UNAMSIL, Freetown - The Revolutionary
United Front has assured UN Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette of
its desire to cooperate with the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) in
furtherance of the peace process, during a brief meeting held on Friday,
6 April, in Lunsar, a town 80 miles from Freetown, formerly held by the
RUF, where UNAMSIL has recently deployed.
During her meeting with members of the
RUF High Command, including Col. Jonathan Kposowa, RUF Chief of Administration
and RUF spokesman Gibril Massaquoi. Ms. Fréchette stressed that the RUF
must match its words with deeds, and provide "concrete evidence day
after day" that it is committed to implementing the Abuja Ceasefire
Agreement. She urged the RUF to dismantle its three checkpoints between
Rogberi and Lunsar to demonstrate its commitment. The checkpoints were
dismantled prior to Ms. Fréchette's depature from Sierra Leone on 7 April.
Ms. Fréchette also toured UNAMSIL's deployment in Lunsar. In addition, she met with the local population and traditional leaders, who appeared "happy with the presence of UNAMSIL, which seems to have already, after a few weeks, established a climate of security that I am told did not exist before," the Deputy Secretary-General told a press conference on her return to Freetown.
En route to Lunsar, Ms. Fréchette visited the Bangladeshi Battalion stationed at Lungi airport and the town of Petifu Junction to visit a large number of returnees fleeing the fighting in Guinea whom United Nations agencies are assisting to integrate into the local community.
In the morning of 6 April, the Deputy Secretary-General met with senior UNAMSIL officials for a briefing on the political and military situation, the disarmament process, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and public information activities. She then met with representatives of local and international NGOs on progress in the peace process and on ways of improving coordination and cooperation between the organizations and the United Nations.
Ms. Fréchette departed Sierra Leone in the morning of 7 April, seen off by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the Force Commander, and other UNAMSIL officials.
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
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