HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REPORT
UN OCHA – Sierra Leone
February 01 – 28 2002
SECURITY HIGHLIGHTS
The security situation throughout the country has remained calm, however growing tensions in neighbouring Liberia, have created anxiety amongst Sierra Leoneans, especially those living along the border areas.
A wider implication
There have been reports that Sierra Leone’s ex-combatants are being drawn in to fight with Liberian dissidents against Liberia or with the Armed Forces of Liberia against the dissidents. The numbers of the former is not thought, at this stage, to be significant and ascertaining the numbers of the latter is difficult. On one occasion ten members of the Armed Force of Liberia (Naval Division) fled the fighting in Northern Liberia by crossing into Kailahun District. They had hoped to be able to make their way back to their homes but were taken instead by villagers to UNAMSIL forces in Buedu. They were subsequently released back into Liberia without their weapons. On another occasion two unarmed Liberians who claimed to be members of the Armed Forces of Liberia surrendered themselves to UNAMSIL at Buedu. As they did not have weapons, uniforms or documentation they were treated as refugees and passed to UNHCR. There are reports that Liberian soldiers are demanding money off civilians (refugees/returnees) to cross into Sierra Leone. To deal with the flow of refugees and returnees, the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) and the Republic of Sierra Leone Army Forces (RSLAF) have stepped up security screening exercises at the border areas to enable the government to separate refugees and returnees from opportunists (some of who could be combatants). From the RSLAF perspective, achieving this has been facilitated by the deployment of three RSLAF battalions along the Liberian border since late January.
Community Arms Collection & Destruction Programme
The Community Arms Collection and Destruction (CACD) programme being carried out by the SLP has been extended by another two weeks, until mid-March 2002. The arms collection programme, which has so far collected more than 7,000 weapons, was scheduled to finish at the end of the month. The next phase will include an intelligence-led cordon and search exercise, during which anyone found with weapons without a firearms licence can be prosecuted. In the meantime UNAMSIL is providing storage for all surrendered weapons capable of being registered and licensed.
Criminal Activities
Crime rates in the capital city, Freetown, remain high. Attacks on shipping vessels have now to be added to night/armed robberies. On February 14th a group dressed in fatigues, armed with assault rifles attacked a fishing vessel, SEWA II, in the seas. Investigation is being carried out by the SLP and RSLAF. Earlier in December 2001 a sister vessel, SEWA I, was attacked in a similar manner. On the other hand, crime rates and human rights abuses are reported to be stealthily declining in the newly accessible areas, with the deployment of the SLP and the RSLAF.
A boost for Kenema’s security
A security committee comprising three members each from the Revolutionary United Front Party (RUF-P), chiefs and the local youth group, as well as two police officers and a member of the business community has been formed in Tongo. The committee is intended to serve as a negotiating body to help defuse the tensions amongst the various factions within the district.
UNAMSIL reports that NIBATT 7 (Makeni) and NIBATT 8 (Port Loko) rotated with NIBATTs 11 and 12. Both of the new battalions were trained by the USA as part of Operation FOCUS RELIEF.
POLITICAL HIGHLIGHTS
Elections
Provisional Voters Register will soon be released
The registration of voters was conducted from 24 January to 10 February 2002. The registration forms are currently being processed in preparation for the exhibition of the Provisional Voters Register (PVR), which will be displayed from 9 to 13 March at the former registration centres for registrants to check their names. The Register will then be amended and a Final Voters Register will be prepared for Election Day, which is scheduled for 14 May 2002.
Opposition parties protest
Reports from various parts of the country spoke of shortages of materials at the registration centres; this resulted in some people being turned back from the centres, due to lack of ink or forms. Many centres registered voters without marking their thumbs with the indelible ink, as required by the National Electoral Commission. As a result opposition parties were very disgruntled and on February 01, representatives from 11 different parties, calling themselves “Council of Opposition Parties”, approached the National Electoral Commission (NEC) office where they presented a 20-point position paper and asked for NEC to immediately address the alleged anomalies in the electoral process. Other complaints included the registration of underage Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) supporters and the delay in the announcement of preliminary figures of registered voters. The RUFP complained that the distribution of registration centres was manipulated to keep them out of the elections. The Campaign for Good Governance (CGG), a Freetown-based civil society group, who was also monitoring the process, produced a report highlighting some flaws in the registration process.
Moving ahead
The chairman of NEC, Mr. Walter Nicol acknowledged some of these registration flaws, but insists that overall the process was a success. According to him, there were indeed cases of underage and multiple registrations. Due to poor handling, many of the registration forms had been soiled and are now being rejected by the computer. Thus NEC is manually refilling the tarnished ones. NEC is also currently carrying out sensitisation activities, on the “District Block System” to educate the vast majority of Sierra Leoneans, who seemingly do not understand the new system of electing parliamentarians. Under this new system, all districts get an equal number of seats in parliament, which are distributed according to the proportion of votes obtained by each party in each of the districts where they are sponsoring candidates. Flexible security plans are being considered for the polling stations, due to limited capacity of the Sierra Leone Police. Meanwhile, the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) is now considering lifting the current State of Emergency.
