challenges forthe UN presence in the country. It was encourag-ing to note that the prospects for long-term peacewere better than at any time before. More than84,000 UNITA troops had been quartered and theceasefire was holding. The United Nations wasrequired to play an important role in the consoli-dation of peace in Angola, given the complex anddifficult tasks assigned to it by the Lusaka Proto-col, the Government’s Agenda for Peace and theMOU. Accordingly, the Secretary-General recom-mended that the Council establish a new missionin Angola, to be called the United Nations Mis-sion in Angola (UNMA), for an initial period of sixmonths, from 16 August 2002 to 16 February2003, with a midterm report to be submitted tothe Council.

Communication (August). On 15 August[S/2002/889], Portugal transmitted to the SecurityCouncil President a statement of the Troika ofObserver States to the Lusaka Protocol, express-ing their satisfaction that lasting peace and a pol-itical settlement finally seemed at hand in An-

gola due to the wisdom being shown by both theGovernment and UNITA. Since the MOU signing,some 82,320 UNITA military personnel had as-sembled in quartering areas, accompanied atnearby sites by nearly 250,000 family members, ademonstration of both sides’ willingness to putthe past behind them. Welcoming the Secretary-General’s report (above), the Troika supportedhis decision to continue the UN presence in An-gola. It urged the parties to reconstitute the JointCommission as soon as possible, and urgedUNITA to reconstitute itself as a peaceful politicalparty.

Establishment of UNMA


On 15 August [meeting 4604], the Security Coun-cil unanimously adopted resolution 1433(2002).The draft [S/2002/936] was prepared in consulta-tions among Council members.

The Security Council,Reaffirming its resolution 696(1991) of 30 May 1991

and all its subsequent resolutions on the situation inAngola, in particular resolution 1268(1999) of 15 Octo-ber 1999,

Emphasizing its commitment to preserve the unity, sov-ereignty and territorial integrity of Angola,

Reaffirming the importance of the “Acordos dePaz”, the Lusaka Protocol and the ComplementaryMemorandum of Understanding to the LusakaProtocol for the Cessation of Hostilities and the Reso-lution of the Remaining Outstanding Military IssuesPending under the Lusaka Protocol, as well as rele-vant Security Council resolutions,

Recalling the statement by its President of 28 March2002, which, in particular, stresses the willingness ofthe Council to support adjustments to the mandate ofthe United Nations Office in Angola, which shouldtake into account recent developments in Angola,

Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 26July 2002,

Expressing its appreciation for the work of the Officein support of the people of Angola,

Expressing its view that the presence of the UnitedNations in Angola can contribute to the consolidationof peace through the promotion of political, military,human rights, humanitarian and economic goals, asset out in the report of the Secretary-General,

1. Authorizes the establishment, as a follow-on mis-sion to the United Nations Office in Angola, of theUnited Nations Mission in Angola for a period of sixmonths, until 15 February 2003, to pursue the objec-tives and to perform the tasks recommended by theSecretary-General in his report and reflected in para-graph 3 below, and expresses its intention, in deter-mining whether to extend, adjust or curtail the Mis-sion, to take into account the recommendations of theSecretary-General based on the assessment of his Spe-cial Representative of progress made in completing theLusaka Protocol;



2. Welcomes the appointment of a resident SpecialRepresentative of the Secretary-General to serve as thehead of the Mission and to oversee a coordinated andintegrated approach to United Nations activities inAngola, as reflected in the mandate of the Mission de-scribed in paragraph 3 below;

3. Endorses the staffing of the Mission, as appropri-ate and as recommended by the Secretary-General inhis report, including the recommendation for a childprotection adviser, with the following mandate:

(a) To assist the parties in concluding the LusakaProtocol by:

(i) Chairing the Joint Commission;(ii) Leading the completion of the agreed list of

tasks which remain pending under the LusakaProtocol;

(b) To assist the Government of Angola in under-taking the following tasks:

(i) Protection and promotion of human rights andthe building of institutions to consolidate peaceand to enhance the rule of law;

(ii) Provision of technical advice and support formine action;

(iii) Facilitation and coordination of delivery of hu-manitarian assistance to vulnerable groups, in-cluding internally displaced persons and fami-lies in quartering areas, with special concern forchildren and women;

(iv) Support for social and professional reintegra-tion of demobilized personnel through appro-priate United Nations agencies;

(v) Promotion of economic recovery through rele-vant United Nations agencies;

(vi) Mobilization of the resources of the interna-tional community, to include international do-nors conferences, as appropriate; and

(vii) Provision of technical assistance to the Gov-ernment of Angola in the preparation of elec-tions;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to report to theSecurity Council when his Special Representative con-firms that the Joint Commission has determined thatall remaining tasks under the Lusaka Protocol havebeen completed, and notes that, upon the conclusionof the mandate of the Mission, the United NationsResident Coordinator will resume authority for super-vising the above tasks, as appropriate;

5. Also requests the Secretary-General to provide aninterim report to enable a three-month review of thework of the Mission by the Council;


Appointment. The Secretary-General, on 10September [S/2002/1026], informed the SecurityCouncil of his intention to appoint IbrahimGambari (Nigeria) as his Special Representativefor Angola. In that capacity, he would also serveas Chairman of the recently re-established JointCommission for the Angolan peace process. TheCouncil, on 12 September [S/2002/1027], took noteof his intention.

General Assembly action. On 25 November,the General Assembly, by resolution 57/102 (seep. 913), appealed to Member States to support

projects foreseen in the review of the UN Consol-idated Inter-Agency Appeal for 2002, which wereto be completed by December in order to assistthe 4 million internally displaced people in An-gola.

Communications (October/December). On18 October [S/2002/1177], Angola forwarded to theSecurity Council President the final communi-qué of the summit of the Southern African De-velopment Community (SADC) (Luanda, 1-3 Oc-tober), which welcomed the return of peace inAngola, a development that added stability to theSouthern and Central African regions.

Angola, on 6 December [S/2002/1337], trans-mitted its 19 November declaration on the peaceprocess, in which it affirmed its belief that condi-tions were set for all political parties to developtheir political activities. The Government recog-nized the importance of continuing to workclosely with UNITA in a bilateral forum, and theusefulness for the peace process of the contribu-tion of other political forces and that of civil andprofessional associations.

Report of Secretary-General (December). InDecember [S/2002/1353], the Secretary-General,pursuant to Security Council resolution 1433(2002) (above), issued an interim report on theimplementation of UNMA’s mandate. During theperiod since his July report, there had been sig-nificant developments, in particular the end ofthe armed conflict, the signing of the Memoran-dum of Commitment for the Final Implementa-tion of the Lusaka Protocol between the Gov-ernment and UNITA, UNITA’s efforts to unite andtransform itself into a political party, and thecompletion of the work of the Joint Commission.The Secretary-General had witnessed the sign-ing of the Memorandum of Commitment on 26August during his visit to Angola (25-27 August),when he held discussions on a number of keyissues with President dos Santos and seniorgovernment and UNITA officials.

On 2 August, the Government declared thatthe process of disarmament and disbanding ofUNITA forces was complete. In accordance withthe MOU, 5,007 UNITA ex-combatants were beingintegrated into the national army and 40 UNITApersonnel were being inducted into the police. Inaddition, 658 foreign ex-combatants fromRwanda and the DRC, who were disarmed anddemobilized along with 253 of their dependants,were awaiting repatriation. The Joint MilitaryCommission, established to oversee the pendingmilitary aspects of the MOU, was renamed theMilitary Commission following the integrationof UNITA military personnel into the army, andwas expected to remain in session until the

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completion of the resettlement process for ex-combatants.

Under the terms of the Memorandum of Com-mitment, the parties agreed to implement,within 45 days, the remaining tasks under theLusaka Protocol: national reconciliation, includ-ing the social reintegration of UNITA ex-combatants; allocation of facilities for UNITA andresidences for the party leadership; submissionof UNITA’s nominees for positions in a Gov-ernment of Unity and National Reconciliationand the public service; establishment of UNITAas a political party and reinstating the status ofthe leader of the largest opposition party; reviewof the symbols of the Republic of Angola; and theelectoral process.

