UNITED NATIONS OBSERVER MISSION IN LIBERIA

HEADQUARTERS: Monrovia

DURATION: September 1993 to present

AUTHORIZED STRENGTH: 303 military observers, 20 military medical personnel, 45 military engineers, 58 United Nations Volunteers, 89 international civilian and 136 local civilian staff

SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL: Mr. Trevor Livingston Gordon- Somers (Jamaica)1/

CHIEF MILITARY OBSERVER: Major-General Daniel Ishmael Opande (Kenya)

BACKGROUND

The United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) is the first United Nations peace-keeping mission undertaken in cooperation with a peace-keeping operation already set up by another organization. Established in September 1993 by the Security Council, UNOMIL works with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)2/, a subregional organization, in assisting the Liberians to establish peace in the country.

The civil war in Liberia broke out in 1990, when the government headed by President Samuel Doe was overthrown, causing a complete breakdown of law and order in the country. The war claimed the lives of between 100,000 and 150,000 civilians, and displaced scores of others both internally and beyond the borders, resulting in some 700,000 refugees in the neighbouring countries. Liberia was divided, with the Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU), headed by President Amos Sawyer, administering Monrovia, the country's capital, and its environs; the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), led by Mr. Charles Taylor, controlling the majority of the country; and the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO), led by Mr. Alhaji Kromah, having taken control of the remaining areas.

Since the outset of the conflict, ECOWAS has taken various initiatives aimed at a peaceful settlement. These included creating a Military Observer Group (ECOMOG) in August 1990, and mediating a series of agreements which became the basis for the peace plan of November 1990. On 30 October 1991, ECOWAS brokered the Yamoussoukro IV Accord which outlined steps to implement the peace plan, including the encampment and disarmament of warring factions under the supervision of an expanded ECOMOG, as well as the establishment of transitional institutions to carry out free and fair elections.

The United Nations, from the beginning of the conflict, has supported the efforts of the ECOWAS member States. In addition, it has provided humanitarian assistance to the affected areas through coordinated activities of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The United Nations Special Coordinator's Office (UNSCOL) opened in December 1990; its operation, initially focusing on the desperate situation in the Monrovia area, was expanded in 1991 to respond to the needs of Liberians throughout the country. Regional arrangements were also made to assist those who fled to the neighbouring countries, mainly Guinea, C"te d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone.

UNITED NATIONS ACTIONS ON LIBERIA

The Security Council first took up the question of Liberia on 22 January 1991, when the President of the Council made a statement commending the efforts of the heads of State of ECOWAS and called upon the parties to the conflict to respect the cease-fire agreement. On 7 May 1992, the Council again commended ECOWAS and indicated that the Yamoussoukro IV Accord offered the best possible framework for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Liberia.

On 19 November 1992, the Security Council, by adopting resolution 788 (1992), imposed a general and complete embargo on all deliveries of weapons and military equipment to Liberia - except for those destined for the sole use of the peace-keeping forces of ECOWAS. The Council also called on the Member States of the United Nations to exert self-restraint in their relations with all parties to the conflict in Liberia, and to refrain from taking any action that would be inimical to the peace process. Further, it requested the Secretary-General to dispatch urgently a special representative to Liberia who would evaluate the situation and make recommendations as soon as possible.

On 20 November 1992, the Secretary-General appointed Mr. Trevor Livingston Gordon-Somers, a national of Jamaica, as his Special Representative for Liberia. Following his appointment, the Special Representative visited Liberia as well as Benin, Burkina Faso, C"te d'Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone.

On 12 March 1993, the Secretary-General reported to the Security Council that the discussions his Special Representative had held with the parties concerned, including the Executive Secretary and member States of ECOWAS, indicated the existence of general consensus that the United Nations should assume a larger role in the search for peace in Liberia. Reaffirming his commitment to a "systematic cooperation between the United Nations and a regional organization, as envisaged in Chapter VIII of the Charter" and stating his intention to continue working with ECOWAS in the peace process, the Secretary-General outlined three areas in which the United Nations could play a role in Liberia: political reconciliation, humanitarian assistance and electoral assistance.

Further, the Secretary-General proposed that ECOWAS convene a meeting at the summit level where the President of the Interim Government and the warring factions in Liberia would conclude and sign an agreement, reaffirming their commitment to promptly implementing the peace process as envisaged in the Yamoussoukro IV Accord.

On 26 March, the Security Council, by resolution 813 (1993), requested the Secretary-General to consider the possibility of convening a meeting of the Liberian parties to reaffirm their commitment to the implementation of the Yamoussoukro IV Accord, and also to discuss with ECOWAS and the parties concerned the contribution which the United Nations could make in support of the Yamoussoukro IV Accord, including the deployment of United Nations observers.

MASSACRE OF CIVILIANS

On the morning of 6 June 1993, nearly 600 Liberians, mainly displaced men, women, children and the elderly, were killed in an armed attack near Harbel, Liberia. In response, the Security Council strongly condemned the killings and warned that those responsible would be held accountable for the serious violations of international humanitarian law, and requested the Secretary-General to commence immediately an investigation into the massacre.

