§ Judy MallaberTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance his Department is providing to the Government of Sierra Leone following the Lomé Peace Agreement. [93789]
§ Mr. Doug HendersonI am pleased to announce today that the Government are prepared to offer up to 20 UK military observers to an expanded United Nations Observation Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL). This is a substantial increase from the five who are currently deployed with UNOMSIL.
This clearly demonstrates our support for UN peacekeeping operations. The UN Mission has a vital role in upholding peace and democracy in Sierra Leone and we should play our part in that process.
Over and above our support for the UN, we already have in place an eight-man training team to advise on basic training for recruits to the new Sierra Leone army. This team will help to establish more professional and better-trained armed forces.
We also currently have a military officer and civilian adviser in Freetown. Their role is to assist the Government of Sierra Leone in undertaking a review of Sierra Leone's Defence Policy, the roles of the Ministry of Defence and Defence Headquarters, and the size and shape of a new Sierra Leone Armed Forces. The aim of this project is to ensure appropriate civilian control and accountability of the armed forces.