Following efforts by its leadership to unite thevarious factions of the party, UNITA, on 8 Octo-ber, swore in its political commission at the Na-tional Assembly, formally marking its inaugura-tion as a political party. It moved into newnational headquarters in Luanda, allocated to itby the Government. On 19 November, the Gov-ernment declared that legal conditions had beenfulfilled for all political parties, includingUNITA, to operate freely throughout the country.

The re-established Joint Commission on thepeace process, chaired by the Special Representa-tive, commenced work on 26 September and heldits seventh and final regular session on 19 and 20November. UNITA submitted to the Commissiona list of its nominees for government positionsand the Government handed over the keys tothree houses and two apartments to UNITA, in ac-cordance with the terms of the Memorandum ofCommitment. The Government paid UNITA thefirst instalment of the State subsidy allocated to itas a political party, and appointed UNITA nomi-nees to government positions. The Governmentrequested the United Nations to assist in the elec-toral process, which was envisaged to take place in2004. In its final declaration, forwarded to theSecurity Council on 22 November [S/2002/1274],the Commission determined that the main tasks ofthe Lusaka Protocol had been concluded and de-cided to dissolve itself accordingly. The remainingmedium-term and long-term tasks would be dealtwith on a continuing basis, throughout the nationalreconciliation process, between the Governmentand UNITA. Accordingly, the Commission recog-nized that the reasons to support the maintenanceof sanctions against UNITA had ceased to exist, andrecommended that the Security Council consider,with the closure of the Joint Commission, the im-mediate lifting of all sanctions imposed on UNITA(see below).

UNMA assisted the Government in the protec-tion and promotion of human rights and in

building national institutions to consolidatepeace and enhance the rule of law. Under its six-month strategy, the Mission set up human rightstask forces in seven provinces, prior to the de-ployment of human rights officers to those prov-inces. It initiated a number of activities, includ-ing enhancing government capacity in humanrights, community empowerment and participa-tion, and human rights monitoring. In addition,UNMA integrated conflict management mecha-nisms into all its capacity-building activities andcarried out work in the areas of child protection,mine action, humanitarian operations and devel-opment.

The Secretary-General noted that neither theMemorandum of Commitment nor the MOU ad-dressed all the remaining tasks under the LusakaProtocol, including the provision by the Gov-ernment and UNITA of all information on the lo-cation of mines to the United Nations; verifica-tion of the neutrality of the national police andthe disarming of all civilians; provision of guar-antees of basic freedom and human rights withinthe national reconciliation process; and the im-plementation of administrative decentralizationprogrammes. The Protocol also foresaw exten-sion of State administration throughout thecountry and the integration of UNITA membersat all levels of Government, as well as access by allAngolans to social services in all parts of thecountry. As no consensus had been reached onmany of those issues in the framework of theJoint Commission, the parties agreed to establisha bilateral mechanism to address the medium-term and long-term tasks, following the dissolu-tion of the Joint Commission. Disarmament ofthe civilian population remained central to theconsolidation of peace and security in Angola,and, as Angola remained heavily mined, therewas an urgent need to accelerate demining activi-ties. Further work on the election process was an-other key aspect of the post–Joint Commissionperiod.

The Secretary-General observed that therewere at last real prospects for lasting peace in An-gola. Both the Government and UNITA had dem-onstrated the will to work towards restoring thestability and security necessary for sustainabledevelopment. While significant progress hadbeen made on the political track, the major re-maining challenges were in the humanitarianand developmental sectors.

Security Council consideration. The SecurityCouncil, on 17 December [meeting 4671], consid-ered the Secretary-General’s report and heard astatement by the Special Representative. Mr.Gambari reported that, from 2 to 5 December,the ruling politburo of the Movimento Popular



da Libertação de Angola (MPLA), the rulingparty, and the UNITA Political Commission metfor the first time to discuss common issues, in-cluding the revision of the Constitution as a pre-lude to the holding of national elections. Draw-ing attention to the difficult humanitariansituation, the Special Representative remarkedon the launch of the consolidated inter-agencyappeal for 2003, which it was hoped would be thelast emergency appeal for Angola. It requiredsome $384 million to fund the agencies’ activities(see p. 894)

Sanctions

In 2002, the Security Council continued tomonitor sanctions against UNITA through theCommittee established pursuant to resolution864(1993) [YUN 1993, p. 256] and its MonitoringMechanism on Sanctions against UNITA, whichwas established by resolution 1295(2000) [YUN2000, p. 155] to investigate violations of the sanc-tions. The original set of sanctions on arms andpetroleum embargoes was expanded severaltimes to include bans on illegal diamond tradingand travel by high UNITA officials and their fami-lies. In 2002, the Monitoring Mechanism re-ported three times on sanctions violations, andconcluded that sanctions had contributed signifi-cantly to the downfall of UNITA. On 18 April, theCouncil extended the Monitoring Mechanismfor six months until 19 October. In May, theCouncil suspended the travel restrictions onUNITA officials for a 90-day period and, in Au-gust, instituted a further 90-day suspension. On18 October, the Council extended the Monitor-ing Mechanism for two months until 19 Decem-ber. On 9 December, the sanctions against UNITAwere lifted and the Council dissolved the Com-mittee responsible for monitoring them.

Monitoring MechanismApril report. In response to resolution

1374(2001) [YUN 2001, p. 232], the Monitoring Mech-anism provided an update of its findings since itsOctober 2001 report [ibid.]. During that period,the Mechanism investigated allegations of sanc-tions violations and the role of criminal elementsthat had been crucial in sustaining UNITA’scapacity to wage war through the purchasing ofarms and the smuggling of diamonds. In addi-tion, it devoted considerable attention to the issueof financial sanctions and analysed various sys-tems and legislative procedures in place in anumber of countries.

The report described the military situation,which had recently changed significantly due to

UNITA’s lack of resources and loss of personneland leaders, notably Jonas Savimbi. At the timeof the report, expectations were high that theconflict would end (see above). UNITA’s debili-tated physical and military state suggested thatthe monitoring of sanctions compliance and in-vestigation of violations had contributed to themovement’s diminished capacity to rearm andresupply. In addition to identifying violators, theMechanism had used good offices and quiet di-plomacy to encourage Governments to reversetheir policies.

The Mechanism noted that, even before Mr.Savimbi’s death, a number of Governments men-tioned in its previous reports had taken decisivesteps to curtail UNITA’s activities, diamond smug-gling and arms and equipment purchasing. Thereport described investigations into the move-ment of funds related to arms deals and activitiesof arms brokering companies. With regard todiamond trading, the report focused on casestudies of violations of the UN sanction ondiamond trading under Security Council resolu-tion 1173(1998) [YUN 1998, p. 108] and on the use ofcountries surrounding Angola to provide a falseprovenance for embargoed Angolan gems. De-spite the existence of sanctions for nearly fouryears, no concrete steps had been taken to controlthe trade in embargoed gems beyond the imple-mentation of the certificate-of-origin system andrelated measures in Angola. The lack of trans-parency within the diamond industry was foundto limit information about diamond transactions,and, according to a report issued by the UnitedStates Senate, the nature of the diamond tradecreated opportunities for illicit trade, includingthe use of diamonds as currency in arms deals,money-laundering and other types of crime. Dia-monds remained untraceable to their source andthe burden of implementing the sanction hadfallen on producer countries rather than ondiamond markets, pending the implementationof the Kimberley Process certificate (see p. 43).While some measures had been taken to regulatethe industry, stronger procedures were required.For example, under the relevant sanction, the re-sponsibility was on the importer to ensure thatthe declaration of origin of diamonds was genu-ine, yet that requirement was widely flouted asAngolan diamonds entered markets with impu-nity. The report identified several companies in-volved in sanctions violations and described thepath of embargoed Angolan diamonds reachingmarkets. However, the recapture of UNITA min-ing regions by FAA had radically reduced thecapacity of UNITA to mine diamonds, and thedeath of Jonas Savimbi was the greatest factor inlimiting UNITA’s diamond trading. Mr. Savimbi

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personally held the reins of the trade, aided byhis wife, Sandra Saikata. Nevertheless, diamondsremained the sole source of income for UNITAmilitary bands until disarmament was completeand UNITA stockpiles still existed. The Mecha-nism concluded that UNITA was also involved inmining operations and had the capacity to tradesignificant quantities of diamonds until mid-2001, with an ever-decreasing volume since then.The Angolan Government was in the process ofsetting up a new diamond security structure, theDiamond Inspection and Security Corps, to mon-itor all aspects of diamond production and sales,to intercept smuggling operations, and to regis-ter and license diamond buyers.

