UN chief backs peacekeeping force for Liberia

Declaring it “absolutely essential” to speed up the deployment of an international force to Liberia, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has offered to bring in a Nigerian battalion and spelled out plans to quickly send reinforcements.

In a letter to the UN Security Council, Annan expressed deep concern “at the dramatic deterioration of the situation on the ground” and the delay in starting the deployment of a 1,500-strong West African force that had been expected to be in Liberia by mid-August.

Disputes over funding the emergency mission are partly to blame for the slow deployment of the force from the Economic Community of West African States, known as ECOWAS. Debt-strapped Nigeria has offered to lead the force but says it needs help with what it expects to be the multi-million-euro cost.

US president George Bush ordered troops to take up position off Liberia’s Atlantic coast on Friday in readiness for any peace mission – but he has not authorised any action. Meanwhile fighting between forces loyal to President Charles Taylor and rebels trying to oust him has intensified.

“It is therefore essential to accelerate the deployment of the ECOWAS ‘vanguard force’ to Monrovia,” Annan said in yesterday’s letter.

“The government of Nigeria has indicated its willingness to begin deploying its two battalions to Liberia immediately, provided the necessary logistical support is made available by the international community,” he said.

After meeting British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London, Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo said peacekeeping troops might arrive in “a few days”.

To speed their arrival, Annan said the UN peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone was ready to transport one Nigerian battalion being transferred to Liberia. He said the US force off the coast of Liberia was also prepared to support the ECOWAS deployment.

If necessary, and if the Security Council approved, Annan said the UN peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone also had the capacity to sustain the two Nigerian battalions “for a limited period in Liberia”.

He appealed to the council to urgently consider giving the Sierra Leone mission a mandate to use its resources “to provide full support for the deployment and sustainment of the ECOWAS ‘vanguard force’.”

The priority task for the West African force – which would also include 250 troops apiece from Ghana, Mali and Senegal – would be to stabilise the situation in Monrovia, the besieged Liberian capital, after Taylor left, Annan said.

But the ECOWAS troops would need to be reinforced “in a timely manner” by a larger multi-national force, and he said soldiers from the country leading it should arrive immediately after Taylor’s departure.

Annan did not mention the United States, but European and African leaders have actively campaigned to get US troops to lead an international effort to help end the conflict.

The secretary-general stressed, however, that the multi-national force “would be relieved by a United Nations peacekeeping operation within the shortest possible time”.

Annan said his newly-appointed special representative, Jacques Klein, would be in charge of the peacekeeping operation as well as playing an active role in the political process.

The US Mission to the United Nations had no immediate comment on Annan’s letter.