Liberia

HC Deb 22 March 1994 vol 240 cc142-3W

Mr. Worthington

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about progress on disarmament and the establishment of a transitional Government in Liberia.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

We welcome the agreement of the signatories to the Cotonou agreement to establish a transitional national Government on 7 March and to commence the disarmament process.

We hope all aspects of the Cotonou agreement will now be fully implemented and that there will be no slippage in the timetable leading up to elections on 7 September.

Mr. Worthington

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if a date for elections has yet been set for Liberia.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

Under the terms of the Cotonou agreement, elections are planned for 7 September 1994.

Mr. Worthington

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the United Kingdom's contribution to the Liberia trust fund has now been spent; and on what.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

Our contribution of $1 million is reserved for humanitarian purposes. None has yet been spent.

Mr. Worthington

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the strength of each of the national forces contributing to the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group initiative in Liberia.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

We have no first-hand information but understand that the numbers are approximately as follows:

	Number
Nigeria	9,000
Ghana	1,000
Uganda	850
Tanzania	850
Sierra Leone	500
Gambia	1
Guinea	1
Mali	1
1 Less than 100 each.

Mr. Worthington

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in the demobilisation of child soldiers in Liberia; and what contribution Britain is making to their rehabilitation.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

The disarmament of Liberia's armed factions, to be followed by demobilisation, is now taking place. It is not yet possible to judge how many child soldiers there are in Liberia. We have this year provided £1.6 million, including £672,000 to the United Nations Trust Fund for Liberia, in humanitarian assistance for Liberia, principally in support of Save the Children Fund, UNICEF and Red Cross programmes. These programmes include provision for the tracing, demobilisation and rehabilitation of child soldiers.