Posted on 09/19/2003 12:36:17 PM PDT by HAL9000
19 September – The United Nations Security Council today unanimously approved the establishment of a new mission for war-shattered Liberia consisting of up to 15,000 military personnel and up to 1,115 civilian police officers, embarking on a new peacekeeping operation in a country that has been torn by 12 years of conflict.The mission - the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) - is for an initial 12 months, and is set to take over authority from the UN-authorized West African-led multinational force currently keeping the peace on 1 October.
UNMIL's mandate includes monitoring implementation of the ceasefire agreed between the government and rebel forces in neighbouring Ghana last month, assisting the disarmament, demobilization, reintegration, and repatriation (DDRR) of all armed parties, providing security at key government installations, in particular ports, airports, and other vital infrastructure, and protecting UN staff, facilities and civilians.
The mission is also to assist in humanitarian and human rights "with particular attention to vulnerable groups including refugees, returning refugees and internally displaced persons, women, children, and demobilized child soldiers," and support security reform, including restructuring the police force and assisting the transitional government in the formation of a new and restructured military.
Other tasks include assisting the transitional government in developing a strategy to consolidate governmental institutions, including a national legal framework and judicial and correctional institutions and restoring proper administration of natural resources - all with a view to holding free and fair elections by October 2005.
The resolution demands that all parties cease hostilities throughout Liberia, fulfil their obligations under the comprehensive peace and ceasefire agreements and cooperate fully in the deployment and operations of UNMIL, including through ensuring the safety, security and freedom of movement of UN and associated personnel throughout Liberia.
UNMIL will help in the voluntary return of hundreds of thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons, while all the Liberian parties are enjoined to cease all use of child soldiers, all human rights violations and atrocities against the Liberia population, and bring to justice those responsible.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative for Liberia, Jacques Paul Klein, told the Council earlier this week 15,000 UN peacekeepers and 900 police were essential in order to bring the country from "hellish limbo" and end the "cycle of brutality, violence, corruption and instability."
"Give us the mandate and the tools and I assure you we will do what is just and what is right," Mr. Klein told the 15-member body on Tuesday.
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