The Mechanism evaluated measures under-taken by selected States to implement the finan-cial sanctions, and it chose six countries (Bel-gium, Côte d’Ivoire, Ireland, Portugal, SouthAfrica, Switzerland) that were seen as importantto UNITA operations in terms of representation,alleged diamond trading activities and findingsfrom initial asset searches. It called for MemberStates to develop some form of national authorityto freeze the financial resources of targeted per-sons and to report on measures taken to enforcefinancial sanctions in their national territories.The extent to which UNITA funds had enteredany national banking and financial system wouldonly be determined through an official inquirycarried out in the system or territory.

The Mechanism concluded that the case ofAngola was a clear example of how a sanctions re-gime, when duly monitored, could be a real in-strument of peace as the Security Council had in-tended. The Council had imposed sanctions onUNITA with a view to inducing the movement toabandon war, rather than as punitive action. Themonitoring of violations and the improved en-forcement at national levels had contributed toexhausting the movement’s decade-long easy ac-cess to weapons through the illicit trade of dia-monds and the role of sanctions in weakeningUNITA was recognized by its Secretary-General,General Paulo Lukamba Gato. The Mechanismemphasized the importance of the cooperationof Member States, particularly those of the re-gion, in making sanctions work towards peace inAngola.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (April)

On 18 April [meeting 4512], the Security Councilunanimously adopted resolution 1404(2002).The draft [S/2002/437] was prepared in consulta-tions among Council members.

The Security Council,Reaffirming its resolution 864(1993) of 15 September

1993 and all relevant resolutions, in particular resolu-

tions 1127(1997) of 28 August 1997, 1173(1998) of 12June 1998, 1237(1999) of 7 May 1999, 1295(2000) of 18April 2000, 1336(2001) of 23 January 2001, 1348(2001)of 19 April 2001 and 1374(2001) of 19 October 2001,

Recalling the statement by its President of 28 March2002, in particular the Council’s readiness to considerappropriate and specific exemptions from and amend-ments to the measures imposed by paragraph 4 (a) ofresolution 1127(1997), in consultation with the Govern-ment of Angola and with a view to facilitating thepeace negotiations,

Reaffirming its commitment to preserve the sover-eignty and territorial integrity of Angola,

Expressing once again its concern regarding the hu-manitarian effects of the present situation on the civil-ian population of Angola,

Welcoming the ceasefire agreement signed in Luandaon 4 April 2002,

Recognizing the importance attached, inter alia, tothe monitoring, for as long as it is necessary, of the im-plementation of the provisions contained in resolu-tions 864(1993), 1127(1997) and 1173(1998),

Determining that the situation in Angola continues toconstitute a threat to international peace and securityin the region,


1. Looks forward to receiving the additional report ofthe monitoring mechanism established pursuant to reso-lution 1295(2000), to be submitted pursuant to paragraph8 of resolution 1374(2001);

2. Expresses its intention to give full consideration tothis additional report;

3. Decides to extend the mandate of the monitoringmechanism for a further period of six months, endingon 19 October 2002;

4. Requests the monitoring mechanism to providethe Security Council Committee established pursuantto resolution 864(1993), hereinafter referred to as “theCommittee”, within thirty days of the adoption of thepresent resolution, with a detailed action plan for itsfuture work, in particular, but not exclusively, on thefinancial measures and on the measures concerningthe trade in diamonds and the trade in arms againstthe União Nacional para a Independência Total deAngola;

5. Requests the monitoring mechanism to report pe-riodically to the Committee and to provide a furtheradditional report to the Committee by 15 October2002;

6. Requests the Secretary-General, upon adoptionof this resolution and acting in consultation with theCommittee, to appoint four experts to serve on themonitoring mechanism, and also requests theSecretary-General to make the necessary financial ar-rangements to support the work of the monitoringmechanism;

7. Requests the Chairman of the Committee to sub-mit the additional report to the Council by 19 October2002;

8. Calls upon all States to cooperate fully with themonitoring mechanism in the discharge of its man-date;




Appointment. On 26 April [S/2002/487], theSecretary-General, referring to resolution 1404(2002) (above), informed the Security Council ofhis appointment of four experts to serve on theMonitoring Mechanism. He requested JuanLarrain (Chile) to continue to chair the Mecha-nism.

Suspension of travel restrictions

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (May/August)

On 17 May [meeting 4536], the Security Councilunanimously adopted resolution 1412(2002).The draft [S/2002/546] was submitted by Portugal,the Russian Federation and the United States.

The Security Council,Reaffirming its resolutions 696(1991) of 30 May 1991,

864(1993) of 15 September 1993 and all relevant reso-lutions, in particular resolution 1127(1997) of 28 Au-gust 1997,

Recalling the statement by its President of 28 March2002, which, in particular, expressed the Council’sreadiness to consider appropriate and specific exemp-tions from and amendments to the measures imposedby paragraph 4 (a) of resolution 1127(1997),

Welcoming the historic step taken by the Governmentof Angola and the União Nacional para a IndependênciaTotal de Angola, on 4 April 2002, in signing the Memo-randum of Understanding Addendum to the LusakaProtocol for the Cessation of Hostilities and the Resolu-tion of the Outstanding Military Issues under theLusaka Protocol,

Welcoming in particular the efforts of the Govern-ment of Angola to restore peaceful and secure condi-tions in the country and to re-establish effectiveadministration, and the efforts of all Angolans to pro-mote national reconciliation,


Emphasizing the importance of the full implementa-tion of the “Acordos de Paz”, the Lusaka Protocol, andthe relevant Security Council resolutions, in close co-operation with the United Nations and the troika ofobservers,

Reaffirming the need for the União Nacional para aIndependência Total de Angola to cooperate fully inthe demobilization and quartering of soldiers of theUnião Nacional para a Independência Total de An-gola and their reintegration into the armed forces, po-lice and civil society of Angola, as specified in theMemorandum of Understanding,

Recognizing the need for the facilitation of travelby members of the União Nacional para aIndependência Total de Angola in order for the peaceprocess and national reconciliation to advance, includ-ing to enable reorganization of the União Nacionalpara a Independência Total de Angola, with the goalof rapid reintegration into national life and fulfilmentof all peace accords,


1. Decides that the measures imposed by paragraphs4 (a) and (b) of resolution 1127(1997) are suspended fora period of ninety days from the date of the presentresolution;

2. Decides that prior to the end of this period theCouncil will decide whether to extend the suspensionof the measures referred to in paragraph 1 above, tak-ing into account all available information, includingfrom the Government of Angola, on the continuingprogress of the process of national reconciliation inAngola;


On 15 August [meeting 4603], the Council unani-mously adopted resolution 1432(2002). The draft[S/2002/934] was prepared during consultationsamong Council members.