After a preliminary investigation by his Special Representative, the Secretary-General, on 7 August, appointed a Panel of Inquiry composed of Mr. Amos Wako of Kenya as Chairman, and Mr. Robert Gersony of the United States and Mr. Mahmoud Kassem of Egypt as members, to undertake a more comprehensive investigation. In a report dated 10 September 1993, the Panel concluded that the killings were planned and executed by units of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) and that NPFL, to which the act of violence had initially been attributed, had no role in it. The Panel named three AFL soldiers who had participated in the massacre, and recommended that criminal investigations be undertaken with a view to prosecuting them. The Panel added, however, that this finding did not mitigate or diminish the responsibility of NPFL, ULIMO and others alleged to have engaged in similar atrocities against unarmed, innocent civilians throughout the conflict. It further recommended investigations into a number of major atrocities attributed to all parties to the Liberian conflict.

PEACE ACCORD IS REACHED

On 25 July 1993, after a three-day meeting held in Cotonou, Benin, under the co-chairmanship of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, President Canaan Banana of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and Mr. Abass Bundu, Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, the parties to the conflict in Liberia signed the Cotonou Peace Agreement. The Agreement laid out a continuum of action, from the cease-fire through disarmament and demobilization to the holding of national elections.

On military aspects, the Agreement provided for a cease-fire to take effect on 1 August 1993, and outlined steps for the encampment, disarmament and demobilization of military units. To ensure against any violation of the cease-fire between 1 August and the arrival of the additional ECOMOG troops as well as the main body of a United Nations observer contingent, the parties agreed to establish a Joint Cease-fire Monitoring Committee, comprising representatives of the three Liberian sides, ECOMOG and the United Nations. For that period, the United Nations was asked to consider dispatching 30 advance military observers to participate in the work of the Committee.

On the political side, the parties reaffirmed the Yamoussoukro IV Accord. They agreed that there should be a single Liberian National Transitional Government which would have three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The Agreement also provided for general and presidential elections to take place within seven months from the signing of the Agreement, and set out the modalities for the elections to be supervised by a reconstituted Electoral Commission.

On humanitarian issues, the parties agreed that every effort should be made to deliver humanitarian assistance throughout Liberia using the most direct routes, and under inspection to ensure compliance with the embargo provisions of the Agreement. The United Nations, in particular the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), was requested to facilitate the speedy return of refugees and their reintegration into their communities.

In his 4 August 1993 report to the Security Council, the Secretary-General, while recognizing the difficulties ahead, welcomed the Agreement as offering the "hope that the violent and destructive civil war which has afflicted Liberia may at long last be brought to an end." On 10 August, the Security Council, by resolution 856 (1993), authorized the Secretary-General to dispatch an advance team of 30 United Nations military observers to Liberia.

UNOMIL IS ESTABLISHED

On 22 September 1993, the Security Council, by resolution 866 (1993), established the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) for an initial period of seven months. UNOMIL was to work with ECOMOG in the implementation of the Cotonou Peace Agreement.

STRUCTURE OF UNOMIL

As in the case of all United Nations peace-keeping operations, UNOMIL is under the command of the United Nations, vested in the Secretary-General under the authority of the Security Council. It is led in the field by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and is composed of military and civilian components. Command of the military component is entrusted to the Chief Military Observer reporting to the Secretary-General through the Special Representative.

The civilian component includes humanitarian assistance and electoral assistance, as well as the necessary political and administrative staff. The deployment plan calls for the Mission to operate out of its headquarters in Monrovia, as well as four regional headquarters, co-located with ECOMOG's four sector headquarters, in the eastern, northern and western regions and Greater Monrovia.

RELATIONSHIP WITH ECOMOG

UNOMIL and ECOMOG work closely together in facilitating the implementation of the military aspects of the Cotonou Peace Agreement. In accordance with the Agreement, ECOMOG has primary responsibility for ensuring the implementation of the Agreement's provisions, and UNOMIL's role is to monitor the implementation procedures in order to verify their impartial application. While UNOMIL and ECOMOG have separate chains of command, the missions consult formally, through the established committees, as well as informally, on matters affecting them both.

Under Security Council resolution 866 (1993), UNOMIL's mandate includes, in addition to military aspects, assistance in the coordination of humanitarian activities, observation and verification of elections, and reporting on any major violations of humanitarian law. UNOMIL keeps ECOMOG informed, as necessary, of the activities it undertakes in pursuance of these aspects of its mandate.

Citing that the cooperation of ECOMOG was critical to UNOMIL's success, the Secretary-General warned that the failure to deploy additional ECOMOG troops or their premature withdrawal would gravely jeopardize the peace process. "In such an event," he declared, "I shall immediately bring the situation to the attention of the Security Council; depending on the prevalent circumstances, I might be obliged to recommend the withdrawal of UNOMIL." The Secretary-General, in his 9 September 1993 report to the Security Council, announced his intention to conclude with ECOWAS a formal agreement defining the relationship between UNOMIL and ECOMOG. Such an agreement was concluded in November 1993.

UNOMIL MILITARY COMPONENT

The military component of UNOMIL is to monitor and verify compliance with the cease-fire, the embargo on delivery of arms and military equipment, as well as the cantonment, disarmament and demobilization of combatants.

As a way of providing ECOMOG with sufficient means to ensure the implementation of the Agreement, and with the support of the Security Council, the Secretary-General established a trust fund, under the auspices of the United Nations, that can be utilized to enable African countries to send reinforcements to ECOMOG, to provide necessary assistance to countries already participating in ECOMOG, and for humanitarian assistance, elections and demobilization.

