Chronicle of Events

6 April 17 April Peacekeeping Chronicle of Events Britain and France became the first nuclear Prodded by Washington's representative to the January 1998 � April 1998 weapons powers to ratify the Comprehensive United Nations, Afghanistan's warring factions Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), banning all nuclear agreed to a cease-fire, an exchange of prisoners weapons test explosions. British Ambassador Sir and face-to-face talks. (NYT, 18 April, p. 4; A. General John Weston and French Ambassador Alain NRC, 18 April, p. 4) Dejammet deposited their countries' instruments of ratification at a joint ceremony at the United 19 April Nations. (WP, 7 April, p. A20) Pakistan welcomed a 'changed U.S. attitude' 8 January toward Afghanistan after a U.S. envoy said the Secretary General Kofi Annan has chosen Louise 17 April warring sides had agreed to call a truce until Frechette, the deputy defense minister of Canada, Kofi Annan, the first United Nations Secretary initial peace talks later. A Foreign Ministry to fill the newly created post of Deputy Secre- General from sub-Saharan , said that spokesman said the visit to Afghanistan by U.S. tary-General. Frechette, 51, is a career diplomat Africans should hold their political leaders and Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richard- who served as Canadian ambassador to the not colonialism responsible for the civil wars and son 'has to be seen in the context of the effort United Nations from 1992 through 1995 before economic failures they suffer. In a report to the and substantive spadework done by Pakistan,' returning to Ottawa to take up her current posi- Security Council, Mr. Annan said that a winner- which the spokesman said had always played a tion. As second in command to Annan, she will take-all attitude to politics has led to unequal leading role in the search for a settlement. (WP, be responsible for much of the day-to-day su- 19 April, p. A25) pervision of the 9,000-member secretariat and its patronage and wealth. (NYT, 17 April, p. 2; WP, 17 April, p. A26) worldwide activities. She also will be acting head 20 April ofthe secretariat during Annan's absences. (WP, 28 April Leaders of the militant Islamic Taliban move- 9 January, p. A28; NRC, 13 January, p. 4; 1HT, The U.S. Senate narrowly approved legislation to ment that rules most of Afghanistan refused to 14 January, p. 3) pay nearly $1 billion in back dues to the United meet a United Nations aid co-ordinator, forcing Nations. But the bill imposes a ban on any U.S. the cancellation of an important round of talks. 1 March aid to international family planning groups that (NYT, 21 April, p. 6; NRC, 21 April, p. 5) African foreign ministers said future peacekeep- lobby for abortion rights. (WP, 29 April, p. A01) ing operations on the continent should remain the 21 April responsibility of the United Nations and the Leaders of the militant Islamic Taliban move- Organization of African Unity. The meeting ment that rules most of Afghanistan refused to rejected Western proposals for countries such as meet with a United Nations aid co-ordinator three France, Britain and the United States to work B. NATO days after promising an American envoy that individually with African nations on peacekeep- they would negotiate several issues. (NYT, 21 ing operations. said such a plan would April, p. 2) divide the continent along language lines. Nige- 3 March rian Foreign Minister Tom Ikimi said the West- The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee 26 April em-backed initiative was an attempt 'to divide UN-sponsored talks between Afghanistan's voted overwhelmingly to reshape the North warring factions opened in the capital of Paki- Africa into Anglophone or Francophone Atlantic Treaty Organization, founded in 1949 to peacekeepers.' (WP, 1 March, p. A22) stan, with both sides pledging to seek a peaceful stop the spread of Communism in Europe, by resolution to nearly a decade of civil war. The 15 March adding three former foes, Poland, Hungary and turbaned, bearded delegates of the Islamic Tali- United Nations 'green helmets' may be mobi- the Czech Republic. (NYT, 4 March, p. 1) ban regime and its military opposition met all day at a government guest house in their first lised to fight environmental emergencies, said a 30 April top UN offieial. Professor Klaus Topfer, the new The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved a structured peace talks since the fundamentalist head of the United Nations Environment Pro- historic expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty militia eaptured Kabul, the Afghan capital. (WP, gramme (UNEP), said that environmental crises Organization to include three former Cold War 27 April, p. A14; NYT, 27 April, p. 6; IHT, 27 such as the fires in , which are threaten- enemies: Poland, Hungary and the Czech Re- April, p. 4) ing to be worse than last year, 'need at least the public. (WP, 1 May, p. A01; NYT, I May, p. 1; 27 April same investment from the global family' as