United Nations Daily Highlights, 99-07-16

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Friday, 16 July, 1999

HEADLINES

• Albanian and Serb community leaders take part in first meeting of Kosovo Transitional Council.
• Voter registration starts for UN-supervised ballot in East Timor.
• UN children's agency begins immunization campaign in East Timor.
• Secretary-General recommends gradual deployment of UN military personnel for Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Additional troops needed for UN mission in Central African Republic, says Secretary-General.
• UN publishes provisional list of qualified voters for referendum in Western Sahara.

The Transitional Council is the highest political consultative body under the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which holds executive authority. The Council gives the main political parties and ethnic groups an opportunity to have direct input into UNMIK's decision- making process. It is also a forum for achieving consensus on a broad range of issues related to civil administration, institution building, reconstruction and essential services.

In his opening remarks to the Council, the Secretary-General's new Special Representative for Kosovo, Bernard Kouchner, who heads UNMIK, outlined his agenda. Mr. Kouchner said he wants to make sure immediate humanitarian needs are met, guarantee essential public functions, especially law and order, lay foundations for economic recovery and development, and progressively build institutions of self-government.

During the first meeting, the Transitional Council agreed to form sub- groups to tackle the issue of prisoners and detainees, conduct joint visits to flashpoints such as Orohavac, Mitrovica and Gnjilane and make common television and radio appeals for restraint. The Council will meet again in nine days.

Mr. Kouchner and his predecessor, Sergio Vieira de Mello, chaired the meeting which was attended by six members of the Albanian community, two Serbs, one Moslem and one Turk along with UN officials and KFOR commander General Michael Jackson. However, Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova and his political party, the Democratic League of Kosovo known as the LDK did not attend. Mr. Kouchner said he hoped the LDK would reconsider its position.

Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which is overseeing humanitarian operations in Kosovo, again drew attention to the critical situation for minorities. In many areas, Serbs are living under KFOR guard. In Prizren, the Orthodox seminary, which shelters 167 people with more arriving daily, has been under threat, despite a 24 hour protection by German KFOR troops.

The spokesman said there was a good turnout, although four registration centers were closed because of an incident between local people and militia on Thursday in the Suai regency.

Indonesian police are investigating the incident, which has caused a good deal of tension in the area, said the spokesman. The United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) has suspended registration in the four centres and will evaluate conditions before deciding when reopen them.

Meanwhile, at United Nations Headquarters in New York, senior Indonesia and Portuguese officials concluded discussions which covered security, peace and reconciliation efforts and post ballot issues.

Speaking to reporters after the talks ended, Ambassador Jamsheed Marker, the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General for East Timor, said the focus had been on post-ballot issues. A lot of practical measures could be put in place without waiting for the results of the referendum, he said.

Under the UNICEF-negotiated "Truce for Children" campaign, the factions are supporting "weeks of tranquility" so that children can be immunized against tuberculosis, measles, polio, diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus. The immunization sites are also giving health care to pregnant women and complementary food to children aged 6 to 12 months old to improve their nutritional status.

During the first "week of tranquility" which ended on Friday, 240 health workers targeted 30,000 children in 114 villages where immunization coverage levels have fallen dangerously low in recent months because of security concerns. UNICEF staff reported a strong turnout and no security incidents. The campaign will continue for five months.

In a report released on Friday, Mr. Annan said the military personnel would serve mainly as liaison officers to the national capitals and rear military headquarters of the main belligerents, especially Kinshasa and elsewhere within the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kigali, Kampala, Luanda, Harare and Windhoek, as well as a liaison cell at Lusaka.

The Secretary-General said he was also prepared, as a second stage, to recommend a further deployment of up to 500 military observers within the Democratic Republic of the Congo and, as required, to the belligerent and other neighbouring states. In due course, Mr. Annan said he would appoint a Special Representative to the country.

According to the report, since a purely military solution appears to be impossible, Mr. Annan, intends to submit to the Security Council detailed proposals for the deployment of a peacekeeping mission.

On 10 July, leaders from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Uganda, Rwanda and Zimbabwe signed an agreement to end fighting between belligerent forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The representatives of the Rally for a Democratic Congo and the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo did not sign the accord.

This would bring to 1,498, the total military component of the UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA).

In a report to the Security Council, Mr. Annan says the increased tensions are a serious concern as the country approaches the presidential elections. Parties preparing for the elections scheduled for 29 August are exchanging mutual accusations of non-democratic behaviour and the amassing of arms.

The Secretary-General expresses disappointment at the lack of support by President Patass‚ for the reform process in his country. The laws on restructuring the Central African armed forces are still not promulgated and the lack of progress in confining Special Force for the Defense of Republican Institutions (FORSDIR), the presidential guard, to its statutory duties is a source of continuing insecurity among the civilian population and especially foreigners, according to the report.

Mr. Annan commended the bilateral support pledged to the electoral process by Egypt, France, Japan, and the United States as well as the European Union and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). He expressed the hope that other countries and international organizations would contribute to the budget of the Central African Republic's Electoral Commission.

The Secretary-General's next report to the Security Council will be submitted at the end of September after the elections.

A UN spokesman said on Friday that the appeals process for those not on the list had also begun. The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), which has been identifying and registering qualified voters, has opened five centres to receive appeals over the next six weeks and plans are under way to open an additional 13 centres.

Meanwhile, the UN is continuing to identify potential voters from among the so-called "contested tribes" -- a process which began a month ago. When it is over, a second provisional list will be published and another appeals process will begin.

According to the spokesman, the final list of eligible voters is expected out in March 2000, allowing time for the repatriation and referendum campaign. The vote itself will be held at the end of next July.

From the United Nations home page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

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