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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Answer

Mr. Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to seek to ensure that Revolutionary United Front insurgents and Kamajor militias inside Liberia will not be a threat to peace and stability in Sierra Leone; and if he will make a statement. [72175] Mr. MacShane: We take very seriously the threat posed by Liberia to peace in Sierra Leone. We have worked with the Government of Sierra Leone to ensure that the new Republic of Sierra Leone armed forces (largely trained by the UK) are deployed in strength on the Liberian border and regularly patrol the border. Some UK military advisers are deployed alongside these Sierra Leonean units. We have also encouraged the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone, UNAMSIL, to maintain regular patrolling of the border areas. Sierra Leonean armed forces and UNAMSIL have successfully intercepted armed groups crossing from Liberia into Sierra Leone. We played a leading role in securing the renewal of UN sanctions against Liberia in May. These sanctions, which include an arms embargo, a ban on the export of diamonds and a travel ban on President Taylor and his associates, continue to put pressure on President Taylor to break his links with the RUF rebels and restrict his ability to procure arms and destabilise Sierra Leone. We have made it clear to the Government of Sierra Leone and the Government of Guinea that they should take steps to prevent the recruitment of fighters, including from the Civil Defence Force and Kamajors, for the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) within their countries. But Sierra Leone's stability will be threatened for as long as there is fighting in Liberia. We are supporting international and regional moves to promote a ceasefire in Liberia.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

72175; 389 c1312W;389 c1310W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Armed forces Armed conflict Deployment Sierra Leone Peace negotiations Liberia

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk