Summary: July 5, 2000: Statement by Ambassador Jean-David Levitte, Permanent Representative of France to the Security Council on behalf of the European Union. The situation in Sierra Leone (New York)
I would like to thank you, Madam President, for your very generous words addressed to me. I would like to express the warmest and most confident wishes for the complete success of our work under your elegant and able guidance.
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Central and Eastern European countries associated with the European Union -Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia - as well as Cyprus, Malta and Turkey, which are also associated countries, align themselves with this statement.
I would like to express the European Union's support for the resolution on the situation in Sierra Leone that was skillfully and determinedly prepared by the United Kingdom, and for the strengthening of existing sanctions and the establishment of an embargo on rough diamonds illicitly exported from Sierra Leone. The adoption of this resolution is a first step, and shows that the international community intends to react in the firmest possible way to the events that have taken place in Sierra
Leone since the beginning of May.
The European Union also hopes that the Security Council will, on the one hand, be able to decide swiftly and positively on increasing the staff of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) as proposed in the Secretary-General's last report and, on the other hand, examine the assistance that might be given to the Government of Sierra Leone to bring to trial Mr. Foday Sankoh and other persons responsible for violations of the Lomé Peace Agreement.
The European Union vigorously condemns the actions of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), in particular the attacks and hostile actions committed against UNAMSIL. It calls upon the RUF immediately and unconditionally to respect the commitments it has made and to begin the process of demobilization and disarmament provided for under the Lomé Agreement. The European Union underscores the personal responsibility of Mr. Foday Sankoh in the course of recent events, by virtue of which he can no
longer be considered one of the partners in the peace process under any circumstances.
The European Union considers the measures proposed in the resolution as being particularly timely for various reasons.
First, the measures aim to put an end to the illicit exploitation of diamonds in Sierra Leone by the Revolutionary United Front, an exploitation that is substantially contributing to financing that movement's war effort and impoverishing the people of Sierra Leone as a whole. The European Union is convinced that the establishment of a lasting peace in Sierra Leone requires drying up the RUF's financial resources.
Secondly, these measures have been the subject of close consultation with the Government of Sierra Leone. They show a concern for cooperation with those economically involved in the diamond trade. The setting up of an effective system of certificates of origin for diamonds produced in Sierra Leone may ultimately complete the efforts already undertaken by the Security Council in other African countries, in particular in Angola. This will give complete legality to the diamond trade and should
contribute to peace and development in Africa and other regions of the world.
Thirdly and lastly, these measures will strengthen the existing embargo on arms. On several occasions, the European Union has had opportunity to express its concern over violations of Security Council resolution 1171 (1998). The Secretary-General's proposal to set up a group of experts responsible for collecting information on violations of that embargo and examining the links between the diamond trade and the arms trade meets with the particular support of the European Union. The European
Union calls on all countries concerned, and primarily on the countries neighbouring Sierra Leone, to show exemplary cooperation with that group of experts.
The European Union is pleased to welcome all measures taken to strengthen the role of the sanctions Committee set up under resolution 1132 (1998). The holding of a preliminary hearing by the sanctions Committee between now and the end of the month to assess the role of diamonds in the conflict in Sierra Leone, and the links between the trade in Sierra Leone diamonds and the arms trade, represents an important decision. We hope that the holding of such a hearing involving both governmental and
non-governmental experts may serve as a precedent for the work of other committees.
The European Union also notes that the resolution establishes an embargo regime on diamonds for an initial period of 18 months and provides for bi-annual reviews of the implementation of the embargo. The European Union takes note of the commitment made by the Security Council to carry out an in-depth review of the situation at the end of the 18-month period so as to take a fresh decision, if necessary, to either extend the measures taken and adjust them if need be, or to adopt new measures in
the light of the Government's authority over diamond-producing areas. The European Union believes that all these measures are aimed at supporting the efforts of the authorities in Sierra Leone in order to enable them to take back the control over resources that have slipped through their fingers. They also reflect the concern of the Security Council to ensure that the measures it adopts are effectively followed up with actions.
Finally, the European Union is satisfied with the close coordination between the Security Council and the member States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with regard to the situation in Sierra Leone. As Ambassador Moctar Ouane emphasized, the meeting held last month between the Security Council and the ministerial delegation of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council Committee of Six on Sierra Leone is evidence of this indispensable closeness.
The European Union would like to recall that the restoration of peace in Sierra Leone will be possible only with the active support of the countries of the region. Conversely, the persistence of chronic insecurity in Sierra Leone would be a handicap to subregional development and would fuel the destabilization of neighboring countries.
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