The Security Council,Reaffirming all its previous resolutions, in particular

resolution 1127(1997) of 28 August 1997 and resolution1412(2002) of 17 May 2002, and the statements by itsPresident on the situation in Angola, in particular thestatement of 28 March 2002,

Welcoming the historic step taken by the Governmentof Angola and the União Nacional para aIndependência Total de Angola on 4 April 2002, bysigning the Complementary Memorandum of Under-standing to the Lusaka Protocol for the Cessation ofHostilities and the Resolution of the RemainingMilitary Issues under the Lusaka Protocol(S/1994/1441, annex),

Welcoming also the efforts made by the Governmentof Angola to restore peaceful and secure conditions inthe country, to re-establish effective administrationand to promote national reconciliation,

Welcoming further the ongoing efforts of the UniãoNacional para a Independência Total de Angola to be-come an active participant in the democratic politicalprocess of Angola, in particular the demobilizationand quartering of soldiers of the União Nacional paraa Independência Total de Angola, as well as the dis-banding of its military wing on 2 August 2002,


Emphasizing the importance of the full implementa-tion of the “Acordos de Paz”, the Lusaka Protocol, theComplementary Memorandum of Understandingand the relevant Security Council resolutions, in closecooperation with the United Nations and the troika ofobservers,

Recalling its decision in resolution 1412(2002) to sus-pend for a period of ninety days the measures imposedby paragraphs 4 (a) and (b) of resolution 1127(1997)so as to facilitate travel by members of the UniãoNacional para a Independência Total de Angola in or-der for the peace process and national reconciliation toadvance,


1. Decides to suspend the measures imposed byparagraphs 4 (a) and (b) of resolution 1127(1997) for anadditional period of ninety days from the date of adop-tion of the present resolution, with a view to encourag-ing further the peace process and national reconcilia-tion in Angola;

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2. Decides also that, prior to the end of that period,the Council may consider reviewing the measures re-ferred to in paragraph 1 above, taking into account allavailable information, including from the Governmentof Angola, on the implementation of the peace ac-cords;


October report. The Monitoring Mechanism,on 14 October [S/2002/1119], submitted to theCouncil an additional report, the sixth in a seriessince the Mechanism’s appointment in 2000[YUN 2000, p. 158]. During the reporting period, theMechanism pursued enquiries and investigationsthat it had initiated during previous mandates,following up on investigations pertaining to theactivities of individuals, private companies,government officials and institutions believed tobe violating sanctions. It enquired about meas-ures and legislation enacted to increase compli-ance, and official investigations into illicit activi-ties. The Mechanism continued to rely on thecooperation of several regional organizationsand intergovernmental institutions.

The Mechanism noted that, since 2000, thepattern of sanctions violations had changed.Under increased international vigilance, a num-ber of individuals who aided and abetted theUNITA war were no longer active. However, thecriminal networks that profited from the conflicthad not been fully identified, prosecuted or elim-inated, but had gone underground and wereprobably operating from countries still em-broiled in conflict. While the general situation inAngola encouraged optimism, there were chal-lenges ahead.

With regard to the arms component of thesanctions regime, the Mechanism said that weak-nesses still existed in the export/import chainand could be attributed to factors such as the ab-sence of regulation of brokering companies, in-sufficient control and verification of end-usercertificates, and the lack of security features inthe format of end-user certificates issued by rele-vant African importing countries. Much of thepattern of flow of arms destined for UNITA hadbeen identified, as outlined in the report.

UNITA’s representational activities, carriedout in contravention of the sanctions regime, re-mained a concern. Although UNITA offices inforeign countries, mostly in Africa and Europe,were officially closed, they were converted intodifferent kinds of front organizations that per-formed functions specifically forbidden underCouncil resolution 1127(1997) [YUN 1997, p. 106].UNITA representatives were active in the media ofcertain countries, where they took advantage ofall facilities to promote the rebel movement.

UNITA had also developed an electronic commu-nications network to disseminate all types ofinformation and propaganda concerning thecivil and military actions of the organization.

The Mechanism reported on the progress ofits investigations into violations of diamond sanc-tions, focusing on UNITA diamond mining andtrading activities, the Angolan certificate-of-origin scheme, relevant diamond markets andthird-party countries, activities of diamond com-panies, and State actors. It stated that UNITA dia-monds were smuggled through a system in whichthe sales were primarily for cash, and diamondswere traded for arms or supplies. It had not beenpossible to identify companies involved in UNITAdiamonds-for-arms trades. One effect of thesanction on diamond trading was the productionof more sophisticated forged or falsified docu-ments to conceal the origin of the diamonds.

The financial sanctions against UNITA had be-come more effective after the Mechanism investi-gated the assets of senior UNITA officials, whichallowed the Mechanism to put pressure on somekey countries and to request an investigation thatcould only be conducted by the national authori-ties. In that respect, the Mechanism emphasizedthe importance of the cooperation of MemberStates in implementing financial sanctions, con-sidering that it rested entirely in the domestic ju-risdiction. During the period under review, theMechanism had not received any reports of newlylocated financial assets. The Mechanism con-cluded that the measures concerning the finan-cial freeze against UNITA would have been moreeffective if they had been accompanied by guide-lines providing clear definitions of proceduresand the scope of measures, including a defini-tion of financial assets.

The Mechanism further concluded that, whenmonitored, sanctions had an effective impact. Itwarned that while the conflict in Angola wasover, the criminal networks were still there, look-ing for new opportunities from which to profit.

Annexed to the report was a summary of theactivities of the OAU Ad Hoc Committee on theImplementation of Sanctions against UNITA andan assessment of its collaboration with the Moni-toring Mechanism.

SECURITY COUNCIL ACTION (October)

On 18 October [meeting 4628], the SecurityCouncil unanimously adopted resolution 1439(2002). The draft [S/2002/1168] was submitted byBulgaria, France, Ireland, Norway, the UnitedKingdom and the United States.



The Security Council,Reaffirming its resolution 864(1993) of 15 September

1993 and all subsequent relevant resolutions, in partic-ular resolutions 1127(1997) of 28 August 1997,1173(1998) of 12 June 1998, 1237(1999) of 7 May 1999,1295(2000) of 18 April 2000, 1336(2001) of 23 January2001, 1348(2001) of 19 April 2001, 1374(2001) of 19 Oc-tober 2001, 1404(2002) of 18 April 2002, 1412(2002) of17 May 2002 and 1432(2002) of 15 August 2002,

Reaffirming also its commitment to preserve the sov-ereignty and territorial integrity of Angola,

Welcoming the steps taken by the Government of An-gola and the União Nacional para a IndependênciaTotal de Angola toward the full implementation of the“Acordos de Paz”, the Lusaka Protocol, the Comple-mentary Memorandum of Understanding to theLusaka Protocol for the Cessation of Hostilities andthe Resolution of the Remaining Military Issues Pend-ing under the Lusaka Protocol, of 4 April 2002, andthe relevant Council resolutions,

Welcoming also the reconvening of the Joint Commis-sion, the establishment of the United Nations Missionin Angola and the appointment of a Special Represen-tative of the Secretary-General for Angola,


Recognizing the importance attached, inter alia, tothe monitoring, for as long as it is necessary, of the im-plementation of the provisions contained in resolu-tions 864(1993), 1127(1997) and 1173(1998),

Noting the existence of continued challenges to thestability of Angola and determining that ensuring thestability of Angola is necessary for the maintenance ofpeace and security in the region,


1. Expresses its intention to give full consideration tothe additional report of the monitoring mechanism es-tablished pursuant to resolution 1295(2000) submittedpursuant to paragraph 7 of resolution 1404(2002);

2. Decides to extend the mandate of the monitoringmechanism for a further period of two months, endingon 19 December 2002, subject to review by the Council;

3. Requests the monitoring mechanism to providethe Security Council Committee established pursuantto resolution 864(1993) (hereinafter referred to as “theCommittee”), within ten days from the date of adop-tion of the present resolution, with an action plan forits future work, to include:

(a) Plans for ample consultations in Angola be-tween members of the monitoring mechanism andrepresentatives of both the Government of Angola andthe União Nacional para a Independência Total deAngola, with a view to assessing the situation and tocontributing towards a full review by the Council ofthe measures imposed against the União Nacionalpara a Independência Total de Angola, once the peaceprocess has been completed;

(b) An assessment of possible violations of existingmeasures imposed against the União Nacional para aIndependência Total de Angola that may have oc-curred since the signing of the Complementary Mem-orandum of Understanding;

(c) Details on renewed efforts to locate funds andfinancial resources of the União Nacional para a