NRC, 1 May, p. 5) political ones such as , where blue- Peace talks between Afghanistan's warring helmeted UN peacekeeping troops were mobi- factions deadlocked over the composition of a lised. pnd., 15 March, p. 1 ) representative council that would negotiate a settlement to the nation's civil war. A disagree- 18 March C. Nations ment between the Taliban Islamic militia, which The final planning session for the first permanent controls about two-thirds of Afghanistan, and its International Criminal Court began at the United factional opponents over the necessary religious Nations with legal experts saying the United Afghanistan qualifications of council members prompted a States was drawing closer to other nations on the half-day suspension of the talks so that delegates roles of the Security Council and governments in could consult their leaders. (WP, 28 April, p. deciding cases to be heard. (NYT, 18 March, p. 24 March AI4; IHT, 28 April, p. 4) 2) The United Nations pulled out of southern Af ghanistan to protest a local official's physical 29 April assaults on its workers and interference by the Afghanistan's warring factions agreed to create a Taliban religious army. The decision to leave representative council empowered to impose a 26 March peace settlement, breaking a deadlock in nego- Senator Jesse Helms vowed that a permanent followed a Taliban edict that forces all foreign Muslim women working in Afghanistan to be tiations that had threatened their imminent international criminal would be 'dead on arrival' collapse. The decision by members of the Tali- in the Senate unless Washington wields veto accompanied by a close male relative. (NYT, 25 ban -- an ultra-conservative Islamic faction that power over it. In a letter to Secretary of State March, p. 10) controls most of the country and its capital, Madeleine K. Albright, Senator Helms, the North Kabul - and an opposition military alliance Carolina Republican who is chairman of the 9 April UN Ambassador Bill Richardson won agreement followed intervention by the U.S. ambassador to Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that he Pakistan, Thomas Simons, and Pakistani offi- was 'unalterably opposed to the creation of a from Afghanistan's Taliban regime and its factional opponents to participate in structured cials. (WP, 30 April, p. A31; NYT, 30 April, p. permanent UN criminal court' and other devel- 14; NRC, 30 April, p. 4) opments that would give the United Nations 'a peace talks for the first time since the radical trapping of sovereignty.' (NYT, 27 March, p. 9) Islamic militia took control of the capital 1 1/2 years ago. (WP, 18 April, p. AOI) Prince Norodom Ranariddh made separate cease- that the election this was in danger of being fire announcements. (NYT, 28 February, p. 3; neither fair nor credible. (NYT, 9 April, p. 2) NRC, 27 February, p. 6; IHT, 28 February, p. 5) 9 January 15 April Angola said it was in full control of diamond- 28 February Five foreign journalists were escorted into north- mining areas in a rich northern valley from which Cease-fires declared simultaneously by Cambo- ern Camhodia and confirmed the death of Pol the former rebel movement known as UNITA dia's two main rival factions raised hopes for Pot, the 73-year-old Khmer Rouge founder. Pol had withdrawn. Western diplomats confirmed peace and possibly competitive electious this Pot's comrades said he died of a heart attack. The that UNITA -- the National Union for the Total year. A low-level civil war between the forces of reporters who viewed the body said they saw no Independence of Angola -- had withdrawn from Second Prime Minister Hun Sen and those of signs of violence. (NYT, 17 April, p. 2; WP, 17 its Cuango mines, which produce some of the First Prime Minister Norodom Ranariddh has April, p. A27) country's most precious gems. They said been waged since Mr. Hun Sen ousted Mr. UNITA, now in formal parliamentary opposition Ranariddh in a coup. (NYT, 28 February, p. 2) 16 April to the governments, announced its withdrawal on President Clinton indicated that the United States its radio station. (WP, 9 January, p. A24) 4 March would continue to pursue Khmer Rouge leaders Cambodia's deposed co-prime minister, Prince and try them as war criminals, despite the death 26 January Norodom Ranariddh, was found guilty of of Pol Pot. (NYT, 17 April, p. 15) Due to the continuing delays in the Angolan smuggling weapons in a show trial that is part of peace process, the Security Council of the UN an international peace plan to allow him to return agreed to an extension of the mandate of the UN to the country and take part in elections this representatives in Angola to 30 April. (NRC, 27 summer. Under the plan, the prince would Central African Republic January, p. 4) receive a royal pardon from his father, King Norodom Sihanouk, and not serve any of the 2 March five-year sentence imposed today. (WP, 5 March, 27 March Jonas Savimbi, leader of the Unita rebels in p. A24; NRC, 4 March, p. 4; IHT, 5 March, p. 5) The Security