United Nations Daily Highlights, 99-08-05

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Thursday, 5 August, 1999

Latest Developments

HEADLINES

• Security Council members demand immediate halt to Taliban offensive in Afghanistan.
• Secretary-General urges immediate release of UN team held hostage in Sierra Leone.
• UN experts urge action to stem further environmental damage from Kosovo conflict.
• UN mission helps displaced persons to register for ballot on East Timor's future.

Council members also expressed their concern at reports of massive foreign military assistance in support of the latest attacks. They called for an immediate end to all external interference, particularly by those countries whose territories are reportedly being used by Afghan parties.

Council President Ambassador Martin Andjaba of Namibia said in a press statement that Council members demanded the Taliban stop its offensive immediately and resume political negotiations under UN auspices, in line with the commitments expressed at last month's "six-plus-two" Group meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The Group comprises the Russian Federation, the United States and Afghanistan's six neighbours: China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Ambassador Andjaba said Council members voiced their concern at the forced displacement of civilians and the separation of women and children from their menfolk and demanded that the Taliban respect human rights and international humanitarian law. "Members also called for the respect of the rights of women and girls," he added.

In order to influence the situation in Afghanistan and to achieve full compliance with their relevant resolutions, Council members intend to consider possible additional steps, including the imposition of measures, Ambassador Andjaba said.

Fred Eckhard, the spokesman for the Secretary-General, said in New York that Mr. Annan called on the Government of Sierra Leone and the leader of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), as well as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its military group, ECOMOG, to do their utmost to secure the earliest release of all detained personnel and ensure the safety of all international staff assisting in the implementation of the Lome peace agreement signed last month.

"The Secretary-General deplores this serious incident and urges the armed group to release all detainees immediately and without any conditions," said Mr. Eckhard.

On Wednesday, a team from the UN mission in Sierra Leone, escorted by Nigerian ECOMOG troops and a Sierra Leonean bishop, were taken hostage 70 kilometers outside the capital, Freetown, by rebels not related to the RUF.

The UN group had gone to Ocra Hills to gain the release of 100 children, who had been abducted by the rebels. Instead of releasing the children as promised, the rebels detained the delegation and presented them with a list of demands as a condition for the release of all the hostages.

According to Mr. Eckhard, the bishop, a UN spokeswoman and three military observers were later released and concerted efforts are under way to secure freedom for the rest of the team.

The team from the joint Balkans Task Force of two UN agencies þ the UN Environmental Programme and the UN Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT) þ concluded a 10-day tour in late July of the industrial sites hardest hit during the NATO bombing campaign.

Speaking at a news conference at UN Headquarters, Pekka Haavisto, said his group had found toxic and hazardous chemicals, including mercury, at several locations in Kosovo and Serbia.

He stressed that immediate protective actions were needed to ensure that the chemicals did not cause further environmental degradation, such as ground water contamination, or threaten the well-being of workers already rebuilding some facilities.

Mr. Haavisto said international humanitarian assistance could be provided to address the pressing environmental concerns at locations inside Serbia, which was not receiving international assistance for reconstruction.

"It's common sense that efforts be made to avoid further environmental or human health problems, which could be totally separate from reconstruction, " Mr. Haavisto said.

A second team of scientist will visit the area later this month to assess the condition of the Danube, the impact of the bombing on biodiversity, and long-term health consequences. The teams' official findings and recommendations will be submitted to Secretary-General Kofi Annan in September or October.

In the first episode, some 20 men believed to be local militia attacked a group of students in front of a registration site in Suai. According to a UN civilian police officer who was there, the mob overturned plastic seating and began hurling chunks of concrete at UN mission staff. The attack lasted no more than six minutes before the mob fled and the civilian police restored calm.

In Maliana, a second large group of people surrounded the registration site and refused to allow UN staff to leave, the spokesman said. Eventually, through negotiations, the staff were allowed to leave. Senior staff from the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) will visit both sites Friday to learn more.

UNAMET reported, however, that it had successfully signed up hundreds of prisoners and internally displaced people for the 30 August ballot. Almost 600 people came down from the hills to registration centres in Maliana after UNAMET civilian police and military liaison officers teamed with Indonesian police to secure the area.

Continued large turnouts of displaced people in the western region were anticipated for the extra two days of registration given to those inside East Timor, a UNAMET spokesman said.

The UN mission had also registered more than 250 prisoners in six prisons throughout East Timor. In Surabaya, more than ten prisoners were taken to the registration centre there to register to vote.

As of 3 August, 428,180 people had registered, with 416,812 of those people inside East Timor itself. Registration is scheduled to end 6 August for people in East Timor and 8 August for those living abroad.

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

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