Independência Total de Angola currently frozen pur-suant to existing measures;

(d) The development of possible recommendationswith regard to the issue of funds and financial re-sources which were located by Member States and sub-sequently frozen pursuant to existing measures;

(e) Details on the ongoing monitoring and investi-gation of possible violations of the arms embargo es-tablished pursuant to resolution 864(1993) and prohi-bitions against the import from Angola of diamondsnot controlled by the certificate-of-origin scheme ofthe Government of Angola, as called for pursuant toresolution 1173(1998);

4. Also requests the monitoring mechanism to pro-vide a further additional report to the Committee, by13 December 2002, focusing in particular on possibleviolations of measures imposed against the UniãoNacional para a Independência Total de Angola thatmay have occurred since the signing of the Comple-mentary Memorandum of Understanding and onthe identification of funds and financial resources ofthe União Nacional para a Independência Total deAngola frozen pursuant to paragraph 11 of resolution1173(1998);

5. Requests the Secretary-General, upon adoptionof the present resolution and acting in consultationwith the Committee, to appoint two experts to serve onthe monitoring mechanism, and also requests him tomake the necessary financial arrangements to supportthe work of the monitoring mechanism;

6. Requests the Chairman of the Committee to sub-mit the additional report to the Council by 19 Decem-ber 2002;

7. Calls upon all States to cooperate fully with themonitoring mechanism in the discharge of its man-date;

8. Decides that the provisions of paragraph 4 (a) and4 (b) of resolution 1127(1997) shall cease to have effectfrom 0001hours eastern standard time on 14 Novem-ber 2002, following the expiration of the suspension ofthe measures as set out in paragraph 1 of resolution1432(2002);

9. Decides also to review, with a view to their possiblelifting, all the measures contained in resolutions 864(1993),1127(1997)and1173(1998),by 19November2002,taking into account all available information, includingfromtheGovernmentofAngolaandallotherparties in-volved, on the implementation of the peace accords;


Appointments. On 28 October [S/2002/1204],the Secretary-General informed the SecurityCouncil that, in accordance with resolution1439(2002) (above), he had appointed two expertsto serve on the Monitoring Mechanism. He re-quested Juan Larrain to continue to chair theMechanism.

December report. The Monitoring Mecha-nism, in accordance with resolution 1439(2002)(above), submitted its final report to the SecurityCouncil on 10 December [S/2002/1339].

The Mechanism, during its visit to Angolafrom 4 to 9 November, met with representativesof the Government and the UNITA leadership, in-

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cluding its Secretary-General, Paulo LukambaGato, who stressed that UNITA had abandonedthe use of force and that, consequently, it was im-perative to lift sanctions so as to permit the move-ment to operate fully as a legitimate politicalparty. On the basis of the positive developmentsrelating to the peace process and having found noevidence of sanctions violations, the Mechanism,on 12 November, requested the Chairman of theSecurity Council Committee established pursu-ant to resolution 864(1993) [YUN 1993, p. 256] toconvene a meeting. The Chairman of the Moni-toring Mechanism informed the Committee on20 November that the objectives of resolutionsestablishing arms and petroleum sanctions (reso-lution 864(1993)), banning UNITA representation(resolution 1127 (1997)) [YUN 1997, p. 106], and ban-ning the illegal diamond trade and flow ofUNITA funds (resolution 1173(1998)) [YUN 1998,p. 108] had been met. Given that UNITA was fulfill-ing its obligations within the context of the peaceprocess, the Mechanism recommended that theCouncil lift all sanctions against UNITA, at theearliest opportunity.

According to information from the Govern-ment, UNITA had surrendered approximately 95per cent of its weapons. While the presence ofsmall arms in Angola remained a problem, theuse of such weapons for organized military pur-poses was unlikely. With regard to the diamondtrade, new governmental procedures and ruleshad curtailed illicit activities. The Mechanism re-ceived assurances that UNITA, as an organization,was no longer involved in trading diamonds forweapons. Frozen accounts of senior UNITA offi-cials had been identified in Belgium, Côted’Ivoire, France, Ireland, Portugal, Switzerlandand the United Kingdom, but specific financialdata were difficult to obtain.

Lifting of sanctions


On 9 December [meeting 4657], the SecurityCouncil unanimously adopted resolution 1448(2002). The draft [S/2002/1331] was prepared dur-ing consultations among Council members.

The Security Council,Reaffirming its resolutions 864(1993) of 15 Septem-

ber 1993 and all subsequent relevant resolutions, inparticular resolutions 1127(1997) of 28 August 1997,1173(1998) of 12 June 1998, 1237(1999) of 7 May 1999,1295(2000) of 18 April 2000, 1336(2001) of 23 January2001, 1348(2001) of 19 April 2001, 1374(2001) of 19 Oc-tober 2001, 1404(2002) of 18 April 2002, 1412(2002) of17 May 2002, 1432(2002) of 15 August 2002, 1433(2002)of 15 August 2002 and 1439(2002) of 18 October 2002,

Reaffirming also its commitment to preserve the sov-ereignty and territorial integrity of Angola,

Welcoming the steps taken by the Government of An-gola and the União Nacional para a IndependênciaTotal de Angola toward the full implementation of the“Acordos de Paz”, the Lusaka Protocol, the Comple-mentary Memorandum of Understanding to theLusaka Protocol for the Cessation of Hostilities andthe Resolution of the Remaining Military Issues Pend-ing under the Lusaka Protocol, of 4 April 2002, rele-vant Security Council resolutions, the declaration onthe peace process issued by the Government of Angolaon 19 November 2002 and the completion of the workof the Joint Commission, as expressed in the Declara-tion by the Joint Commission on the Peace Process,signed at Luanda on 20 November 2002,



1. Expresses its intention to give full consideration tothe additional report of the monitoring mechanismestablished pursuant to resolution 1295(2000);

2. Decides that the measures imposed by paragraph19 of resolution 864(1993), paragraphs 4 (c) and (d) ofresolution 1127(1997) and paragraphs 11 and 12 of res-olution 1173(1998) shall cease to have effect from thedate of adoption of the present resolution;

3. Decides also to dissolve the Security Council Com-mittee established pursuant to paragraph 22 of resolu-tion 864(1993) with immediate effect;

4. Decides further to request that the Secretary-General close the United Nations Trust Fund estab-lished pursuant to paragraph 11 of resolution 1237(1999) and to make the necessary arrangements to re-imburse, on a proportionate basis and in accordancewith relevant financial procedures, those MemberStates that provided voluntary contributions to theTrust Fund.

Committee report. On 19 December [S/2002/1413], the Security Council Committee establishedpursuant to resolution 864(1993) concerning thesituation in Angola submitted its final report cov-ering its activities from 1 January to 9 December2002. During the year, the Committee held fourformal meetings and several informal meetings.Five joint informal meetings were held with theSecurity Council Committees established pursu-ant to resolution 1132(1997) concerning SierraLeone (see p. 162) and resolution 1343(2001) con-cerning Liberia (see p. 175). The report gavebackground information on the sanctions, firstimposed against UNITA in 1993, and provided asummary of the Mechanism’s activities as well.

On 6 March, the Committee announced thattwo names had been deleted from its list of seniorUNITA officials, together with immediate adultfamily members, who were not allowed to travelto other States. In April, the Committee beganconsideration of the Mechanism’s reports onsanctions violations, and members agreed with



the Mechanism’s conclusion that sanctions hadbeen an asset in pursuing peace. At an 8 Maymeeting, the Chairman of the Mechanism em-phasized the need for Member States to adoptregulations at the national level to enforce finan-cial sanctions and the need to differentiate con-flict diamonds from illicit diamonds and distrib-uted the Mechanism’s plan of action for its newsix-month mandate to the members. In October,he pointed out the need to complete the searchfor unaccounted UNITA arms caches. At the endof the year, the Committee members were gener-ally supportive of the Mechanism’s recommen-dation that the sanctions against UNITA be liftedas their objectives had been met. The Chairmanfinally suggested that the planned revision of theUNITA list be abandoned in the light of recent de-velopments in Angola.

