DIGEST

Editors: Alexander Ramsbotham, Oliver Ramsbotham, and Tom Woodhouse.

Data provided by the Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford, using UN and news agency sources.

PEACEKEEPING MISSION UPDATES (JULY-SEPTEMBER 1997) UN Observer Mission in (MONUA) On 30 June 1997, the Security Council established, by resolution 1118 (1997), the UN Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA), operational as of 1 July. Established as a follow on mission to succeed UNAVEM III, MONUA is to assist the Angolan parties in consolidating peace and national reconciliation, enhancing confidence-building and creating an environment conducive to long-term stability, democratic development and rehabilitation of the country. The initial mandate of MONUA will extend to 31 October 1997, with the expectation that the mission will be completed by I February 1998. MONUA is mandated to work towards completion of the demobilization process, incorporation of ex-combatants of the Uniao Nacional para a Independencia Total de Angola (UNITA) into the (FAA) and the Angolan National Police, integration of UNITA personnel in all levels of State administration, elimination of all the impediments to free circulation of people and goods, as well as the disarmament of the civilian population. With the withdrawal of UN military personnel and the gradual normalization of State administration over the country, the report states, the mission's civilian police component would continue to verify the neutrality of the Angolan National Police, the incorporation of UNITA personnel into the national police, as well as the quartering and occasional deployment of the rapid reaction police. The unit would monitor the collection of weapons from civilians, supervise their proper storage or destruction and oversee security arrangements for UNITA leaders. After the withdrawal of the main infantry units by August/September, a reduced number of military observers would be retained in Angola to investigate allegations of offensive troop movements, the presence of any UNITA armed elements and the existence of weapons caches. In setting up MONUA, the Council called upon the government of Angola and, in particular, UNITA to cooperate fully with MONUA. It strongly urged the government of Angola and UNITA to complete the remaining political and military aspects of the peace process. The Council expressed the hope that issues now delaying the full implementation of the may be resolved through a meeting on Angolan national territory of the President of Angola and the leader of the largest opposition party. It urged the international community to provide assistance to the demobilization of combatants and their social reintegration and the reconstruction of the national economy in order to consolidate the gains in the peace process. UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in his report of 13 August 1997, expressed the intention, with the concurrence of the Security Council, to further postpone the withdrawal of the UN military units from Angola and to retain in the country up to 2,650 military personnel until the end of October 1997. In taking this step, he stated that he had considered the prevailing precarious situation in Angoia, the incomplete nature of the implementation of the Lusaka Protocol, the need to give the parties an additional chance to complete the peace process, as well as the need to ensure the security of UN and other international personnel in Angola. Annan also stressed that he had taken into account the expressed wish of the government of Angola to maintain in the country a sizeable UN presence until the demobilization process was over. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Chief Of Mission is Mr Alioune Blondin Beye (Mali), and the Force Commander is Major-General Phillip Valerio Sibanda (Zimbabwe). Countries contributing personnel to MONUA, as at 10 August 1997, were Bangladesh: 10 (MO), 22 (CP), 93 (Tr), 125 (T); Brazil: 19 (MO), 14 (CP), 3 (SO), 45 (Tr), 81 (T); Bulgaria: 10 (MO), 21 (CP), 31 (T); Congo: 4 (MO), 4 (T); Egypt 10 (MO), 19 (CP), 1 (SO), 30 (T); France: 7 (MO), 10 (SO), 17 (T); Guinea Bissau: 3 (MO), 4 (CP), 7 (T); Hungary: 10 (MO), 8 (CP), 18 (T); India: 21(MO),11 (CP), 36 (SO), 407 (Tr), 475 (T); Jordan: 17 (MO), 21 (CP), 1 (SO), 39 (T); Kenya: 10 (MO), 10 (T); Malaysia 19 (MO), 20 (CP), 39 (T); Mali: 9 (MO), 15 (CP), 24 (T); Namibia: 196 (Tr), 196 (T); Netherlands: 2 (SO), 2 (T); New Zealand: 3 (MO), 4 (SO), 7 (T); Nigeria: 16 (MO), 21 (CP), 37 (T); Norway 3 (MO), 3 (T); Pakistan 3 (MO), 13 (SO), 16 (T); Poland: 5 (MO), 5 (T); Portugal: 5 (MO), 38 (CP), 2 (SO), 313 (Tr), 358 (T); Romania: 1 (SO), 150 (Tr), 151 (T); Russian Federation: 3 (MO), 2 (SO), 130 (Tr), 1355 (T); Senegal: 10 (MO), 10 (T); Slovakia: 5 (MO), 5 (T); Sweden: 3 (MO), 20 (CP), 23 (T); Ukraine 5 (MO), 1 (SO), 1 (Tr), 7 (T); United Republic of Tanzania: 3 (CP), 3 (T); Uruguay: 3 (MO), 15 (CP), 5 (SO), 23 (T); Zambia: 8 (MO), 15 (CP), 6 (SO), 498 (Tr), 527 (T); Zimbabwe: 16 (MO), 22 (CP), 26 (SO), 675 (Tr), 739 (T); Total (T): 3,147, comprising 237 Military Observers (MO), 274 Civilian Police (CP), 113 Staff Officers (SO), and 2,508 Troops (Tr). UN Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, submitted a 13 August report to the Security Council, pursuant to Security Council resolution 1116 ( 1997) of 27 June 1997, in which the Council extended the UNOMIL mandate until 30 September 1997, in the expectation that it would terminate on that date. The Liberian peace process came to a successful conclusion during the reporting period with the holding of presidential and legislative elections on 19 July 1997, as scheduled, and the installation of the new government on 2 August 1997. The electoral process and the installation of a democratically elected government constituted the last item on the revised schedule of implementation of the Abuja Agreement (S/1995/742, annex) under the peace plan for Liberia of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The final result of the election was announced on 24 July, giving the National Patriotic Party (NPP) 75.3 per cent, the Unity Party (UP) 9.5 per cent and the All Liberia Coalition Party (ALCOP) four per cent of the national vote. The Alliance and United People's Party (UPP) each received approximately 2.5 per cent, while the remaining eight parties received less than two per cent of the vote each. Voter turnout for the election was approximately 85 per cent of registered voters. Mr Charles Ghankay Taylor was elected President, and his National Patriotic Party won 21 of the 26 Senate seats, and 49 of the 64 seats in the House of Representatives. UP leads the opposition with three and seven seats in each chamber respectively. ALCOP entered, and subsequently withdrew, a formal complaint about irregularities in the conduct of elections in three counties and the allocation of seats, the modalities of which had previously been agreed upon by all the political parties and which were provided for in the electoral law