Sierra Leone
Expected Council Action
The Council is expected to consider the report of the new UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) in June. UNIPSIL’s mandate expires on 30 September. No Council action is required at this time but a statement may be a possibility.
Key Recent Developments
On 9 February Executive Representative of the Secretary-General Michael von der Schulenburg briefed the Council. He stated that formidable challenges still confront Sierra Leone seven years after the civil war. He urged patience, decisive action and fulfillment of commitments by the international community. He said UNIPSIL was the “nexus of partnership” between the Sierra Leonean government and the UN, especially the Council and the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).
The then chairman of the PBC Sierra Leone configuration, Ambassador Frank Majoor of the Netherlands, told the Council that the creation of UNIPSIL had been a groundbreaking innovation for the UN family. He said it was creating a truly integrated approach to peacebuilding. The peace consolidation agenda in Sierra Leone remained unfinished, and he cautioned against shifting limited resources from the “relatively stable” country to urgent crises elsewhere. He said the PBC would intensify its efforts to mobilise additional resources for Sierra Leone, especially through broadening the donor base and strengthening partnerships with the private sector.
Ambassador Shekou Touray of Sierra Leone called for sustained international engagement in nurturing peacebuilding. Establishment of UNIPSIL had been a significant step and was the “fourth-generational” phase of the UN presence in the country. The challenges remained and therefore the PBC and all development partners needed to support Sierra Leone’s national agenda.
On 25 February the Special Court for Sierra Leone found the three most senior surviving leaders of the former rebel Revolutionary United Front, Issa Sesay, Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao, guilty of a number of counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity between 1991 and 2002. On 18 March the Special Court signed an agreement with Rwanda that would allow some criminals convicted by the court to complete their sentences in Rwanda. On 8 April the Special Court sentenced Sesay, Kallon and Gbao to jail terms of between 25 and 52 years.
On 4 May the Special Court’s Trial Chamber at The Hague dismissed a request by the defence counsel for former Liberian President Charles Taylor to drop the charges against him (11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity) on the grounds of insufficient evidence. Taylor’s trial is scheduled to resume on 29 June.
From 13 to 16 March, following a disputed local council special election in southern Sierra Leone, political violence flared up in the capital, Freetown, between supporters of the country’s largest political parties—the ruling All People’s Congress (APC) party and supporters of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). On 18 March, President Ernest Koroma called for calm and warned of a possible government crackdown. Following bipartisan dialogue facilitated by the UN, the APC and SLPP on 2 April agreed to:
-
a bipartisan understanding on the role of the ruling and opposition parties;
-
rejection of all forms of violence; and
-
mechanisms for enquiry into the violent clashes.
|
Related Developments in the PBC On 6 April McNee issued a statement welcoming the joint communiqué between the two leading political parties following the March interparty political violence and recommending follow-up action by the international community in that regard. McNee visited Washington on 12 May to further explore the PBC’s cooperation with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. He also visited Sierra Leone from 20 to 24 April for an assessment of the situation on the ground and reviewed key peacebuilding issues. At press time the PBC was preparing to hold a high-level special session on Sierra Leone on 10 June. The meeting will aim, among other things, at garnering support for the Sierra Leonean president’s Agenda for Change, which is the primary national framework for development and peace consolidation. The session may also provide the basis for continued PBC engagement and generate support for the UN Joint Vision for Sierra Leone and launch the UN Multi-Donor Trust Fund. |
Key Issues
The key issue for the Council is whether UNIPSIL is adding value to sustainable peace consolidation, particularly against the backdrop of the violent expression of political tensions in March.
Another key issue is whether the Council can play a role, in partnership with the PBC, in sustaining progress.
Options
The main option for the Council is whether to respond to recent developments in the country and if so, whether to issue a formal statement.
Council Dynamics
There is consensus among Council members on the need to continue consolidating peace in Sierra Leone through peacebuilding. The content of the upcoming report will likely influence members’ positions on next steps.
The UK is the lead country on this issue in the Council.
Underlying Problems
The socioeconomic problems that underlay the civil war still persist, with widespread poverty and youth unemployment, along with inadequate resources to effectively combat endemic corruption. Issues of drug-trafficking are also emerging throughout the West African subregion.
There is also concern about the lack of sufficient funds to secure the future work of the Special Court. Unlike the international tribunals for Rwanda and Yugoslavia, the Special Court is not supported through assessed contributions by the UN member states but by voluntary contributions.
|
Selected Security Council Resolutions |
|
|
Selected Secretary-General’s Report |
|
|
Other |
|
|
Peacebuilding Commission |
|
|
UNIPSIL Executive Representative of the Secretary-General |
|
Michael von der Schulenburg (Germany) |
|
Size and Composition of Mission |
|
Staff strength (as of 31 March 2009): 29 international civilians, 15 local civilians |
|
Duration |
|
1 October 2008 to present; current mandate expires 30 September 2009 |