UNOMIL CIVILIAN COMPONENT

The civilian component is to include political, humanitarian, and electoral personnel. The humanitarian assistance element works closely with UNDP, the United Nations specialized agencies and non- governmental organizations (NGOs) in assisting in the coordination of relief activities and facilitating the return of refugees, the resettlement of displaced persons and the reintegration of ex-combatants.

The electoral assistance element will observe and verify the entire election process, from the registration of voters until the voting itself. The work is to be carried out by 13 Professionals, 40 United Nations Volunteers and necessary support staff. The Liberian National Transitional Government, through the Liberian Elections Commission consisting of representatives of the three Liberian parties, is to be responsible for organizing and holding elections, which were originally scheduled for February/March 1994. Several potential bottlenecks to the holding of elections were foreseen, including operationalizing the Electoral Commission, repatriating refugees, settling internally displaced population, and completing demobilization. Expressing concern over whether the electoral process could be completed in time, the Secretary-General, in his September 1993 report to the Security Council, called on the Liberian parties to cooperate fully with ECOMOG and UNOMIL, and to work together in a spirit of national reconciliation. "Only under these conditions," he added, "will it be possible to hold the elections on schedule in February/March 1994, and to enable the people of Liberia to begin the arduous task of rebuilding their ravaged country and to look forward to a future of peace, stability and well-being."

DELAYS IN IMPLEMENTATION

In establishing UNOMIL the Security Council stipulated that the mission would continue beyond 16 December 1993 only upon a review by the Council based on a report from the Secretary-General on whether or not substantive progress had been made towards the implementation of the Peace Agreement and other measures at establishing a lasting peace.

The Secretary-General reported to the Council on 13 December 1993. He noted that on 17 August 1993, following consultations between the Liberian parties, the five members of the Council of State had been selected. The swearing in of the Council, however, did not take place as it was awaiting the beginning of disarmament, the start of which, in accordance with the Cotonou Agreement, was dependent on the expansion of ECOMOG and the parties providing necessary information on the number and location of their combatants, weapons and mines.

The Chairman of ECOWAS, President Nic,phore Dieudonn, Soglo of Benin, arranged for consultations among the parties at a meeting in Cotonou from 3 to 5 November 1993. At this meeting the parties agreed on the distribution between them of 13 of a total of 17 cabinet posts. The distribution of the remaining 4 ministerial portfolios, as well as other issues related to the installation of the Transitional Government would await further talks. The parties also reached agreement on the composition of the Elections Commission, on the Speaker of the Legislature and the members of the Supreme Court.

As to the deployment of UNOMIL, the Secretary-General reported that following the adoption of Security Council resolution 856 (1993) on 10 August 1993, the advance party of military observers began arriving in Liberia. The Chief Military Observer arrived in the country on 10 October 1993 and by mid-December there were 166 UNOMIL military observers. UNOMIL was fully deployed by the end of December.

In accordance with the Peace Agreement, a Joint Cease-fire Monitoring Committee, composed of representatives of the Liberian parties and ECOMOG and chaired by the United Nations, was established. Its function was to monitor, investigate and report all cease-fire violations between the period of its coming into force on 1 August 1993 and the arrival of the additional ECOMOG troops and the full contingent of UNOMIL. In addition to regular patrolling and cease-fire monitoring through the Joint Committee, UNOMIL military observers were conducting reconnaissance missions in cooperation with ECOMOG in many areas of the country in preparation for their deployment to these areas and in preparation for disarmament and demobilization.

Throughout the negotiations leading to the Cotonou Agreement in July 1993, the expansion of ECOMOG was viewed as a crucial prerequisite for progress towards a lasting peace in Liberia. On 30 September 1993, the United States pledged $19.83 million to the Trust Fund, exclusively to meet the cost of deployment, equipment and maintenance needs of the expanded ECOMOG troops. On the basis of consultations with potential troop contributing countries and discussions with ECOMOG, and in accordance with the terms of reference of the Trust Fund, a budget estimate covering the requirements of the expanded ECOMOG battalions was developed.

The Secretary-General informed the Security Council that planning and preparation for disarmament and demobilization which had been undertaken by UNOMIL in consultation with the Liberian parties, ECOMOG, United Nations specialized agencies and non-governmental organizations, was well under way. In accordance with the Peace Agreement, the commencement of actual disarmament was linked to the expansion of ECOMOG which had been delayed. The Secretary-General hoped that the additional ECOMOG troops would soon be deployed to Liberia, thus enabling the disarmament and demobilization to start immediately.

On the question of general and presidential elections, the Secretary-General reported that the United Nations and the International Foundation for Election System had undertaken a joint mission to Liberia in October 1993 to assess the requirements for holding elections and to evaluate the probability of maintaining the timetable set out in the Peace Agreement. The mission concluded that this timetable, which provided for holding elections in February/March 1994, was optimistic but that elections could possibly be held in May 1994, on the assumption that disarmament and demobilization, installation of the Transitional Government and unification of the country were achieved "expeditiously".

