Sierra Leone
Expected Council Action
By 30 April, the Council is due to receive the first regular report of the Secretary-General on the UN Integrated Office for Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL). The Secretary-General’s Executive Representative in Sierra Leone, Victor da Silva Ângelo, is expected to brief the Council in the first week of May. As reported in our April Forecast, there may be some preliminary discussion of the potential for the new Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) to assist Sierra Leone. There is support among members for ensuring that international attention does not decrease in post-conflict situations considered to be a success in Africa, and it is possible that this will be reflected in a presidential statement or a press statement. Formal action relating to the PBC is not expected.
A resolution facilitating a shift of the venue of Charles Taylor’s trial from Freetown to The Hague seems likely. As reported in our Update Report on 7 April, the Special Court for Sierra Leone will likely try Taylor in the premises of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Key Facts
Following the completion of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), UNIOSIL started operating on 1 January. The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has provided security for the Special Court since UNAMSIL completed its operations.
In April, the Council focused attention on the request that the venue of Charles Taylor’s trial should be shifted to The Hague. After some initial controversy regarding the adoption of the resolution under Chapter VII, as well as on the place of the references to the ICC in the text of the resolution, agreement is now close on all of the technical issues.
Difficulties remain with finding a state willing to receive Taylor after the trial, which was one of the preconditions that the Netherlands expressed in a 3 April letter for allowing the trial to be conducted in Dutch territory. The issue is not a precondition for Council action, and it seems that there is growing support in the Council for adopting the resolution in early May even if the outcome on that question remains uncertain.
Selected Security Council Resolutions |
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Selected Presidential Statement |
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Selected Secretary-General’s Reports |
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Selected Letter |
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For the historical background, please see our April 2006 Forecast Report.
Executive Representative of the Secretary-General (also UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator) |
Victor da Silva Ângelo (Portugal) |
Size and Composition of Mission |
Strength as of 31 December 2005: 159 international staff; 228 local staff; ten military observers; twenty police; 83 UN Volunteers |
Cost |
Resources requested for 2006: $23.3 million |
Duration |
1 January 2006 to present |