The Committee observed that sanctions mightnot have had a direct role in the peace process,but it had been generally recognized that theyhad considerably weakened UNITA’s military po-tential. The Monitoring Mechanism, partly byidentifying the sources of sanctions violations,and partly through quiet diplomacy, proved help-ful to the Committee in ensuring the effective-ness of the sanctions. The Committee drew somelessons from its experience during the decade ofUNITA sanctions: the establishment of the Panelof Experts and the subsequent MonitoringMechanism, working on the basis of the highestevidentiary and investigative standards, signifi-cantly enhanced the effectiveness of the sanc-tions; States often required assistance in enactingnecessary legislation and technical assistance toimplement sanctions; reporting by MemberStates on sanctions violations had been invalu-able for monitoring purposes; Committee mis-sions to the region for familiarization and directcontact with Governments and other interestedparties had been extremely useful; and use of theInternet had been useful in maintaining a degreeof transparency in the Committee’s work, espe-cially with regard to the list of senior UNITA offi-cials and their families. The Committee, notingthe valuable body of knowledge and experiencethat had been accumulated, suggested that itwould be useful to collate the experience gainedin order to enhance the effectiveness of currentand future sanctions regimes.

Financing of MONUA

In April [A/56/900], the Secretary-Generalreported on the final disposition of the assetsof the United Nations Observer Mission in An-gola (MONUA), whose mandate expired in Feb-ruary 1999 [YUN 1999, p. 106]. The inventory

value of the assets of the Mission as at 20 June2000 totalled $89.313 million, 33 per cent($29,052,100) of which had been transferred tothe other peacekeeping operations or to theUnited Nations Logistics Base at Brindisi, It-aly, for storage. The remaining 67 per cent re-lated to assets that had been disposed of in theMission area ($31,888,200) and reported aswritten-off/lost ($28,372,700). The Secretary-General suggested that the General Assemblyapprove the donations of assets with a total in-ventory value of $235,800 and correspondingresidual value of $81,700 to various UN agen-cies and non-governmental bodies, as detailedin the report.

Having considered the Secretary-General’s re-port, ACABQ, in May [A/56/948], requested infor-mation on the status of settlement of assets to beprovided to the Fifth Committee, and recom-mended approval of the Secretary-General’s re-quests.

The Assembly, by decision 56/472 of 27 June,took note of the Secretary-General’s report andthe related ACABQ report and approved the dona-tion of assets as proposed by the Secretary-Gen-eral.

On 20 December, the Assembly decided thatthe agenda item on the financing of MONUA andthe United Nations Angola Verification Mission(UNAVEM) would remain for consideration at itsresumed fifty-seventh (2003) session (decision57/585) and that the Fifth Committee shouldcontinue to consider the item at that session(decision 57/556).

Other questions

Comoros

The League of Arab States (LAS), in a 23 Sep-tember letter to the Security Council President[S/2002/1079], transmitted a resolution on supportfor the Republic of the Comoros adopted by itsMinisterial-level Council of Foreign Ministers(Cairo, Egypt, 3-5 September). The Council ex-pressed satisfaction with the implementation ofthe 2001 Framework Agreement for Reconcilia-tion in the Comoros and the election of a Statepresident and of governors of the threeComorian islands, while maintaining the coun-try’s unity and territorial integrity. It decided toopen an LAS liaison office in the Comoros to sup-port the League’s role in achieving stability andto supervise the implementation of inter-Arabprojects in the country.

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On 16 October, the General Assembly de-ferred consideration of the item “Question of theComorian island of Mayotte” and included it inthe agenda of its fifty-eighth (2003) session(decision 57/503).

Mozambique

In accordance with decision 56/464 [YUN 2001,p. 235], the General Assembly retained for consid-eration at its resumed fifty-sixth (2002) sessionthe item “Financing of the United Nations Oper-ation in Mozambique” (ONUMOZ). ONUMOZ be-gan operations in 1992 [YUN 1992, p. 196] and wasliquidated in 1995 [YUN 1995, p. 368].

On 6 September, the Assembly included theitem in the draft agenda of its fifty-seventh ses-sion (decision 56/486).

On 20 December, the Assembly decided thatthe item would remain for consideration at theresumed fifty-seventh (2003) session (decision57/585) and that the Fifth Committee shouldcontinue to consider the item at that session(decision 57/556).

The Assembly, in resolution 57/104 of 25 No-vember, urged the international community torender assistance and support for the specialneeds of Mozambique in the wake of natural di-sasters (see p. 917).

Cooperation between OAU/AUand the UN system

Coming into force of African Union

The Secretary-General, in a 12 August note tothe General Assembly [A/56/1024], briefly re-viewed cooperation between the United Nationsand the Organization of African Unity (OAU)since 1965 when the Assembly, by resolution2011(XX) [YUN 1965, p. 139], invited OAU to partici-pate in Assembly sessions as an observer. He re-ported that, by a 7 August letter, the InterimChairperson of the Commission of the AfricanUnion (AU) and former OAU Secretary-General,Amara Essy, had informed him that, as of 8 July2002, OAU had ceased to exist and that the AUhad come into force the following day, for an in-terim period of one year. The new body had fourmain organs—the Assembly, the Executive Coun-cil, the Committee of Permanent Representativesand the Commission. In the light of those devel-opments, AU requested the United Nations to re-view the cooperation agreement between theUnited Nations and OAU. The Secretary-Generalconcluded that the changes implied that the AUwould assume the rights and responsibilities ofOAU to participate in UN meetings and confer-

ences as an observer, in accordance with GeneralAssembly resolution 2011(XX) and the coopera-tion agreement.

On 15 August, the General Assembly, bydecision 56/475, decided that the African Unionwould assume the rights and responsibilities ofthe Organization of African Unity as an ob-server, invited in accordance with General As-sembly resolution 2011(XX) and the cooperationagreement between the United Nations and theOrganization of African Unity.

Inter-organizational cooperation

In response to Assembly resolution 56/48[YUN 2001, p. 236], the Secretary-General submitteda 26 August report on cooperation between theUnited Nations and OAU [A/57/351]. He noted thatthe year under review witnessed the final trans-formation of OAU to the AU. The process of estab-lishing a new organization necessitated the devel-opment of new organs and structures, and thedrafting of terms of reference and rules of proce-dure. The United Nations supported thoseefforts by dispatching experts to assist OAU in thattask.

As in the past, cooperation between the two or-ganizations involved many programmes andagencies of the UN system, and collaboration wasespecially close in dealing with conflict situationsaffecting Africa. The Secretary-General reviewedcooperation between OAU and the Department ofPolitical Affairs, through the United Nations Li-aison Office based in Addis Ababa, on the con-flict situations in Burundi, the Central AfricanRepublic, the Comoros, the DRC and Madagas-car. He also described the work of the Depart-ment of Peacekeeping Operations with OAU to re-solve issues in the DRC, Eritrea and Ethiopia,Sierra Leone and Western Sahara. The Eco-nomic Commission for Africa worked closelywith OAU on regional economic cooperation andintegration, trade promotion, gender and devel-opment, information technology, pandemic dis-eases, the environment and population. OtherUN bodies that had collaborated with OAU werethe Office for the Coordination of HumanitarianAffairs, the Department of Public Information,the United Nations Development Programme,the United Nations Population Fund, the JointUnited Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, andthe Office of the United Nations High Commis-sioner for Human Rights.

The Secretary-General concluded that the AU’scoming into force and its establishment of an in-terim secretariat and interim chairperson shouldcall for a complete review of the programme ofcooperation between the two organizations. Under



the previous biennial programme, the UN/OAUprogramme of cooperation, adopted in April2000 [YUN 2000, p. 230], was due for review in 2002.However, OAU was of the view that, given its tran-sition to the AU and the need to develop the struc-ture and mandates of its new institutions, such areview would be best conducted after the govern-ing bodies had agreed to the structure and func-tions. The United Nations stood ready to workwith the AU in developing new structures andprogrammes and implementing its new agenda,including the New Partnership for Africa’s De-velopment (see p. 907) and the Conference on Se-curity, Stability, Development and Cooperationin Africa. The Secretary-General concluded thatthe full integration of the regional economiccommunity into the new AU should also call forrationalization and streamlining of the pro-grammes of cooperation between the UnitedNations and some of the subregional groupings.

