United States Policy in Sierra Leone: Hearing and Public Meeting Before the Subcommittee on African Affairs of the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Second Session, October 11, 2000, Volume 4 |
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Common terms and phrases
Africa AIUSA Akwei areas assistance atrocities ban conflict diamonds BRAR Chairman Charles Taylor child combatants child soldiers conflict diamonds CONG CONGRE CONGRESS THE LIBRARY continue crisis in Sierra critical demobilize ECOMOG ECOWAS efforts ensure erra Leone Foday Sankoh Freetown funding going Government of Sierra Government of Togo GRES GRESS THE LIBRARY Guinea human rights abuses human rights violations insurgency international community involved issue justice leadership Leone's Liberia LIBRA LIBRARY CONGRESS LIBRARY OF CONGRESS LIBRARY RESS Lomé Accord Lomé agreement Lomé peace Lomé peace accord mandate military monitoring negotiations Nigeria opportunity peace agreement peace in Sierra peacekeeping mission play political questions RARY RARY OF CONGRESS rebels rebuild region Reno role Secretary Rice Security Council Senator FEINGOLD Senator FRIST Sierra Leone Army Sierra Leonean subcommittee Thank tion trying U.S. policy UNAMSIL United Nations West African troops
Popular passages
Page 7 - ... posterity" — we must have clear idea of where we are, where we want to go and how we are going to get there. Thus, we must have a broad national development strategy to provide the guideposts and landmarks we need to measure progress and recognize areas requiring additional or redirected efforts. And I commend you, Mr. Chairman and the members of your committee for these efforts to explore this vital area. LOOK TO GROWTH Looking at this broad strategy, let me clearly emphasize that I believe...
Page 32 - Those governments which are providing military assistance, including training, arms and ammunition, to the Sierra Leone Army and other forces fighting on behalf of the government should first ensure that stringent safeguards are in place to ensure that this assistance does not facilitate or encourage violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including the recruitment and use of child combatants...
Page 28 - ... ensure that this assistance does not facilitate or encourage violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including the recruitment and use of child combatants; these safeguards should also include effective mechanisms to ensure that arms do not reach combatants under the age of 18.
Page 31 - Article 3 (5) of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict that...
Page 8 - Only when the rule of law is extended to all of Sierra Leone's territory and those most responsible for the horrendous atrocities are held accountable before a court of law will the population experience the freedom and the confidence necessary to rebuild their war-ravaged country. It is also essential to choke the diamond revenues fueling the conflict, as the RUF continues to trade diamonds for guns with Liberian President Charles Taylor and others.
Page 32 - States should provide full and sustained support and assistance to relevant UN agencies and non-governmental organizations, both national and international, in order to strengthen initiatives for child protection, prevent further recruitment and use as combatants of children under the age of 18 and assist the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former child combatants, including their social, psychological and material needs.
Page 4 - The people under the RUF's power also do not have access to the most basic social services, including health care and education. As a result, they are condemned to lives of fear, sickness, and poverty.
Page 28 - ... their social, psychological and material needs. • The UN should ensure that all troops participating in the UNAMSIL peacekeeping force are fully trained in international human rights and humanitarian law, including children's rights, and that they have training in addressing the specific needs of child combatants. • The United States should continue supporting the UN peacekeeping operation in Sierra Leone in order to ensure that fundamental human rights are protected.
Page 34 - Leahy law and should be made more transparent. Training should include vetting of candidates, follow on procedures and processes to assess how students perform after the training and details of what type of training must be made public so as to ensure a focus on human rights protection.
Page 26 - We also have the contributions of surrounding regional governments like Liberia, Burkina Faso, and Guinea, and the failure of the international community to respond appropriately. While all of these factors are important and must be addressed forcefully, the crisis is primarily of a human rights nature. The international community can and should play a role in helping the people of Sierra Leone solve their domestic issues and challenges. It is, however, morally incumbent...