In concluding his 13 December 1993 report, the Secretary-General noted that from the beginning of the peace process in Liberia, all parties had been aware that the timetable, which called for disarmament to begin within 30 days of signature of the Agreement, concomitant with the establishment of the Transitional Government, was "highly ambitious, especially given the complexities in establishing the joint UNOMIL/ECOMOG peace-keeping mission, including the deployment of additional ECOMOG troops". In spite of delays in the implementation of the Agreement, there were no major violations of the cease-fire and the Liberian parties displayed a willingness to move the peace process forward. The Secretary-General recommended that the Security Council agree that UNOMIL should continue to implement the mandate entrusted to it under resolution 866 (1993). However, he indicated that it was unlikely that the original timetable for elections would be met.

In a letter dated 16 December 1993 from the President of the Security Council to the Secretary-General, the members of the Council took note of the Secretary-General's report and informed him that they shared his expectation that, despite the unavoidable delays, disarmament would begin presently, the Transitional Government would soon be installed and the elections would be held in the first half of 1994. The Council looked forward to the Secretary-General's next report on or before 16 February 1994.

INTER-AGENCY APPEAL

On 16 December 1993, the United Nations launched a Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for $284 million for emergency humanitarian assistance to Liberia covering a broad spectrum of activities to facilitate Liberia's transition from a war-torn nation to a peaceful and democratic State. United Nations agencies had identified priority needs, amounting to $96.41 million through the first quarter of 1994. The total appeal for $284 million was for 13 months, through December 1994.3/

In the Appeal, WFP had estimated that 65,000 tons of food would be needed to meet emergency requirements through March 1994 at a cost of approximately $34 million. This covered a beneficiary population of 1.5 million in Liberia. For health and medical care, WHO would require some $6.4 million. UNICEF had identified priority programmes costing $17 million. UNHCR had made an appeal for over $60 million for the voluntary repatriation of some 700,000 Liberian refugees. FAO would need $8.8 million and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlement would require $3.5 million.

DIFFICULTIES REMAIN

In December 1993, the Liberian parties resumed their talks on the composition of the Transitional Government. After two weeks of intense negotiations, however, they failed to reach agreement on the disposition of the four remaining ministerial portfolios, i.e. Defence, Foreign Affairs, Justice and Finance. They were also unable to agree on the date for the seating of the Transitional Government and for the beginning of encampment, disarmament and demobilization of combatants.

UNOMIL attained its total authorized strength in early January 1994 and began deployment of its military observers throughout Liberia. As to the expansion of ECOMOG, the battalions from the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda arrived in Monrovia on 8 January and 28 January 1994 respectively and started preparations for deployment to the northern and eastern regions of the country.

In a letter dated 18 January 1994, the President of the Security Council expressed the concern of the Council that the Transitional Government had not yet been installed, disarmament had not yet commenced, the implementation of the Cotonou Agreement was thus being delayed and efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance to all parts of the country had met with difficulties. He further noted that the continued support of the international community for the efforts of UNOMIL would depend on the full and prompt implementation by the parties of the Agreement.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative held bilateral consultations with each of the three Liberian parties and relayed to them the message of the Security Council, namely that the Council expected to see tangible progress in the peace process. The parties reiterated their willingness to cooperate in the effective implementation of the Peace Agreement.

Following the arrival of the additional battalions, consultations with ECOMOG and the parties on the date for disarmament intensified. Ten encampment sites were identified, two for the Armed Forces of Liberia, four for NPFL/NPRAG and another four for ULIMO. The parties agreed that the disarmament of their forces would commence simultaneously and was likely to continue over a two-to-three-month period. At the same time, UNOMIL had developed a plan for the demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants into civilian society, covering the continuum from military disarmament to reintegration into civilian society and involving the coordination of activities to be implemented by United Nations agencies and non- governmental organizations.

In his report to the Security Council on 14 February 1994, the Secretary-General stated that the impasse in the implementation of the Cotonou Agreement had resulted from differing views among the parties on the date for the installation of the Transitional Government and the commencement of disarmament. He believed, however, that the remaining outstanding issues impeding the implementation were not insurmountable. The Secretary-General therefore urged the Liberian parties to make a renewed and determined effort to reach consensus and cooperate in good faith with UNOMIL and ECOMOG. He also urged the international community to contribute the necessary logistical and financial resources to both the existing and expanded ECOMOG troops in order to enable it to meet its obligations under the Cotonou Agreement. In order to enable United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations to provide humanitarian assistance to all areas of the country, the Secretary-General called upon the parties to create the necessary conditions to ensure the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance to all parts of Liberia.

TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT INSTALLED

On 23 February 1994, the Secretary-General reported that the Liberian parties, at a meeting held at Monrovia on 15 February, "reached agreement on most of the outstanding issues which had impeded the commencement of disarmament and the installation of the Transitional Government ... It was also agreed that free and fair elections would be held on 7 September 1994".

Although the question of the disposition of the four remaining Cabinet posts was not resolved at that meeting, the parties agreed that disarmament would commence on 7 March 1994 and that installation of the Transitional Government would take place on the same day.

On 25 February 1994, the Security Council, in a statement by its President, welcomed the agreement and urged the parties to demonstrate maximum flexibility and spare no effort to resolve quickly their differences on the disposition of the Cabinet posts. Having expressed concern at the delays in implementing the commitments entered into by the parties under the Cotonou Agreement, the Council said that the support of the international community would not continue in the absence of tangible progress towards full and prompt implementation of the Agreement, in particular, the revised timetable.

