UN votes for Liberia multi-national force
The United Nations Security Council has voted to authorise a multi-national force to help end fighting in war-torn Liberia and maintain security after President Charles Taylor steps down.
France, Germany and Mexico abstained from the vote early today.
The United States pushed for the vote to formally establish an emergency force as West African leaders prepared to send the first contingent of Nigerian peacekeeping troops to Liberia on Monday.
The resolution authorises the multi-national force to remain in Liberia for two months when it will be replaced by a UN peacekeeping force – no later than October 1.
France, Germany and Mexico said they supported sending the force but abstained because of a provision in the resolution that they said violated their countries’ laws.
The United Nations, African countries, and others have been pressing Washington to lead the force to help end a conflict between troops loyal to Taylor and rebels trying to oust him – but the draft resolution makes no mention of US troops participating.
US Ambassador John Negroponte has said the Bush administration wants the force being assembled by the Economic Community of West African States, known as ECOWAS, to take the lead, with the United States providing support.
The United States had hoped for a unanimous vote but France, Germany and Mexico abstained to protest a provision that would prevent the International Criminal Court from prosecuting participants in the multi-national force from countries that have not ratified the Rome treaty establishing the war crimes tribunal.
The United States vehemently opposes the court. But the court has wide support on the council and Germany and France, which have ratified the treaty, and Mexico, which has signed it, believe there should be no exemptions when it comes to possible war crimes.
Germany and Mexico explained before the vote that this provision would also violate their national laws by preventing their prosecutors from investigating crimes against German or Mexico citizens in Liberia.
When asked about French and German concerns as he headed into the security council last night, Negroponte dismissed them, saying: “We really understand the problems of Liberia.”
Liberia was founded in the 19th century by freed American slaves and retains close cultural ties to the United States. It has been engulfed in intermittent conflict since Taylor launched a civil war in 1989.
A rebel siege began in June but disputes over funding the emergency mission slowed deployment of the West African force. Debt-strapped Nigeria offered to lead the force and provide two battalions but said it needed help with what it expects to be a multi-million daily tab. Nigeria says the €9.3m offered by the United States is not enough.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan proposed that the security council allowed the United Nations to use money from the UN peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone to get one Nigerian battalion into Liberia quickly and help support both battalions for a short time.
The resolution adopted today authorises the Sierra Leone mission to provide logistical support to the ECOWAS force for 30 days.
UN officials said they expected the Nigerian battalion now in Sierra Leone as part of the UN force to be the first to arrive in Liberia. The United States will transport the second Nigerian battalion, which should put about 1,500 troops in the country, a US official said.
The resolution was approved under Chapter VII of the UN Charter which authorises the use of military force if necessary to carry out its mandate.
The security council said it determined that “the situation in Liberia constitutes a threat to international peace and security, to stability in the West Africa sub-region, and to the peace process for Liberia”.
The resolution formally creates a multi-national force to support a June 17 ceasefire agreement which has been repeatedly broken, and to help establish and maintain security after Taylor departs and “a successor authority” is installed.
It authorises the force to help “secure the environment” so that desperately-needed humanitarian aid can be delivered and to prepare for the initial stages of disarming and demobilising combatants.
The security council also declared its readiness to establish a follow-on UN peacekeeping force and start deploying it by October 1. Annan was asked to submit recommendations on its size, structure and mandate, preferably by August. 15.
