Security Council calls for disengagement of forces, comprehensive cease-fire.

• Position: Includes daily dispatches on looting of UN equipment, and anarchy in Monrovia, Liberia from April 8-12, 1996 - Liberia

The Security Council and the Secretary-General expressed shock and concern at the resumption of factional fighting in Monrovia in April, which resulted in the death of thousands of civilians and the uprooting of countless others, and called for the immediate disengagement of all forces.

On 6 May, the Council called upon the parties to cease fighting immediately, observe the cease-fire and return Monrovia to a safe haven under the protection of the Military Observer Group (ECOMOG) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Council President Qin Huasun of China said it regretted that the deterioration of the situation had forced the evacuation of personnel of the UN Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL), and reminded all States of their obligation to comply with the embargo on all arms to Liberia imposed by resolution 788 (1992).

On 11 April, Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali strongly condemned the continuing escalation of hostilities, killings, taking of hostages and ransacking and looting of UN property. He was sending his special envoy, James Jonah, to Accra for consultations and to deliver an urgent message to President Jerry Rawlings of Ghana, current Chairman of ECOWAS. Mr. Jonah would also travel to Liberia as soon as conditions allowed.

On 9 April, the Council expressed "grave concern" at the outbreak of fighting in Monrovia and the rapidly deteriorating situation throughout Liberia, and called on the Liberian National Transitional Government (LNTG) and the Liberian parties to work with ECOMOG to immediately disengage all forces, re-establish peace and law and order in the capital, and an effective and comprehensive cease-fire throughout the country.

In a statement read out by its President, Juan Somovia of Chile, the Council called on the parties, in particular the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO-J), to release all hostages without harm. It also called on all parties to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of UN and other international personnel, and to respect the inviolability of diplomatic personnel and property. It further called for the return of all captured weapons and equipment to ECOMOG.

The Council stated that unless Liberia's leaders demonstrated their political will and determination to implement the 1995 Abuja Agreement and the cease-fire, they risked losing the support of the international community. The Council reaffirmed its support for the Abuja Agreement as the only viable framework for resolving the country's political crisis, and for the crucial role of ECOWAS in bringing the conflict to an end.

Abuja Agreement

The Abuja Agreement, negotiated under the auspices of the ECOWAS Chairman, was signed by the Liberian faction leaders in August 1995. It had resulted in a cease-fire, which commenced on 26 August, and the creation of a six-member Council of State to remain in power until the elections scheduled for 20 August 1996. In his report of 1 April (S/1996/232), submitted prior to the 6 April outbreak of fighting in Monrovia, the Secretary-General informed the Security Council that the situation in Liberia was "rapidly deteriorating" and unless the peace process was put back on track in the very near future, the consequences could be "disastrous".

The civilian population and even some combatants had demonstrated a strong desire for peace, the report added. They were, however, frustrated by the failure of the Council of State and the faction leaders to muster the political will to implement the Abuja Agreement, in particular its disarmament and demobilization aspects, which were essential for the restoration of durable peace.

The Secretary-General called on the Council of State to approve the disarmament and demobilization plan immediately and ensure that the factions were ready to disarm by 30 April. He stated that the implementation of the Abuja Agreement was ultimately the...