RUF wants a lift on travel ban
On February 16 members of the Revolutionary United Front Party (RUFP) met with UNAMSIL to discuss a number of political issues affecting the proper functioning of their party. The RUFP’s Secretary General, Mr. Pallo Bangura, and Mr. Mike Lamin, requested for the UN through UNAMSIL to lift the current travel ban on their party leaders, as this was hampering their political campaign. Most pressing to the RUFP was a temporary lifting of the ban to enable its chief of administration, Mr. Jonathan Kposowa, and Mr. Lamin to travel to Senegal to meet with the chairman of ECOWAS on party business. At the end of the meeting the RUF presented a letter of appeal through UNAMSIL for the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Requests to lift the travel ban, however, need to be submitted by member states, as reiterated in the UN response. A RUFP delegation had been authorised to travel to Nigeria to express gratitude to President Obasanjo for his support. Meanwhile the RUF has succeeded in securing offices in Kenema, Bo and Makeni and hope to formally register their political party shortly.
Britain pledges its support on condition that …
Britain’s Minister of State for International Development, Ms. Clare Short paid a two-day visit to Sierra Leone on February 26th and 27th, where she met with various government officials. She assured Sierra Leoneans that Britain will continue to give its support to the reconstruction of the nation, providing the democratically elected government thoroughly addresses the problem of corruption and gears its resources to the building up of proper, effective and modern state institutions that run the entire economy and not just the capital city. Commenting on the country’s upcoming election Ms. Short acknowledged the hiccups in the voter registration but expressed satisfaction over the whole process. She encouraged Sierra Leoneans to actively demonstrate their rights to vote.
Donor Mission
A total of 25 participants from DFID, USA, SIDA, CIDA, ADB, EU, ECHO, African Alliance (Nigeria, Libya and South Africa), British Commonwealth, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland, participated in the UN OCHA coordinated donor mission from February 04 – 08. The donors met with various government officials, including the Vice President, UNAMSIL, NGO & Civil Societies. They expressed satisfaction over the rapid and significant political, military and humanitarian developments in recent months and the new freedom of access to the entire country. They noted the significant devastation during the field trips to Kono Kailahun, Kambia and Pujehun and reassured the GoSL and their humanitarian partners of their continued commitment to the country for humanitarian relief and, beyond, on the road to recovery. During the mission, the GoSL presented to the Donors a consolidated assessment of needs and priorities for economic recovery.
Visit of UN Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator
The UN Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Ross Mountain, based at UN OCHA Geneva, visited the sub region from 05-19 February in order to review and evaluate national and sub-regional humanitarian coordination mechanisms. He also took time to promote the humanitarian needs of the West African region to the international community, in particular, the donor community. The AERC also reviewed the situation in Ivory Coast and the upcoming establishment of the OCHA West Africa Regional Support Office.
SUB-REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
King Mohammed hosts peace talks
President Lansana Conte of Guinea, President Charles Taylor of Liberia and Sierra Leone's President, Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah met in Rabat, Morocco, on February 27th to review ways of bringing to an end the renewed tensions in the Mano River Union Basin. The Presidents reaffirmed their commitment to non-aggression and to repatriate refugees and to provide assistance to displaced persons. They condemned the actions of those that are orchestrating problems for the sub-region. They pledged to "promote mutual trust, consolidate peace, understanding (and) good neighbourliness" and to take action to ensure "total security along their common borders." The UN Security Council has welcomed the initiative of the Leaders, describing the meeting as long over due. The Foreign Ministers as well as security and army senior officials of the three countries had met earlier in Rabat to prepare the stage for the meeting. It s worth recalling that President Lansana Conte had vowed last year that he would never sit down at the same table with President Charles Taylor, but he later relented following a personal appeal by a delegation of women from the Mano River Union countries.
Conflict in Liberia
Liberian dissidents are said to have advanced to some 45 miles from Monrovia. Sierra Leone is now hosting 18,000 Liberian refugees, and its own citizens in Liberia are anxious to return home. President Taylor has expressed concern over the widespread population movement and warned of a humanitarian crisis if relief assistance is not delivered in time. Meanwhile, Liberia continues to accuse Guinea of backing Liberia’s dissident group, the LURD (Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy), for bringing unrest to Liberia.
Security Council Checking out on Liberia Sanctions
The UN Security Council has agreed to send a Panel of Experts to Liberia to assess whether the government is complying to the UN sanctions imposed last May, as a result of its alleged involvement in Sierra Leone’s rebel war and the illegal arms-for-diamonds trade in the sub-region. The panel will also visit neighbouring countries to determine whether Liberia is in compliance with the embargo on diamond sales. Quite recently the Liberian government has accused the UN Security Council of being callous to the Liberian people, for failing to re-consider their dilemma.