On 8 March 1994, the Permanent Representative of Liberia to the United Nations informed the Secretary- General that the Council of State of the Transitional Government had been installed in Monrovia on 7 March 1994. Three demobilization centres were opened on the same day. On 11 March, the Transitional Legislative Assembly was inducted into office, with ULIMO being given the responsibility for naming the Speaker of the Assembly. The Supreme Court of Liberia opened for the 1994 term on 14 March.

In his 7 March acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Council of the State confirmed that the holding of elections on 7 September 1994 was a foremost concern of the Transitional Government. The Elections Commission had intensified its organizational work in order to finalize a calendar of activities leading up to the elections and submitted a draft electoral budget to the Council of State for its consideration. It estimated that $13.7 million would be required for the electoral process, of which the Transitional Government would attempt to provide some $8.5 million and would seek international support for the remaining $5.2 million.

DEPLOYMENT OF UNOMIL AND ECOMOG

Meanwhile, UNOMIL proceeded with deployment throughout the country. By April 1994, the Mission had deployed its military observers in 27 team sites out of a total of 39 projected sites. Four regional headquarters were established at Monrovia (central region), Tubmanburg (western region), Gbarnga (northern region) and Tapeta (eastern region). The military observers were engaged in the patrolling of border crossings and other entry points, observation and verification of disarmament and demobilization and the investigation of cease-fire violations.

ECOMOG deployed into the western (Tubmanburg) and northern (Gbarnga) regions. Deployment of both UNOMIL and ECOMOG in Upper Lofa was impeded by insecurity in the area. Likewise, deployment in the south-east was curtailed by the activities of the Liberian Peace Council (LPC), which emerged in the south- eastern part of Liberia after the Cotonou Agreement was signed in July 1993. UNOMIL and ECOMOG were engaged in consultations with ULIMO and with the NPFL and LPC in order to reach agreement on further deployment in the western and south-eastern regions.

Three demobilization centres, one for each of the warring parties, were opened on 7 March 1994. It was reported that the total number of combatants of all factions was approximately 60,000 soldiers. In the first month of disarmament, more than 2,000 combatants, from all parties, were disarmed and demobilized. Owing to political difficulties, however, disarmament was slower than anticipated. Assuming the full cooperation of the parties, it was estimated that disarmament could be completed in two months.

Following the deployment of UNOMIL and ECOMOG, the Joint Cease-fire Monitoring Committee was replaced by a Violations Committee, chaired by the UNOMIL Chief Military Observer. The Committee is the body through which UNOMIL and ECOMOG address issues of cease-fire violations with the parties.

EXTENSION OF MANDATE RECOMMENDED

In his 18 April 1994 progress report to the Security Council, the Secretary-General noted that the Liberian parties had achieved progress in their search for peace with the installation of the Council of State and the start of disarmament, and the agreement to hold free and fair elections on 7 September 1994.

However, a number of obstacles impeding the implementation of the Cotonou Agreement still existed, including the disposition of the four remaining Cabinet posts, the question of allocation of posts to head the public corporations and autonomous agencies, continued military conflict involving various parties, and the slow pace of the disarmament and demobilization process. A number of issues in the electoral process must also be addressed, including voter education, the repatriation of refugees and displaced persons and the mobilization of resources required for the elections.

The Secretary-General urged the parties to make concerted efforts and to cooperate with one another in order to overcome the remaining impediments to the full installation of the Transitional Government. At the same time, taking into account the progress made thus far in the implementation of the Cotonou Agreement, he recommended that the Security Council extend the mandate of UNOMIL for a further period of six months, which would include the elections scheduled for September 1994. Provision must also be made for the liquidation phase of the Mission, which would end by 31 December 1994. The Secretary-General stated, however, that if the disposition of the four remaining ministries was not resolved within two weeks, and if there was no further progress in the peace process within this period, he would request the Council to review the mandate of UNOMIL.

MANDATE EXTENDED

The Security Council met to consider the Secretary-General's progress report on 21 April 1994. At the meeting, the representative of Liberia informed the Council that on 19 April 1994 the Ministers of Defence, Finance and Justice had been designated and that the Minister for Foreign Affairs would be appointed soon.

By its resolution 911 (1994), the Council extended the mandate of UNOMIL until 22 October 1994, on the understanding that it would review by 18 May 1994 the situation in Liberia and UNOMIL's role there. That review would be based on whether the Transitional Government had been fully installed, and whether there had been substantial progress in implementing the peace process. The Council decided to conduct a further review by 30 June 1994. That review would focus on the effective operation of the Transitional Government, progress in disarmament and demobilization, and preparations for the holding of elections on 7 September.

The Security Council called on the Liberian parties to give urgent priority to the complete installation, by 18 May 1994, of the Transitional Government, especially the seating of the full Cabinet and the Transitional National Assembly, so that a unified civil administration of the country could be established and appropriate arrangements completed for national elections to be held on 7 September.

By other terms of the resolution, the Council urged the parties to cease hostilities immediately and cooperate with ECOMOG to complete the disarmament process. It also encouraged Member States to contribute to the Trust Fund for the Implementation of the Cotonou Agreement or to provide other assistance to facilitate the work of ECOMOG, and to assist in humanitarian, development and electoral assistance. The Council called once again on the Liberian parties to cooperate fully in the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance to all parts of the country in accordance with the Cotonou Peace Agreement.

