DATE SET FOR FORMER LIBERIAN PRESIDENT CHARLES TAYLOR’S DEFENCE AT UN-BACKED TRIAL

The United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone today announced that lawyers for the former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor, will begin their defence against charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity on 13 July.

Mr. Taylor's lawyers will make their opening arguments on that day in The Hague, where the Court is based, and the preparatory hearing is slated for 6 July. In 2006, the Security Council authorized the trial to be held in the Netherlands, instead of its usual venue in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, citing security reasons.

The Prosecution rested its case against Mr. Taylor in February after presenting 91 witnesses to provide testimony.

The former President has pleaded not guilty to the 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, which include pillage, slavery for forced marriage purposes, collective punishment, and the recruitment and use of child soldiers.

The charges relate to his alleged support for two rebel groups in neighbouring Sierra Leone, the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council and the Revolutionary United Front, during that country's civil war from 1996 to 2002.

The Special Court for Sierra Leone was established in January 2002 through an agreement between Sierra Leone's Government and the UN. It cannot impose a life sentence, but it has already sentenced two defendants in another case to 50 years in jail. Britain has said it would be willing to imprison Mr. Taylor if he is found guilty.
________________

UN ENVOY PRAISES POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN SIERRA LEONE

UN ENVOY PRAISES POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN SIERRA LEONE
New York, Jun 8 2009 3:00PM
A senior United Nations official today said that Sierra Leone's political leadership deserves praise for signing an agreement that brought an end to the "spiral of violence" in the West African nation.

Michael von der Schulenburg, the Secretary-General's Executive Representative for the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL), <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2009/sc9673.doc.htm">told the Security Council that the country's politicians "deserve the highest praise for how they have handled the recent outbreak of political violence in their country when they came together and signed and committed to the Joint Communiqué."

The governing All People's Congress (APC) and the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) signed that agreement on 2 April, ending violence between the two parties that erupted in early March. Sierra Leone's 11-year civil war ended in 2002.

The Joint Communiqué also "recognizes the joint responsibility that both the governing and the opposition parties have in building a democratic and prosperous Sierra Leone," Mr. von der Schulenburg told the 15-member Council.

He also noted that a joint strategy called the "UN Family's Joint Vision for Sierra Leone" brings together UNIPSIL and all 17 UN development and humanitarian agencies, programmes and funds that operate in Sierra Leone.

The envoy expressed hope that the Council will support that the effort, which runs through 2012 requires a budget of $350 million.

In his most recent <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2009/267">report on UNIPSIL, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote that Sierra Leone's recent violence, had it devolved into a full-blown conflict, could have heightened regional divisions and increased identification of political parties with ethnic loyalties.

The violence "served as a wake-up call for the Government and people of Sierra Leone on the critical challenges that require urgent and continued attention," the report noted.

"Against this backdrop, the determined manner with which Sierra Leone overcame its recent political crisis was all the more laudable," Mr. Ban wrote, commending the nation's resolve to overcome differences rather than relenting to attacks.

Further, he said that its recent actions have set an example for other countries in the sub-region experiencing similar upheavals.

Last August, the Security Council authorized the creation of UNIPSIL to replace the UN political office in the country, known as UNIOSIL, in a unanimously adopted resolution, which also gave the new structure an initial mandate of 12 months.

UNIPSIL, which works closely with the UN Peacebuilding Commission, is tasked with providing political support to national and local efforts for identifying and resolving tensions and threats of potential conflict, whatever the source. It also monitors and promotes human rights, democratic institutions and the rule of law, including efforts to counter transnational organized crime and drug trafficking.

Sierra Leone, whose brutal 11-year civil war ended in 2002, is one of the first two countries, along with Burundi, to receive support from the Commission, established in 2005 to help post-conflict countries determine the priority areas for rebuilding out of the vast array of challenges they face.
________________

UN ENVOY TO LIBERIA HONOURS MONGOLIAN PEACEKEEPERS IN SIERRA LEONE

UN ENVOY TO LIBERIA HONOURS MONGOLIAN PEACEKEEPERS IN SIERRA LEONE
New York, Jun 8 2009 12:00PM
The top United Nations envoy to Liberia today paid tribute to the Mongolian blue helmets, tasked with protecting the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL), for their efforts to promote peacebuilding in West Africa.

"Mongolian peacekeepers have acquired a reputation for bringing exceptional discipline to peacekeeping operations, an international outlook and an ever-ready approach to their tasks, regardless of the environment they find themselves in," said Ellen Margrethe Løj, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Mission in Liberia (<"http://unmil.org/">UNMIL).

Speaking at a medal ceremony last week in honour of the 250 members of the Mongolian Guard Force under UNMIL's command, she also expressed gratitude to the 10 women peacekeepers assigned to the Force for their dedication in providing vital services in communications and as doctors and nurses.

