§ Mr. MaudeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on(a) the Indian peacekeepers detained by the RUF in Sierra Leone and (b) the UN personnel surrounded by the RUF in the south east of Sierra Leone; and what the conditions for their release are. [127657]
§ Mr. HainThe 21 Indian peacekeepers detained by RUF at Pendembu in Sierra Leone were released unconditionally during the last week in June. We are pleased that the 233 UN personnel surrounded by RUF in the south east of Sierra Leone at Kailahun are now safe following the successful action by UNAMSIL forces on 14–15 July.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the nature of the support offered by British officials observing the Lomé peace negotiations. [130788]
§ Mr. HainBritish officials were present in Lomé in order to observe the peace negotiations. They were in close touch throughout with the negotiators and other observers helping to facilitate the negotiations.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the application of Article XVIII of the Lomé Peace Agreement to the Government of Sierra Leone's helicopter support. [130831]
§ Mr. HainThe application of Article XVIII of the Lomé Peace Agreement to the Government of Sierra Leone's helicopter support is a matter for the Government of Sierra Leone.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 23 June 2000,Official Report, column 318W, if the 185W Commonwealth Secretariat was used as a medium to transmit the views of Her Majesty's Government on the best method to reach a settlement in the Lomé Peace Accord; and if he will make a statement. [130853]
§ Mr. HainWe remained in close touch with the Commonwealth Secretariat throughout the Lomé peace negotiations, as well as with other observers and the negotiators themselves. The decision on reaching a settlement rested with the Government of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 26 June 2000,Official Report, column 400W, on Sierra Leone, if he will identify the (a) Cabinet positions and (b) Deputy ministerial positions occupied by RUF members; and what their present positions are. [130839]
§ Mr. HainThe Cabinet positions occupied by members of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) were the Ministry of Trade and Industry; the Ministry of Energy and Power; and the Ministry of Lands, Housing, Country Planning and the Environment. The Deputy ministerial positions occupied by members of the RUF were in the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government; the Ministry of Transport and Communications; and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Marine Resources.
None of these positions is now occupied by members of the RUF. We have made clear our view that, after the attacks by the RUF on United Nations peacekeepers and the RUF's clear violation of the Lomé Peace Agreement, there can be no role for members of the RUF in the present Government of Sierra Leone.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 26 June 2000,Official Report, column 400W, on Sierra Leone, if the Government persuaded negotiators in the Lomé Accords to modify their negotiating position to (a) take account of the Government's position, and (b) to facilitate the reaching of a peace agreement. [130837]
186W
Sir John Kerr, permanent under Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has made the following official visits since 1 January 1999 Date France For the Franco-British Colloque in Versailles 14–16 January 1999 Nigeria For talks in Lagos and Abuja with senior Nigerian officials 10–13 February 1999 Korea For talks with the Korean Government in Seoul 9–11 March 1999 France To attend Club of Three conference in Paris, and for talks at the Quai D'Orsay 5–6 March 1999 Germany To attend the Konigswinter Conference in Cologne 18–20 March 1999 Japan and China Talks with senior Japanese and Chinese officials in Tokyo and Beijing 23–27 May 1999 Austria To attend a meeting of other EU Secretaries-General in Vienna 10–12 June 1999 Germany For talks with senior German officials in Bonn 16–17 May 1999 Hungary and Slovakia For talks with the Governments in Budapest and Bratislava 12–14 September 1999 Norway and Sweden For talks with senior officials in Oslo and Stockholm 16–20 September 1999 Romania and Ukraine To deliver the opening address at a Wilton park Conference in Romania, and for talks with the Governments in Bucharest and Kiev 26–29 September 1999
§ Mr. HainThe Lomé Peace Agreement was negotiated and entered into by the Government of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front. Negotiating positions were a matter for the parties concerned.
Observers in Lomé, including Britain, remained in close touch with the negotiators throughout, and were able to offer advice in order to help facilitate the negotiations where requested.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 26 June 2000,Official Report, column 401W, on Sierra Leone, for what reason the Commission for the Management for Strategic Resources, National Reconstruction and Development was not fully established by the end of April; and if all the Commission's funds are accounted for. [130838]
§ Mr. HainA number of factors hampered the establishment of the commission for the Management of Strategic Resources, National Reconstruction and Development. The United Nations Secretary-General's report dated 19 May states that the Commission, chaired by Foday Sankoh, had not produced a plan of action, and that there appeared to be a lack of political consensus on the role of the Commission vis-a-vis existing Government Ministries.
As far as we are aware, the Commission had received no direct funding, although at least one donor had indicated a willingness to provide funds to help it to become established.