The EU Presidency, in a statement forwardedto the Security Council on 10 July [S/2002/748],welcomed the inauguration of the AU and saidthat, by taking that step, African nations were cre-ating a stronger and more coherent frameworkfor peace, stability, good governance and eco-nomic development in Africa.


On 21 November [meeting 56], the General As-sembly adopted resolution 57/48 [draft A/57/L.39& Add.1] without vote [agenda item 22 (m)].

Cooperation between the United Nationsand the African Union

The General Assembly,Havingconsidered thereportoftheSecretary-General,Recalling the provisions of Chapter VIII of the

Charter of the United Nations, as well as all its resolu-tions on cooperation between the United Nations andthe Organization of African Unity, including resolu-tions 55/218 of 21 December 2000 and 56/48 of 7 De-cember 2001,

Bearing in mind the decisions and declarationsadopted by the Assembly of the African Union at itsfirst ordinary session, held in Durban, South Africa,on 9 and 10 July 2002,

Taking note of declaration ASS/AU/Decl. 1 (I),adopted on 10 July 2002 by the Assembly of the Afri-can Union at its first ordinary session, on the imple-mentation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Devel-opment, mandating the Implementation Committeeof the New Partnership and its Steering Committee toelaborate further the Framework for the New Partner-ship to ensure the implementation of the Initial ActionPlan,

Bearing in mind the United Nations Declaration onthe New Partnership for Africa’s Development, con-tained in its resolution 57/2 of 16 September 2002, andits resolution 57/7 of 4 November 2002, and welcom-ing the strong support the New Partnership has re-

ceived on various occasions, in particular at the sum-mit meeting of the Group of Eight, held inKananaskis, Canada, on 26 and 27 June 2002, as aframework for promoting sustainable developmentand growth in Africa,

Taking note of decision AHG/Dec. 175(XXXVIII),adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State andGovernment of the Organization of African Unity atits thirty-eighth ordinary session, held in Durban on8 July 2002, approving the Memorandum of Under-standing on Security, Stability, Development and Co-operation in Africa, thereby affirming the centrality ofthe process of the Conference on Security, Stability,Development and Cooperation in Africa as a policy de-velopment forum, a framework for the advancement ofcommon values and as a monitoring and evaluationmechanism for the African Union,

Acknowledging the need for continuing and closer co-operation between the United Nations system and theAfrican Union in peace and security, political, eco-nomic, technical, cultural and administrative matters,

Emphasizing the importance of the effective, coordi-nated and integrated implementation of the UnitedNations Millennium Declaration, and welcoming inthis regard the commitments of Member States to re-spond to the special needs of Africa,

Stressing the importance of the Doha DevelopmentAgenda adopted at the Fourth Ministerial Conferenceof the World Trade Organization, held in Doha from 9to 13 November 2001, the Monterrey Consensus of theInternational Conference on Financing for Develop-ment and the Plan of Implementation of the WorldSummit on Sustainable Development (“JohannesburgPlan of Implementation”) for the attainment of theUnited Nations millennium development goals andthe reduction of poverty in Africa,

Welcoming the close collaboration between the Afri-can Union, the United Nations and the internationalcommunity in the global fight against terrorism, lead-ing to the convening by the African Union of a high-level intergovernmental meeting on the preventionand combating of terrorism in Africa, which was heldin Algiers from 11 to 14 September 2002,

Noting, in this regard, the proposed entry into forceof the 1999 Algiers Convention on the Prevention andCombating of Terrorism,

Emphasizing the need to implement the ministerialdeclaration of the high-level segment of the substan-tive session of 2001 of the Economic and Social Coun-cil, on the role of the United Nations in support of theefforts of African countries to achieve sustainable de-velopment, adopted on 18 July 2001,

Taking note of the declaration of the extraordinarysummit meeting of the Assembly of Heads of Stateand Government of the Organization of African Unityon HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other related infectiousdiseases, held in Abuja from 24 to 27 April 2001, andnoting the mechanism for monitoring and reportingon its implementation,

Emphasizing the need to implement urgently its reso-lution S-26/2 of 27 June 2001 containing the Declara-tion of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, adopted at its spe-cial session on HIV/AIDS, and acknowledging in thisrespect the commitments of Member States to addressthe special needs of Africa,

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Bearing in mind the Declaration and the Plan of Ac-tion contained in the document entitled “A world fitfor children”, adopted at the special session of theGeneral Assembly on children, held in New York from8 to 10 May 2002, and the African Common Positionon Children, endorsed by the Assembly of Heads ofState and Government of the Organization of AfricanUnity at its thirty-seventh ordinary session, held inLusaka from 9 to 11 July 2001,

Taking note of the Plan of Action for the African Dec-ade of Disabled Persons, endorsed by the Council ofMinisters of the Organization of African Unity at itsseventy-sixth ordinary session, held in Durban from 28June to 6 July 2002,

Also taking note of the Plan of Action on Drug Con-trol and Illicit Drugs Trafficking and Abuse in Africa,endorsed by the Council of Ministers of the Organiza-tion of African Unity at its seventy-sixth ordinary ses-sion,

Acknowledging the contribution of the UnitedNations Liaison Office in strengthening coordinationand cooperation between the African Union and theUnited Nations, as well as the need to consolidate it soas to enhance its performance,

Noting the efforts to be undertaken by the AfricanUnion and its organs and States members of regionaleconomic bodies in the area of economic integration,and the need to accelerate the process of the full estab-lishment and consolidation of the African Union so asto achieve sustainable development,

Noting also the progress made by the Organization ofAfrican Unity in developing the capacity of its Mecha-nism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Reso-lution, and acknowledging in this regard the assist-ance of the United Nations and the internationalcommunity,

Noting further that the Protocol relating to the Estab-lishment of the Peace and Security Council wasadopted by the Assembly of the African Union at itsfirst ordinary session, and that it was decided by theAssembly that, pending the ratification and entry intoforce of the Protocol, the Mechanism for Conflict Pre-vention, Management and Resolution should remainvalid,

Stressing the urgent need to address the plight of ref-ugees and internally displaced persons in Africa, andnoting in this context the efforts made to implementthe recommendations of the Ministerial Meeting ofthe Organization of African Unity on Refugees, Re-turnees and Displaced Persons in Africa, held in Khar-toum on 13 and 14 December 1998, as well as the en-dorsement by the Council of Ministers of theOrganization of African Unity at its seventy-second or-dinary session of the Comprehensive ImplementationPlan, adopted at the Special Meeting of Governmentaland Non-Governmental Technical Experts, organizedby the Organization of African Unity and the Office ofthe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,which was held in Conakry from 27 to 29 March 2000,

Recognizing the importance of developing and main-tainingacultureofpeace,toleranceandharmoniousre-lationships based on the promotion of economic devel-opment, democratic principles, good governance, therule of law, human rights, social justice and interna-tional cooperation, as reflected in the Constitutive Actof the African Union and the Declaration on

Democracy,Political,EconomicandCorporateGovern-anceoftheNewPartnershipforAfrica’sDevelopment,

Stressing the need to strengthen the African humanrights system, and noting in this context the need toprovide adequate support to the African Commissionon Human and Peoples’ Rights, to finalize the processleading to the establishment of the African Court onHuman and Peoples’ Rights, and the implementationof the 1999 Grand Baie Declaration and Plan of Actionon Human Rights in Africa,

Welcoming the continuing mobilization of resourcesby African countries and other sources for the activi-ties of the African Union, and encouraging MemberStates to continue to cooperate with the African Unionin that regard,

Recognizing the need to improve the coordinationand harmonization of initiatives taken by the UnitedNations system relating to the development of Africa,