Council unanimously approved a Angola, failed to show up for a scheduled meet- ing over the weekend with President Jose Edu- 18 March peacekeeping mission for the Central African ardo dos Santos in the capital, Luanda. A series A court in Phnom Penh convicted the ousted Republic today, despite objections from Con- of such missed deadlines has left even officials Cambodian co-prime minister, prince Ranariddh gress over American funding. The resolution involved in negotiations between the two sides Siahnouk to 30 years in prison for conspiring established a 1,350-member United Nations force wondering whether the country is moving closer with the Red Khmer. He also has to pay 50 of African soldiers for the country wben 1,400 to peace or to war. (NYT, 2 March, p. 2) million dollars in damage compensation. (NRC, French troops leave by April 15. Under the 18 March, p. 4) resolution the force will remain for at least three 6 March months unless the Council decides to extend the Angola's former rebels announced that they will 23 March mandate. (WP, 28 March, p. A18; NYT, 28 fully demobilize their fighting forces, meeting a Prince Norodom Ranariddh said he would end March, p. 4; NRC, 28 March, p. 5) key condition for completing the southern Afri- his exile from Cambodia and set a tentative date can country's turbulent four-year-old peace of March 30 to return. Prince Ranariddh, who 16 April process. The National Union for the Total Inde- was deposed by his co-Prime Minister, Hun Sen, A multinational United Nations force began pendence of Angola (LJNITA) said it considered in a coup, said an advance team would go to peacekeeping duty in the Central African Repub- the demobilization to be effective immediately, Cambodia to assess the security risk. (NYT, 24 lic, taking over from a regional mission. (WP, 16 even though it might take up to two weeks for the March, p. 4) April, p. A24; NRC, 16 April, p. 5) remaining 1,900 men it said it had under arms to surrender their weapons formally. (WP, 7 March, 30 March p. A15; NRC, 7 March, p. 4; NRC, 9 March, p. Cambodia's ousted co-premier Prince Norodom 6) Ranariddh returned to Phnom Penh, almost nine Congo months after he was toppled from power while 20 May out of the country and went into exile. UN mediator Alioune Blondin Beye gave An- Ranariddh arrived accompanied by UN officials 1 April gola's political rivals 12 days to implement their and senior diplomats. He returned under a Japa- A constitutional committee has given Congo's 1994 peace accord, saying he would quit if they nese peace plan aimed at ensuring his participa- President a draft document for a five-year presi- missed the new deadline. (WP, 20 May, p. A19) tion in July's national election. (WP, 30 March, dency and made a 'provisional list' of 250 people p. A18) who would not be allowed to run for president, 30 May including well-known figures like Etienne Angola's former rebel movement UNITA, trying 7 April Tshisekedi, a popular opposition leader. (NYT, 1 to fend off threatened United Nations sanctions, Fifty opposition figures have been killed in April, p. 2) has embarked on last-ditch talks with UN special Cambodia since August, more than doubling the envoy Alioune Blondin Beye, a diplomat said. previously known toll of political slayings fol- 9 April UN officials were not available to comment on lowing a mid-1997 coup, the United Nations The United Nations suspended its investigation the meeting or its progress. Twelve days ago, the said. Thomas Hammarberg, UN Secretary into allegations of massacres of Rwandan refu- UN mediator gave UNITA and the Angolan General Kofi Annan's special representative for gees in Congo, after weeks of harassment and the government until May 31 to finish implementing human rights in Cambodia, announced the new detention this week of a Canadian member of the their peace accord. (WP, 31 May, p. A22) evidence on the killings at a news conference. team. Mary Robinson, the United Nations High (WP, 7 April, p. A18) Commissioner for Human Rights, said in Geneva 9 April that there was no longer any excuse for the President Clinton has ordered the Departments of behaviour of President Laurent Kabila's Gov- Cambodia Defense, State and Justice to devise plans for the ernment. (NYT, 10 April, p. 2; IHT, 11 April, p. arrest and trial of Pol Pot, the shadowy Khmer 8) Rouge leader responsible for the death of at least 27 February a million Cambodians in the 1970's. Cambodia's two main rival factions declared a cease-fire, raising tentative hopes that a peace Secretary General Kofi Annan said the United plan could take root and open the way for com- Nations would go back to monitor the next, more petitive elections later this year. Troops loyal to problematic, vote in Cambodia. The vote, comes Second Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodia's five years after the United Nations ran the most effective leader, and resistance forces allied with democratic election in Cambodia's history. But Mr. Annan warned the Government last week