§ Mr. ColmanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken in response to the UN Secretary General's report to the Security Council on the UN mission in Sierra Leone, with particular reference to the transfer of responsibilities to the Government of Sierra Leone. [93407]
§ Clare ShortWe are playing a key role in assisting the Government of Sierra Leone to prepare for the withdrawal of UNAMSIL. Through joint action between my Department, the Ministry of Defence and the FCO, and using funds from the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool, the UK is leading the international military assistance training team; we are providing technical assistance for capacity-building in the Ministry of Defence, including the working relationship between civilian and military staff; we have funded the renovation and equipping of a new headquarters for the Ministry of Defence; and we are providing technical assistance to help the Office of National Security to operate effective, non-political, intelligence services. We are also providing a major programme to support the reform and strengthening of the Sierra Leone police.
The Secretary-General has emphasised that the timing and phasing of UNAMSIL drawdown will be carried out with close regard to the rate of development of the capacity of the Sierra Leone security sector. We are closely in touch with the UN on this issue.