3717th Meeting of Security Council: Situation in Liberia

Security Council calls on Liberian factions to end hostilities forthwith, fulfilling agreed commitment, especially the 17 August 1996 Abuja Agreement of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on time at 3717 meeting.

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Security Council
• Video Length: 00:03:20
• Production Date: 27 November 1996
• Asset Language: Original; English; French; Spanish
• Personal Subject: NUGROHO WISNUMURTI
• Corporate Name: ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES - ECOWAS; UNITED NATIONS OBSERVER MISSION IN LIBERIA - UNOMIL
• Subject Topical: AGREEMENTS; DISARMAMENT; HOSTILITY; HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS; HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE; INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW; LIBERIA SITUATION; MILITARY ASSISTANCE
• Geographic Subject: LIBERIA
• MAMS Id: 2364268
• Parent Id: 845413

Description

Calling upon the Liberian factions to cease hostilities immediately and to implement the commitments they had entered into, especially the 17 August 1996 Abuja Agreement of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Security Council this afternoon extended the mandate of the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) for four months until 31 March 1997. The Abuja Agreement established a mechanism for verifying compliance, and possible measures against the factions for non-compliance. It also established a timetable for the Agreement's implementation.

Unanimously adopting resolution 1083 (1996), the Council also decided to maintain UNOMIL deployments at an appropriate level as recommended by the Secretary-General and requested him to advise the Council of any planned further deployments. In his previous report (document S/1996/858) the Secretary-General had said the final composition of UNOMIL's military component would depend on the deployment of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), but would not exceed a total of 92 military observers. The UNOMIL's current military strength is 23 observers.

By other terms of the resolution, the Liberian factions were urged to complete on time the disarmament process which was one of the key steps leading up to the elections in 1997. The Council stressed the urgent need for work and training projects to help ensure the social and economic rehabilitation of demobilized combatants.

The Council condemned in the strongest possible terms the practice of recruiting, training and deploying children for combat, and demanded that the warring parties immediately cease that inhumane and abhorrent activity and release all child soldiers for demobilization. It also demanded that they facilitate the freedom of movement of UNOMIL, ECOMOG, and international organizations and agencies, and the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance. It was further demanded that the factions strictly abide by the principles and rules of international humanitarian law.

Stressing the importance of close contacts and enhanced coordination between the two groups, the Council called upon ECOMOG to provide security for UNOMIL.

The Secretary-General was requested to keep the Council informed of the situation in Liberia, especially on the progress of demobilization and disarmament, and to submit by 31 January 1997 a progress report and recommendations on possible United Nations support for the holding of free and fair elections.

The meeting was called to order at 3.25 p.m. and adjourned at 3.27 p.m.

For further details please see source:
MEETINGS COVERAGE

For further details please see official record:
S/PV.3717