The event came on the heels of the International Day of Peacekeepers on 29 May, which this year stressed the unique role played by women in peacekeeping.

The Mongolian Force provides security for the premises of the Special Court, protects the detainees when they are moved outside the Court's compound, and is responsible for evacuating officials and detainees in cooperation with the UNMIL's Quick Reaction Force (QRF).

The SCSL, established in January 2002 in an agreement between the country's Government and the UN, is mandated to try those bearing the greatest responsibility for crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian law in its civil-war since 1996, the 11 year-conflict began in 1991.
________________

SIERRA LEONE: RECENT VIOLENCE UNDERSCORES NEED FOR INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT – BAN

SIERRA LEONE: RECENT VIOLENCE UNDERSCORES NEED FOR INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT – BAN
New York, May 29 2009 3:00PM
A recent eruption of political violence in Sierra Leone reinforces the need for the international community's continued support for the West African nation's efforts to rebuild following a brutal 11-year civil war, according to a new <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=s/2009/267">report by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

President Ernest Bai Koroma and the top leaders of both the governing and main opposition parties were able to prevent a new round of conflict after clashes broke out, underlining the "fragile nature of the nascent democratic process in the country," Mr. Ban wrote.

The governing All People's Congress (APC) and the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) signed a joint communiqué on 2 April, which he characterized in his most recent report on the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) as a "major event."

The disturbances, had they devolved into a full-blown conflict, could have heightened regional divisions and increased identification of political parties with ethnic loyalties, he said.

The violence "served as a wake-up call for the Government and people of Sierra Leone on the critical challenges that require urgent and continued attention," the report noted.

"Against this backdrop, the determined manner with which Sierra Leone overcame its recent political crisis was all the more laudable," the Secretary-General said, commending the nation's resolve to overcome differences rather than relenting to attacks.

Further, Mr. Ban wrote, its recent actions have set an example for other countries in the sub-region experiencing similar upheavals.

He expressed concern that the current global financial crisis could dampen international assistance to Sierra Leone in the coming years, calling on nations to continue their support for the country's peacebuilding endeavours.

Last August, the Security Council authorized the creation of UNIPSIL to replace the UN political office in the country, known as UNIOSIL, in a unanimously adopted resolution, which also gave the new structure an initial mandate of 12 months.

UNIPSIL, which works closely with the UN Peacebuilding Commission, is tasked with providing political support to national and local efforts for identifying and resolving tensions and threats of potential conflict, whatever the source. It also monitors and promotes human rights, democratic institutions and the rule of law, including efforts to counter transnational organized crime and drug trafficking.

Sierra Leone is one of the first two countries, along with Burundi, to receive support from the Commission, which was established in 2005 to help post-conflict countries determine the priority areas for rebuilding out of the vast array of challenges they face.
________________

LACK OF FUNDS FORCES UN TO GROUND WEST AFRICA HUMANITARIAN AIR SERVICE

LACK OF FUNDS FORCES UN TO GROUND WEST AFRICA HUMANITARIAN AIR SERVICE
New York, Mar 17 2009 4:00PM

The United Nations said it is shutting down its Humanitarian Air Service in West Africa due to a serious lack of funding, seriously impairing aid operations in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire.

The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flies aid workers from the UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as journalists and others, to some of the hardest-to-reach emergency operations around the world.

Run by the World Food Programme (WFP), UNHAS plays a vital role in areas in accessing remote locations and in cases where insecurity prevents travel by road.

WFP's Emilia Casella told reporters in Geneva that UNHAS will ground its West Africa coastal air service for good on 20 March. This follows the temporary suspension of its service in Niger on 28 February, also due to lack of funds.

About 30 NGOs working in the West African coastal area have pleaded with WFP not to close the Service, saying that they would be shut down or unable to perform their operations without this essential partner. However, it looked as if the Service will have to shut down this week.

Ms. Casella noted that UNHAS Chad is also significantly under-funded, with a shortfall of 92 per cent of its $11.4 million budget. This is particularly worrying the Service is expected to carry about 43,000 humanitarian workers over the course of 2009 in Chad.

For the Central African Republic, the shortfall is 83 per cent and there is no confirmed funding for that country beyond the end of this month. In addition, Ethiopia only has enough funding until the end of April.

This means that aid agencies will not be able to get to the people who need help, and that the UN will not be in a position to do urgent medical and security evacuations in a timely manner in some of these areas, noted Ms. Casella.

In 2008, UNHAS carried more than 360,000 humanitarian passengers and 15,000 metric tons of humanitarian cargo in 16 countries, on 58 chartered aircrafts.
________________