CONTINUED FIGHTING

On 18 May, the Secretary-General reported to the Security Council that the Council of State of the Liberian Transitional Government had been fully installed, and that the Ministers for Justice, Defence and Finance had been confirmed by the Transitional Legislative Assembly on 20 April, with the newly appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs scheduled to be formally inducted on 19 May.

At the same time, the Secretary-General noted that a dispute had arisen within the leadership of ULIMO, along ethnic lines, between Chairman Alhaji Kromah (Mandingo) and General Roosevelt Johnson (Krahn) over ULIMO nominees to the Council of State. The dispute had resulted in an outbreak of fighting in the western region among the ULIMO forces. He also pointed to fighting that had erupted in the eastern part of Liberia between NPFL and LPC, and to the efforts of the Transitional Government, UNOMIL and ECOMOG to bring about a cease-fire between the two groups and to bring LPC into the disarmament and demobilization process.

On 23 May, the Security Council, in a Presidential statement, called upon the parties to resolve their differences within the forum of the Transitional Government and the Cotonou Agreement, to end any hostilities and to accelerate the pace of disarmament. The Council reminded the parties of the importance it attached to the holding of elections on 7 September 1994 and reaffirmed its intention to review the situation in Liberia before 30 June.

SECRETARY-GENERAL REVIEWS SITUATION

The Secretary-General submitted his next report to the Security Council on 24 June. He stated that the continuing fighting within and between the parties constituted one of the most serious obstacles in the way of the peace process. Mediation efforts to resolve the dispute within ULIMO resulted, on 6 May, in a cease- fire and an agreement for further negotiations. However, the negotiations collapsed and serious fighting resumed on 26 May. In the eastern part of Liberia, attacks by LPC against NPFL also continued. All attempts to negotiate the end of hostilities were unsuccessful.

Moreover, the Secretary-General continued, the parties' mistrust for one another had, in the case of some parties, extended to ECOMOG. Soldiers of the Nigerian and Ugandan contingents were abducted and held for varying lengths of time by Mandingo elements of ULIMO and LPC, both of which claiming that ECOMOG had lost its impartiality and became involved in the conflict. NPFL also asserted complicity between some elements of ECOMOG and AFL in supplying material and logistical support to LPC. All these assertions added complexity to ECOMOG's performance of its peace-keeping role.

As a result of mistrust and hostilities between and within some factions, and despite the efforts of ECOMOG and UNOMIL, the parties had refused to engage actively in the disarmament of their combatants or to give up control of territory; three months after the start of demobilization, a total of only 3,192 combatants had been demobilized (ULIMO, 739; NPFL, 731; AFL, 685). Insecurity in some areas of the country had also impeded full deployment of ECOMOG and UNOMIL throughout Liberia.

As to the humanitarian situation, the Secretary-General reported that of an estimated 1.5 million people in need, approximately 1.1 million were receiving humanitarian assistance. Approximately 400,000 people were inaccessible because of factional fighting. Of the total number of beneficiaries, 800,000 were registered as displaced, of whom 150,000 had been displaced within the last six months. For 1994, 70 per cent of the estimated food needs had been mobilized by the international relief community.

Organized voluntary repatriation of the 700,000 Liberian refugees had also been affected by the slow pace in the peace process. However, UNHCR continued to facilitate the spontaneous repatriation. An average of 1,000 persons were returning every month from Guinea, C"te d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone.

In concluding the report, the Secretary-General reiterated that the basis for the establishment and maintenance of lasting peace and stability in Liberia was the faithful implementation of the Cotonou Agreement. He continued to believe that UNOMIL's mandate was relevant to the implementation of the Cotonou Agreement and to assisting the Liberian National Transitional Government and the Liberian people to achieve national reconciliation.

The Secretary-General stated it was imperative that all the Liberian parties extend greater cooperation to ECOMOG and UNOMIL in order to move the peace process forward. It was also essential that the Transitional Government bring all the parties together to agree on specific steps that must be taken to ensure that the elections were held on schedule. Should the parties fail to maintain their commitment to the peace process, the Secretary-General warned, he would have no alternative but to recommend to the Security Council that the involvement of the United Nations in Liberia be reconsidered.

On 13 July, the Security Council, in a Presidential statement, noted with concern that preparations for national elections were hampered by the continued fighting and the consequent virtual halt of the disarmament process. The Council called on the Liberian National Transitional Government, in cooperation with ECOWAS and OAU with the support of UNOMIL, to convene a meeting of the Liberian factions not later than 31 July in order to agree on a realistic plan for resumption of disarmament and to set a target date for its completion. The Council also requested the Secretary-General to report by 2 September on the results of such a disarmament meeting.

FACT-FINDING MISSION DISPATCHED

In his 26 August report to the Security Council, the Secretary-General stated that the Transitional Government had not yet been able to organize the disarmament meeting for which the Council had set a deadline of 31 July. At the same time, he reported that the situation in Liberia had further seriously deteriorated. The Council of State remained ineffective. Fighting continued between the Krahn and Mandingo elements of ULIMO in the west of the country, and between LPC and the NPFL in the south- east. There were also signs of a split within the NPFL hierarchy. All factions were experiencing command and control problems resulting in an increase in banditry and harassment of civilians, including NGOs and unarmed United Nations military observers. Disarmament had virtually ceased and there was no clear prospect as to when elections would or could be held. Population displacement from the counties in the south-east and west continued to grow with every new wave of fighting and with each report of atrocities against civilians. ECOMOG was still not fully deployed and UNOMIL had withdrawn from the western region because of the security problems. The Secretary-General informed the Council that he had decided to dispatch to Liberia a fact-finding mission which was to review the situation in the country and advise him on the most appropriate course of action. On the basis of the mission's report, the Secretary-General would submit to the Council his recommendations with regard to the future United Nations role in Liberia.

