§ 15. Mr. RobathanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Sierra Leone. [154101]
§ Mr. WilsonOur policy remains to repel the rebels, restore the peace process, and to help rebuild the country. Sierra Leone still has a considerable way to go. But I am encouraged by the start, on 14 March, of the UN peacekeeping force UNAMSIL's deployment forward into rebel held areas.
I also welcome the unanimous adoption of UNSCR 1343 (2001) on 7 March, imposing sanctions on Liberia. We co-sponsored this resolution in response to the UN Expert Panel report, which clearly identified Liberian President Taylor as the primary supporter of the Revolutionary United Front rebels. UNHCR 1343 is designed to persuade President Taylor and his associates to cease their malign activities in the region.