UN Special Envoy Blasts Liberian Rebels

Standard Times (Freetown)
NEWS
November 5, 2003
Posted to the web November 5, 2003

By Augustine Beecher
Freetown
Jack Klein, the United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy to Liberia has
angrily condemned all the Liberian factions for the continue fighting in the
country that has effectively turned the countryside into a no-go area.
The Special Envoy made the remarks on the eve of a scheduled meeting between
the United Nations officials in Liberia and the various factions vying for
power in the embattled country.
According to Mr. Klein, all the fighting factions who signed the peace
agreement in the Ghanaia capital, Accra in August but still continue fighting
each other are no better than murderers, thieves, robbers, and criminals
roaming the country sides killing and maiming innocent civilians.
He said also that the problem with the peacekeeping mission in the country was
the shortage of manpower, which is not expected to be alleviated only in
January next year after the mission would have deployed its complete force in
all parts of the country.
In the meantime, he noted that as long as the mission lacked adequate manpower
the lawlessness and mayhem in the countryside would continue, adding that he
felt sorry for the innocent civilians who have to go through the atrocities,
which according to him are now crimes punishable under both national and
international law.
He observed that since the fighting groups appear incapable of controlling
their rank and file, especially those bearing arms, it is an indication that
they are not well organized and that the factions are a mere band of murderers
and criminals bent on looting and raping their countrymen.
He appealed to the international community to do all it can to ensure that
troops are provided in time to facilitate the pacification of the fighting
forces in the country.
He also promised to consult with the leaders of the factions to ascertain the
degree to which they were prepared to cooperate with the international
community in its effort to bring peace to the country, which has been at war
for nearly fifteen years.

   

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