This Issue
Georgia
Secretary-General's UNOMIG Report
The 20 January report covered events since 29 October 1998
Security Situation
The Secretary-General stated the situation in the conflict zone remained tense and unstable, including frequent breaches of the cease-fire line comprising attacks using small arms and intermittently rocket and grenade launchers. Terrorist and subversive activities also continued, including mine laying, particularly in the lower Gali district. Such activities were primarily aimed at the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) peacekeeping force and the Abkhaz militia; however, there appeared to have been cases intended to disrupt civilian traffic. There had also been firing at the CIS peacekeeping force and at Georgian and Abkhaz checkpoints. The Moscow Agreement had been violated by the deployment of prohibited weapons, mine incidents and restrictions on the freedom of movement of UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG) personnel.
Kofi Annan cautioned that such circumstances made it clear that bilateral contacts between the Georgian and Abkhaz parties facilitated preventing armed hostilities from breaking out. Bilateral negotiations were the most effective means of achieving political progress. He urged both sides to seek and engage in dialogue and to broaden contacts at all levels.
Stalled Negotiations
Annan stated that the two parties convened the Athens meeting from 16 to 18 October 1998, the largest and most representative meeting since the end of the war of 1993, focusing on: security and the non-use of force; the return of refugees and displaced persons to the Gali district; and measures for the economic rehabilitation of Abkhazia.
Continued contacts between the two sides meant that by early November 1998, it appeared that the parties were close to reaching agreement on two draft documents. However, the talks suddenly broke down and the Abkhaz side declined to engage in direct contacts with the Georgian side. This was accompanied by a sudden and rapid deterioration of the security situation in the zone of conflict, presenting a real danger of an outbreak of hostilities similar to that which had taken place in May in the Gali district. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Liviu Bota, urgently convened the sixth session of the Coordinating Council from 17 to 18 December 1998 in Geneva, since the Abkhaz side had refused to travel to Tbilisi.
In view of the stalled negotiations, Annan appealed to both sides to treat the issue as a matter of utmost urgency. The issue of refugee returns was a strictly humanitarian question which should not be used for political leverage. The return of refugees and displaced persons was an inalienable right.
UNOMIG Activities
While the political process towards a settlement had been slow, the Secretary-General stressed that UNOMIG continued to fulfil its mandate, thereby reducing tensions on the ground, precluding an exacerbation of potentially serious incidents and creating a climate in which substantive political negotiations could take place. Much remained to be done before the UNOMIG area of operation could be said to be satisfactory. However, measures it has taken have enabled UNOMIG personnel to conduct limited patrolling without serious security incidents. Annan suggested that, should the situation remain, and in view of the deployment of international security personnel and the deployment of ballistic-protected vehicles, conditions could be conducive to a return to pre-February 1998 UNOMIG patrolling patterns. However, this required that both sides take substantive and tangible measures to curb criminal and terrorist activities.
Annan asserted that the recent intensification of peace process activities, the setting up of mechanisms for negotiations and implementation of the UNOMIG mandate highlighted the need to reinforce the mission's civilian component. He referred in particular to the field of political and civil affairs and public information. Specifically, an extra political capacity on the ground would further improve use of the existing mechanisms, the Coordinating Council and the quadripartite meetings. An additional modest civil affairs capacity would further enable UNOMIG to maintain improved liaison with the humanitarian agencies and non-governmental organisations. Annan stated that public information activities would enhance understanding of the UNOMIG mandate and activities by the parties and within the population in the various sectors. It would also provide impartial information to improve the mission's performance and to advance the peace process.
Composition of UNOMIG, as at 15 January 1999
UNOMIG was headed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Liviu Bota. The Chief Military Observer was Major General Tariq Waseem Ghazi (Pakistan), who succeeded Major General Harun-Ar-Rashid (Bangladesh) on 15 November 1998.
Albania 1; Austria 4; Bangladesh 8; Czech Republic 4; Denmark 5; Egypt 3; France 5; Germany 11; Greece 3; Hungary 5 ;Indonesia 4; Jordan 6; Pakistan 7; Poland 4; Republic of Korea 3; Russian Federation 3; Sweden 5; Switzerland 4; Turkey 5; UK 7; US 2; Uruguay 3; Total 102.
UN Doc: S/1999/60: 20 January 1999
Tajikistan
Secretary-General's UNMOT Report
The 8 February report covered developments in Tajikistan and the activities of the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT) since 3 November 1998.
Peace Process
Kofi Annan lamented the continuing slow progress in the peace process. On 25 December 1998, Abdullo Nuri, leader of the United Tajik Opposition (UTO) and the Committee on National Reconciliation (CNR) Chair, had formally declared that all UTO fighters had returned to Tajikistan and all its bases outside the country had been closed. On 28 December, he pledged that the UTO would disband its military forces early in 1999, enabling the lifting of the ban on UTO political parties. However, on 5 January 1999, CNR recognised that UTO had not fully complied with the provisions of the military protocol.
Thus, the first two stages of the protocol on military issues were still incomplete: many UTO fighters failed stay in assembly areas and only a limited number of weapons were registered and stored. Meanwhile, the protracted debate of constitutional issues in the CNR was still going on. Prospects for holding the constitutional referendum and presidential and parliamentary elections in 1999 remained unclear. This risked nourishing the increasing restlessness among parties not directly related to the peace agreement and its power-sharing arrangements, as well as among UTO fighters, who were awaiting reintegration into the Tajik army or demobilisation. The transition period of 12 to 18 months anticipated as part of the peace agreement ran out at the end of 1998.
Security Situation
The Secretary-General stated that the November session of parliament took place amid heightened tension in Tajikistan. A force led by Mahmud Khudoiberdiev launched an offensive in Leninabad Province and succeeded in seizing Khujand, the provincial capital. The government launched a counter-offensive on 6 November 1998 which UTO joined and, by 10 November, had retaken control of the province. It was believed that Khudoiberdiev entered from Uzbekistan, although Uzbekistan denied any involvement. Uzbekistan was suspended from the Contact Group, although both governments have subsequently undertaken steps to improve relations.
Annan asserted that the security situation in Tajikistan continued to be precarious, involving a noticeable increase in particularly crime related to drug trafficking, as well as numerous violent incidents with possible political overtones. No progress was made into the killing of the four UNMOT personnel on 20 July 1998.
The World Food Programme agreed to support the demobilisation of UTO fighters, including initially to provide two months food to those fighters and to endeavour towards a "food for work" programme. With the asistance of the UNHCR, by the end of January, around 3,000 refugees had been repatriated from Turkmenistan and 1,140 from the Kyrgyz Republic.
UN Doc: S/1999/124: 8 February 1999
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