U.N. team finalising report on Sierra Leone

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

UNITED NATIONS, JUNE 13. The United Nations team which went to Sierra Leone to assess the situation against the backdrop of some very troublesome developments has returned to New York and is in the process of finalising a report. However, it is not clear if the report would be made public now. The official view here is that the situation in the troubled African nation is relatively quiet.

Nearly 250 United Nations peacekeepers - mostly from India - are being held by rebel forces and negotiations are on to secure their release. While 21 Indian peacekeepers are being held in eastern Sierra Leone after being moved from the town of Quiva to Pendembu, another 224 armed peacekeepers and 10 unarmed observers are held in the rebel stronghold of Kailahun.

The focus now is on ways to secure the safe release of the U.N. personnel. For instance, there is a view that there are at least two battalions of U.N. troops who are in a position to challenge the rebels who have surrounded the 224 plus 10 U.N. personnel. At the moment though, a pointed offensive strategy is not on the cards, it is said.

With the British Commandos set to leave Sierra Leone by the end of the week, there is an urgent need for a lasting strategy that takes into account not only the fragile political environment in Freetown but also on the U.N. peacekeeping units' agenda. The British are leaving a 50-strong ``training'' force, but with shifting loyalties more the rule than the exception, there are questions on who this force will ``train''.

The major powers in the Security Council such as Britain and the U.S. are also looking at ways to restore a semblance of order in Sierra Leone after nearly a decade of civil strife. That there is no order within the ranks of the Revolutionary United Front of Mr. Foday Sankoh was evident in the fashion the accord on the release of kidnapped peacekeepers was vetoed by so-called ``higher'' authorities in the outfit. This also raised questions on the extent to which London or Washington had ``influence'' on Mr. Sankoh. In fact, serious doubts have been raised on the RUF leader's role in the emerging scheme of things in Freetown.

Last week Britain proposed raising the strength of the U.N. force in Sierra Leone to 16,500 from the present authorised level of 13,000. Along with this came the idea that if the backbone of the RUF rebels was to be broken, some tough measures would have to be taken to deny them access to funding through clandestine diamond sales. There has also been talk of bringing people such as Mr. Sankoh before a war crimes tribunal.

As part of a deal to enable funding to Sierra Leone operations, the Clinton administration has told Congress (the Senate) that Mr. Sankoh cannot be part of any final settlement in that country. With peacekeeping operations and the U.S.' role coming under criticism, the last thing the administration and the Democrats want is to provide additional fodder to the Republicans in an election year.

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Section  : International
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