The mission, headed by Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy, visited the area from 16 to 26 August. The mission's findings and recommendations were conveyed to the Security Council in the Secretary-General's report dated 14 October 1994.

FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS

In that report, the Secretary-General also described several significant events that took place after the Special Envoy left Liberia, including the Akosombo Agreement, the Liberian National Conference and the attempted coup against the Transitional Government on 15 September.

Akosombo Agreement.

On 7 September, the Chairman of ECOWAS, President Jerry Rawlings of Ghana, convened a meeting of the leaders of the warring factions at Akosombo, Ghana. The meeting was attended by the NPFL, both wings of ULIMO and AFL. LPC and the Lofa Defence Force (LDF) - the second faction which emerged in Liberia after the signing of the Cotonou Agreement - declined to attend the meeting. Representatives of the Liberian National Transitional Government, OAU and the United Nations were present as facilitators. The meeting culminated in the signing, on 12 September, of a supplementary agreement to the Cotonou Agreement.

The Agreement reaffirmed the Cotonou Agreement as the only framework for peace in Liberia and sought to strengthen the role of the Liberian National Transitional Government in governing the country during the transitional period giving it a more central role in the supervision and monitoring of the implementation of the Cotonou Agreement. The Agreement permitted the factions to review the status of their appointees to the Council of State. Also, participation in the Transitional Legislative Assembly would be broadened by adding 13 representatives from the various counties.

In regard to military aspects, the Akosombo Agreement called for an immediate cease-fire and provided more details concerning its implementation, the disengagement of forces and the responsibilities of the factions with regard to assembly and disarmament of combatants. The Agreement foresaw that if disarmament and demobilization took place according to the agreed timetable, general elections could be held by October 1995.

The Agreement also further outlined the peace enforcement powers of ECOMOG, and, in doing so, provided a more central role to the Liberian National Transitional Government.

Soon after its signing, however, the Akosombo Agreement became engulfed in controversy and there has been no movement towards its implementation.

Liberian National Conference.

The Conference, organized at the initiative of private citizens, convened on 24 August to deliberate on the many aspects of the peace process. After extended sessions, lasting until 3 October, the Conference adopted a set of resolutions concerning the peace process and suspended further consultations for a period of two months, after which it planned to reconvene to assess progress made in disarmament and demobilization.

The Conference, like the Akosombo Agreement, reaffirmed the Cotonou Agreement as the only framework for restoring peace in Liberia and sought to enable the Liberian National Transitional Government to play a more central role in its implementation.

The Conference made a number of recommendations regarding disarmament, governance and the electoral process, which converge with the Akosombo Agreement.

The Conference also called for the Transitional Legislative Assembly to be expanded by an additional 13 persons. The most significant point of divergence between the resolutions of the Conference and the Akosombo Agreement is that the Conference called for the retention of the existing members on the Council of State.

With respect to the holding of elections, both the Agreement and the Conference concurred on a similar time-frame, with elections scheduled to take place around October 1995.

Attempted coup.

The attempted coup by a dissident group within AFL came at a time when the Liberian National Transitional Government was seeking to restore the army to its constitutional status. The coup was successfully foiled by ECOMOG's decisive action.

SITUATION ON THE GROUND

Analysing the situation on the ground, the Secretary-General in his 14 October report to the Security Council stated that the military situation in Liberia remained confused, with groups aligning and realigning themselves depending on their short-term interests and the breakdown of command and control within factions. The situation was reaching the point where warlords, without any particular political agenda but with control of a certain number of soldiers, were seeking territory for the sake of adding to their own claim to power. The results were not large military victories, but deaths mostly of civilians, the decimation of entire villages and the breakdown of any semblance of law and order.

The Secretary-General further reported that the recent factional fighting had resulted in some 200,000 persons being uprooted from their places of temporary or permanent residence. Because of insecurity, international and local relief organizations located in Liberia had not been able to deal with the growing tragedy inside the country; it had been made impossible for the movement of relief supplies, including across the border from C"te d'Ivoire, leaving thousands without access to the assistance. As a result, almost all international humanitarian assistance operations ceased, except at Buchanan and Monrovia.

As to UNOMIL, the continued fighting significantly limited the ability of the Mission to perform its functions. Moreover, on a number of occasions, unarmed United Nations military observers were themselves the target of harassment and violence. On 9 September, NPFL elements detained 43 UNOMIL observers and 6 NGO personnel at nine sites in the northern and eastern regions, confiscating their transport, communications and most other equipment. UNOMIL immediately undertook round-the-clock contacts with faction representatives, NPFL interlocutors, neighbouring countries and ECOMOG in order to secure the release of those detained. By 18 September, all military observers and NGO personnel had been released. Some of them, however, had been mistreated, beaten and terrorized by those who had detained them.

