UNAMSIL PRESS RELEASE
Freetown -- The third meeting
of the Joint Committee on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration
(DDR), comprising the Government of Sierra Leone, the Revolutionary United
Front (RUF) and the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), meeting today
in the southern town of Bo, agreed to a series of measures to address ongoing
ceasefire violations in the Kono District, including the immediate resumption
of the DDR process.
In a communiqué (see attached) signed by Mr. Solomon Berewa, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, and Mr. Omrie Golley, Chairman of the RUF's Political and Peace Council, and witnessed by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji, the Government and the RUF agreed that disarmament in Kono District would resume as of 18 July with a view to completing the process in that area by 31 July.
The parties further agreed that all checkpoints erected by the RUF or Civil Defence Force (CDF) in Kono District will be dismantled as of 18 July. In order to allow a smooth completion of the disarmament process, a total moratorium on all mining activities in Kono District will also come into force as of 18 July. No combatants will be allowed to carry weapons except on their way to reception centers under the supervision of their commanders, to prevent future clashes between armed combatants in the district.
A joint committee comprising representatives of the CDF, the RUF and UNAMSIL will be established on the ground to monitor implementation of the agreement reached today. The meeting also agreed on the next steps and locations for the disarmament process country-wide.
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ATTACHMENT
Communiqué issued by the Joint GoSL/RUF/UNAMSIL
Committee on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration
1. In order to address the issue of cease-fire violations in Kono District, which were unanimously condemned by the Joint Committee, the meeting agreed as follows:
(i) given that infrastructure issues had been addressed and that the DDR camp in Yengema has become operational, all combatants should be instructed by their commanders to promptly report to the designated reception centers with their weapons for immediate disarmament, with a view to completing disarmament in Kono District by 31 July 2001;
(ii) As a confidence-building measure, all checkpoints in Kono District should be dismantled as of 18 July 2001. Checkpoints, if required, would be erected and manned by UNAMSIL;
(iii) In order to allow a smooth completion of the disarmament process, a total moratorium on all mining activities in Kono District comes to force as of 18 July 2001;
(iv) In order to avoid future clashes between armed combatants in Kono District, no combatants will be allowed to carry weapons except on their way to reception centers, under the supervision of their commanders.
2. A joint committee, comprising representatives of the CDF, the RUF and UNAMSIL, will be established on the ground to monitor the implementation of this agreement.
For the Government of Sierra Leone
Solomon Berewa
Attorney-General and
Minister of Justice
For the Revolutionary United Front
Omrie Golley
Chairman of the Political
and Peace Council
Witnessed by UNAMSIL
Oluyemi Adeniji
Special Representative of the Secretary-General
Done in Bo, 17 July 2001
For additional information, contact UNAMSIL Public Information Office: UNAMSIL Headquarters, Mammy Yoko, P. O. Box 5, Freetown, Sierra Leone. Tel: 232-22-273-183/4/5 Fax: 232-22-273-189
Maintained by the Peace and Security Section of the Department of Public Information in cooperation with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
(c) United Nations 2001