HUMANITARIAN HOT SPOTS
Agencies investigateallegations made in draft report on abuse of refugee children in the sub-region
Aid workers in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea are alleged to have sexually exploited the refugee children they were bound to protect, according to the draft report of a study commissioned by UNHCR and the British-based charity, Save the Children. The study was based largely on children's testimonies gathered during a 40-day mission to the sub-region in October and November 2001. Most of those covered by the allegations were male national staff who are said to have traded humanitarian commodities for sex with girls under the age of 18, as well as international peacekeepers and community leaders. The scope of the draft report covers incidents in the three Mano River Union countries that are alleged to have been committed by 67 staff members of 40 humanitarian organizations in host communities, IDP and refugee camps.
Humanitarian agencies in Sierra Leone have formed a committee in order to quickly address the matter of prevention of such abuses in the future and to ensure that a proper and thorough investigation of the matter is completed immediately. A committee comprising NaCSA, UN agencies, UNAMSIL, NGOs and a respected member of civil society has been named to immediately begin to address the issues raised in the draft report. UNAMSIL is also investigating reports of misconduct by its peacekeepers. At this same time UN agencies gathered in Geneva to discuss an appropriate response to the issues raised in the premature release of the report. UNHCR is to send a high-powered team from Geneva to the region to investigate the matter.
A four-man UN investigative team that arrived in mid-February is about to complete their investigation into the allegations. They are scheduled to render a preliminary report to UNHCR on March 01. Another report by Physicians for Human Rights, a US based organisation, on “War Related Sexual Violence in Sierra Leone” was launched on February 28.
Refugees/returnees
Refugees spread across the region
There are currently approximately 54,000 Sierra Leonean refugees assisted by UNHCR living in camps in the sub-region, as well as an additional estimated 80,000 unregistered refugees living outside camps. Since September 2000, UNHCR has assisted 68,698 Sierra Leonean refugees to repatriate, adding to thousands who had already sought out the way for themselves. Out of this figure, 45,305 returned by boat, 1,564 by road and 21,829 on foot - mainly to Lungi, Kenema and Zimmi/Jendema). So far UNHCR has assisted a total of 17,846 returnees to resettle in safe home areas in Bo, Kenema, Pujehun, Kambia, Daru, Western Area, Tonkolili, Koinadugu, and Port Loko. Others from areas recently declared safe for resettlement, or areas still undeclared are located in; Transit Centres in Freetown, Jui, Waterloo and Lumpa; settlement sites in Jembe, Gerrihun, Taiama, Bandajuma; and host communities in Lungi, and Barri Chiefdom. However as the entire country, but for eleven chiefdoms in the Kailahun District along the border with Liberia, has been declared “safe for resettlement” UNHCR is in the process of transforming these temporary settlements into refugee camps, as displaced returnees are now leaving to return to their areas of origin.
Liberian refugees
The spreading armed conflict in Liberia has created an exodus of Liberian refugees and Sierra Leonean returnees pouring into Sierra Leone. From February 08 – 24, immigration authorities at the main crossing point in Jendema have registered 9,926 Liberian refugees and 7,084 returnees. Moreover, in Buedu and Koindu in Kailahun District, some 1,600 Liberian refugees were accounted for at the end of January 2002. UNHCR is currently assisting 5,835 refugees who have been relocated to Jimmi Bagbo refugee camp. This adds to an old refugee population of 7,000 who have been in Sierra Leone for the past decade. Refugees are reported to be coming into Sierra Leone from as far as from Monrovia; others who can afford it have left the country for Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana.
Sierra Leoneans coming back home
UNHCR started repatriation of Sierra Leoneans from Liberia on February 13th and up to February 26th they had repatriated 1,741 people. Small numbers of Sierra Leoneans are also being repatriated from other asylum countries in the sub-region.
Boat returns from Guinea continue at a rate of 500 per week. This is expected to increase to 1,500 per week by road in mid-March, when the Kambia border post in the northwest becomes operational. The newly arriving returnees have been permitted to register to vote for the elections until mid-April. The majority of the 38,000 Sierra Leoneans living in the six Liberian refugee camps now wish to be immediately repatriated and more are coming forward every day to the border areas spontaneously.
In response …
UNHCR, OCHA and humanitarian partners in Kenema are updating the contingency plan for the Eastern Province and putting in place a Rapid Response Mechanism to address the needs of potential influxes from neighbouring countries. UNHCR also creating a network to monitor and register influxes through non-official border crossing points. Currently, refugees and returnees use 27 crossing points, of which only three are official. UNHCR plans to begin registering Liberian refugees residing in border villages. A notional contingency plan is about to be drafted under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator and OCHA.