United Nations Daily Highlights, 97-08-28

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

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Thursday, 28 August 1997

HEADLINES

• Security Council decides to impose sanctions against UNITA unless it complies with Lusaka Protocol.
• Democratic Republic of Congo places new restrictions on UN investigative team examining reports of gross human rights violations.
• Violent mob in Brcko attacks UN International Police Task Force.
• No agreement in Disarmament Conference on starting negotiations to ban anti-personnel landmines.
• UN Special Rapporteur will travel to Cambodia to discuss UN human rights activities there.
• UN Correspondents Association seeks to overturn Viet Nam's decision to bar Dag Hammarskjold Scholar from travelling to UN General Assembly.

The Council decided that States shall impose travel restrictions on UNITA personnel and adult members of their immediate families, and shall seal UNITA offices on their territories. States as well as international and regional organizations were urged to stop their officials from travelling to UNITA headquarters, except for the purpose of promoting the peace process and humanitarian assistance.

The measures were adopted unanimously under Chapter VII of the UN Charter as part of Council resolution 1127 (1997). Under that text, States would deny UNITA aircraft permission to take off from, land in or overfly their territories, except in cases of medical emergencies or for flights carrying food, medicine or other humanitarian supplies. They would also prohibit the supply of any aircraft to the territory of Angola without going through the country's Government.

Addressing the Council this morning, Angola's Ambassador, Afonso Van Dunem "Mbinda" warned that, "the return to war is imminent." He referred to UNITA military preparations such as the re-recruitment of thousands of previously demobilized soldiers. "Right now, UNITA has an army of 35,000 men deployed throughout the country, of which 4,000 belong to the personal security of its leader, Dr. Savimbi," he said.

In response, the Secretary-General has dispatched his Special Representative for the Great Lakes region, Mohamed Sahnoun, to Kinshasa to discuss the situation with the country's leaders. The spokesman expressed hope that the matter related only to internal communications within the Congolese Government which could be resolved. The team is mandated to investigate allegations of massacres and other human rights violations.

Addressing members of the press this afternoon, Security Council President Sir John Weston of the United Kingdom said, "The human rights team that the Secretary-General has sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo went on the basis of certain high- level assurances conveyed by President Kabila, and we assume that those represented the voice of the Government. In light of the somewhat confusing signals that have emerged, we will have to see what Mr. Sahnoun comes back with."

He said that several windows were smashed and more than 15 UN vehicles were damaged. "We have received reports that UNIPTF officers were slightly injured by crowds who attempted to pull them from their vehicles."

The attacks reportedly occurred following the blaring of sirens across the town and radio incitements for people to defend facilities from the international community. "I want to make it emphatically clear that the UN International Police Task Force was not, and is not, in any way involved in attempts to take over any police facilities," said the spokesman, Liam McDowall.

Warning that the incitement and recourse to violence was extremely dangerous because it heightened tension in an already charged situation, McDowall said, "It is especially serious that violence has been directed against unarmed international police monitors who have done nothing more than stick to their mandate under the Dayton Peace Agreement that the parties requested."

UN Radio reported that the Disarmament Conference's Special Coordinator on Anti-personnel Land-mines, Ambassador John Campbell of Australia, said today that a majority of States represented in the Conference could agree to start negotiations to ban landmines but two delegations -- which he did not name -- remained opposed to the idea. His report confirmed the continuing stalemate in the Disarmament Conference, which can only take decisions by unanimous agreement among the members.

Meanwhile, over 100 States, including many members of the Conference on Disarmament, are expected to finalize negotiations outside the Conference on a draft treaty banning anti-personnel landmines at a meeting set to begin on 1 September in Oslo. The aim is to open the draft treaty for signature in Ottawa this December.

The Chairman of the Board of the Dag Hammarskjold Scholarship Fund, Sanaa Youssef, today contacted the Vietnamese Mission after hearing reports that Nguyen, a reporter from the weekly Vietnam Investment Review, would not be allowed to make use of the scholarship, which provides for a three-month stay in New York during the United Nations General Assembly's annual session. "We are still hoping that we will receive a positive reply within the next few hours," said Youssef, who is a correspondent for Al- Akhbar.

Each year, some 150 young journalists from developing countries apply directly to the Scholarship Fund. A group of UNCA journalists selects four winners each year based on merit.

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

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