The Secretary-General informed the Security Council that given the breakdown in the cease-fire and the fact that ECOMOG could not provide security for UNOMIL observers, UNOMIL was unable to carry out many of its mandated activities. As a result, all UNOMIL team sites were evacuated except for those in the Monrovia area. It was also decided to reduce, as a temporary measure, the personnel of the Mission from its authorized strength of 368 (including engineering and medical elements) to approximately 90 observers. This temporary reduction would be matched by a commensurate reduction in the civilian staff of UNOMIL.

As to ECOMOG, the Secretary-General reported that at a summit of ECOWAS, held at Abuja, Nigeria, on 5 and 6 August, Chairman Jerry Rawlings, President of Ghana, said that he would consider withdrawing his Government's contingent of ECOMOG if there was no progress by the end of 1994. Nigeria had reportedly reduced its presence, and Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania indicated they might withdraw theirs. According to the Secretary-General, the frustration of troop-contributors was based upon both the lack of financial resources for the operation, and on the lack of progress in the peace process.

MANDATE EXTENDED FOR TWO MONTHS

The Secretary-General concluded his 14 October report by saying that "the political, military and humanitarian developments of the past month have left Liberia in a desperate state". The Liberian National Transitional Government, the factions and the people of Liberia needed to focus on political accommodation to stop the country from sliding deeper into chaos.

The Secretary-General informed the Security Council that, in view of the need to consult with ECOWAS on its intentions for ECOMOG and in order to support the mediation efforts by its Chairman, President Jerry Rawlings of Ghana, he decided to dispatch a high-level mission to consult him about the respective roles and responsibilities of ECOMOG and UNOMIL in Liberia. This review would seek to determine how best the international community could continue to assist Liberia in bringing about a cessation of hostilities. The Secretary-General, therefore, recommended that the Council extend the mandate of UNOMIL for a period of two months to allow the high-level mission time to conduct its work and present its conclusions.

On 21 October, the Security Council, by its resolution 950 (1994) extended the mandate of UNOMIL until 13 January 1995. It welcomed the Secretary-General's intention to dispatch a high-level mission to consult with ECOWAS on how the international community could best continue to assist the peace process in Liberia. The Council recognized that circumstances there warranted the Secretary-General's decision to reduce UNOMIL's strength, and stated that any decision to return it to the authorized level would depend on a real improvement in the situation on the ground, particularly the security situation.

The Council called on all factions in Liberia to cease hostilities immediately, and to agree to a timetable for disengagement of forces, disarmament and demobilization. It further called on the Liberian National Transitional Government and all Liberians to seek political accommodation and national reconciliation and to work with the Chairman of ECOWAS and the Secretary-General's Special Representative to achieve a durable settlement.

The Council condemned the widespread killings of civilians and other violations of international humanitarian law by the factions in Liberia. It demanded that they strictly respect the status of ECOMOG and UNOMIL, and of other international organizations and relief agencies working there.

HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

Between 1993 and August 1994, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Liberia had grown from 1.5 million to an estimated 1.8 million. By September, however, due to increased fighting humanitarian assistance and rehabilitation activities were limited to the areas immediately in and around Monrovia and Buchanan.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in the country issued a press statement on 12 November 1994 saying that the crisis had affected more than 700,000 innocent civilians in rural Liberia and 1.2 million residents and displaced persons in Monrovia, its environs and the rest of Monserrado country. The Resident Coordinator noted that continued fighting severely restricted most relief activities, and that the plight of those suffering in rural Liberia could not be significantly eased until minimum conditions of security existed that would permit an orderly resumption of emergency food deliveries.

By the end of November 1994, donors had provided approximately 49 per cent of the $168.4 million in prioritized needs requested in the Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal, covering the period from November 1993 to December 1994.

COMPOSITION OF UNOMIL

The authorized strength of UNOMIL is 303 military observers, 20 military medical personnel and 45 military engineers. As at 30 November 1994, they were provided by the following countries:

COUNTRY, TROOPS, OBSERVERS

• Bangladesh, 8, 9
• China, , 10
• Czech Republic, , 5
• Egypt, , 6
• Guinea Bissau, , 5
• India, , 6
• Jordan, , 8
• Kenya, , 7
• Malaysia, , 7
• Pakistan, , 8
• Uruguay, , 5

Figures may vary from month to month due to rotation. "Troops" include any infantry, logistics, enginering, air, medical, mov-con, staff, etc.

There is also a provision for 89 civilian international personnel, 58 United Nations Volunteers and 136 local staff.

FINANCIAL ASPECTS

The rough cost to the United Nations of UNOMIL in 1994 was approximately $36.4 million. The costs of the operation are met by assessed contributions from United Nations Member States. As at 30 November 1994, contributions outstanding to the UNOMIL Special Account for the period from the inception of the operation amounted to approximately $5.7 million.

With regard to the Trust Fund for the Implementation of the Cotonou Agreement, as at 10 October 1994, voluntary contributions received amounted to $17.8 million, of which disbursements totalling $14.5 million had been authorized.

NOTES

1/Mr. Gordon-Somers is to be succeeded by Mr. Anthony B. Nyakyi, former Permanent Representative of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United Nations, in December 1994. Return to Text

2/ECOWAS membership: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, C"te d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo. Return to Text

3/Following renewed hostilities, this figure was revised down to $168.4 million, to reflect limits on implementation of rehabilitation activities. Return to Text

Note: Data effective 30 November 1994

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