1. Takes note with satisfaction of the report of theSecretary-General;

2. Welcomes the cooperation between the AfricanUnion and the United Nations and, in this respect, thecontinuing participation in and constructive contribu-tion of the African Union and its specialized agenciesto the work of the United Nations, and calls upon thetwo organizations to enhance the involvement of theAfrican Union in all United Nations activities concern-ing Africa;

3. Calls upon the Secretary-General of the UnitedNations and the Interim Chairman of the AfricanUnion to review the Cooperation Agreement betweenthe United Nations and the Organization of AfricanUnity with a view to reflecting the establishment of theAfrican Union;

4. Also calls upon the Secretary-General to involve theAfricanUnionanditsorgansclosely in the implementa-tion of the commitments contained in the UnitedNations Millennium Declaration, especially those thatrelate to addressing the special needs of Africa;

5. Encourages the Secretary-General to strengthenthe capacity of the United Nations Liaison Office withthe African Union;

6. Stresses the need for closer cooperation and coor-dination between the African Union and the UnitedNations, and calls upon the United Nations system tocontinue to support the African Union on an ongoingbasis in accordance with the Cooperation Agreementbetween the two organizations;

7. Requests the United Nations system, while ac-knowledging its primary role in the promotion of inter-national peace and security, to intensify its assistance tothe African Union, as appropriate, in strengthening theinstitutional and operational capacity of the Peace andSecurity Council of the African Union, in particular inthe following areas:

(a) Development of its early warning system, in-cluding the Situation Room of the Conflict Manage-ment Directorate;

(b) Training of civilian and military personnel, in-cluding a staff exchange programme;

(c) Regular and continued exchange and coordina-tion of information, including between the early warn-ing systems of the two organizations;

(d) Field missions of the African Union in its vari-ous member States, in particular in the area of commu-nication and other related logistical support;



(e) Capacity-building for peace-building before andafter the termination of hostilities on the continent;

(f) Support for the Peace and Security Council intaking humanitarian action on the continent in accord-ance with the Protocol relating to the Establishment ofthe Peace and Security Council;

8. Urges the United Nations system to examine thepossibilities of assisting the African Union in the fol-lowing areas:

(a) Mobilization of financial resources to supportthe African Union Peace Fund;

(b) Establishment of the Panel of the Wise;(c) Establishment of a military staff committee;(d) Creation of an African standby force;9. Urges the United Nations to encourage donor

countries, in consultation with the African Union, tocontribute to adequate funding, training and logisticalsupport for African countries in their efforts to en-hance their peacekeeping capabilities, with a view toenabling those countries to participate actively inpeacekeeping operations within the framework of theUnited Nations;

10. Also urges the United Nations to contribute,where appropriate, to the enhancement of the capacityof the African Union to deploy peace support missions;

11. Requests the United Nations system to extendfull cooperation and support, as appropriate, to theAfrican Union in the implementation of the Memo-randum of Understanding on Security, Stability, De-velopment and Cooperation in Africa;

12. Requests the agencies of the United Nationssystem working in Africa to include in their pro-grammes at the national, subregional and regional lev-els activities to support African countries in theirefforts to enhance regional economic cooperation andintegration;

13. Stresses the urgent need for the United Nationsand the African Union to develop close cooperationand concrete programmes aimed at addressing theproblems posed by the proliferation of small arms andlight weapons and anti-personnel mines, within theframework of the relevant declarations and resolutionsadopted by the two organizations, including the Planof Action on Landmines, adopted at the First Conti-nental Conference of African Experts on Landmines,held at Kempton Park, South Africa, from 19 to 21 May1997, the Bamako Declaration of 1 December 2000 onan African Common Position on the Illicit Prolifera-tion, Circulation and Trafficking of Small Arms andLight Weapons and the Programme of Action to Pre-vent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in SmallArms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, adoptedby the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Tradein Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects,held in New York from 9 to 20 July 2001;

14. Calls upon the United Nations system to con-tinue to cooperate with the African Union in the cre-ation of its organs and the implementation of the pro-tocols to the Constitutive Act of the African Union andthe Treaty establishing the African Economic Com-munity, to intensify the coordination of regional pro-grammes in Africa to ensure the effective harmoniza-tion of programmes with those of the African regionaland subregional economic organizations and to con-tribute to creating a positive environment for economicdevelopment and investment;

15. Calls upon the United Nations system and theinternational community to support the New Partner-ship for Africa’s Development and the ministerial dec-laration of the high-level segment of the substantivesession of 2001 of the Economic and Social Council,and the enhancement of the capacity of African coun-tries to take advantage of the opportunities offered byglobalization and overcome the challenges it poses, asa means of ensuring sustained economic growth andsustainable development;

16. Calls upon the United Nations system, the Afri-can Union and the international community to inten-sify their cooperation in the global fight against terror-ism through the implementation of the relevantinternational and regional treaties, protocols andother instruments on combating terrorism, noting inthis regard the Plan of Action adopted in Algiers on14 September 2002;

17. Encourages the United Nations system to effec-tively support the efforts of the African Union in urg-ing the international community to duly implementthe Doha Development Agenda, including negotia-tions aimed at substantial improvements in market ac-cess to promote sustainable growth in Africa;

18. Urges the United Nations system to increase itssupport for Africa in the implementation of the decla-ration of the extraordinary summit meeting of the As-sembly of Heads of State and Government of the Or-ganization of African Unity on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosisand other related infectious diseases, and the Declara-tion of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, so as to arrest thespread of these diseases, inter alia, through soundcapacity-building in human resources;

19. Calls upon the United Nations system to imple-ment the Plan of Action contained in the document en-titled “A world fit for children”, adopted at the specialsession of the General Assembly on children, and toprovide assistance, as appropriate, to the AfricanUnion and its member States in this regard;

20. Calls upon the United Nations system and otherdevelopment partners to provide assistance, as appro-priate, to the African Union and African Governmentsin the fight against the scourge of illicit drug traffick-ing and drug abuse;

21. Calls upon the United Nations system and theAfrican Union to develop a coherent and effectivestrategy, including through joint programmes and ac-tivities, for the promotion and protection of humanrights in Africa, within the framework of the imple-mentation of regional and international treaties, reso-lutions and plans of action adopted by the two organi-zations;

22. Welcomes the adoption by the States members ofthe African Union of the protocol establishing an Afri-can Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights to comple-ment the African Commission on Human and Peoples’Rights, and encourages the finalization of the processleading to the establishment of the Court;

23. Calls upon all Member States and regional andinternational organizations, in particular those of theUnited Nations system, as well as non-governmentalorganizations, to provide additional assistance, as ap-propriate, to the African Union and those Govern-ments in Africa concerned with the problems of refu-gees, returnees and displaced persons;

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24. Urges the United Nations system to speedily im-plement resolution 56/135 of 19 December 2001, on as-sistance to refugees, returnees and displaced personsin Africa, and to effectively support African countriesin their efforts to incorporate the problems of refugeesinto national and regional development plans;

25. Also urges the United Nations system to work to-wards ensuring the effective and equitable representa-tion of African men and women at senior and policylevels at the respective headquarters of its organiza-tions and in their regional fields of operation;

26. Requests the United Nations system to co-operate with the African Union and its member Statesin the implementation of appropriate policies for thepromotion of the culture of democracy, good govern-ance, respect for human rights and the rule of law, andthe strengthening of democratic institutions which

will enhance the popular participation of the peoplesof the continent in these issues, in accordance with thepurposes and principles of the Constitutive Act of theAfrican Union and the New Partnership for Africa’sDevelopment;

27. Calls upon the United Nations system and in-vites the Bretton Woods institutions to support, withintheir respective mandates, and where necessary andpossible to assist in the establishment of appropriateinstitutional structures of the African Union, includ-ing the Pan-African Parliament, the Court of Justice,the Economic, Social and Cultural Council and the Fi-nancial Institutions;

28. Requests the Secretary-General to report to theGeneral Assembly at its fifty-ninth session on the im-plementation of the present resolution.



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