Members of the Security Council will be
"working expeditiously" on their response to recommendations
made by Secretary-General Kofi Annan concerning the United Nations Mission
in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), according to the Council President.
Following closed-door consultations
on the issue, Ambassador Agam Hasmy of Malaysia, the current President
of the Council, said its members would be discussing a draft resolution
introduced by the delegation of the United Kingdom. He added that they
had taken note of the Secretary-General's recent recommendations on UNAMSIL.
Those recommendations, contained in a report issued Monday, call for strengthening UNAMSIL to a level of 20,500 military personnel to enable it to enhance its operational structure and overall effectiveness and to deploy in key areas throughout the country. Currently, the Mission has an authorized strength of 13,000 military personnel, with 12,447 actually deployed on the ground.
In a related development, Ambassador Hasmy said the members of the Security Council "expressed concern over the holding of 11 British military personnel by rebel elements and called for their early and safe release." He added that Council members would follow the situation closely.