Online Reporter
The Herald, 21 November 1992
THE UN Security Council on Thursday imposed an arms embargo on Liberia and dispatched a special UN representative to the West African state in its first involvement in the civil war that has claimed 60 000 lives.
The document represents an endorsement from the council of peace efforts by the Economic Community of West African States which has a force in Liberia. The vote was a unanimous 15-0 following a debate featuring foreign ministers and other officials from Benin, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo and the interim Liberian government.
The six-nation Ecowas force of 15 000, dominated by military led Nigeria, is using warplanes, gunboats and artillery in fierce fighting against rebel Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia, which attack the West African troops in Monrovia.
The council’s mandatory arms embargo excludes weapons used by the West African peacekeepers, but at the instigation of France, it is subject to review by Secretary General Dr Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
The United States strongly supported the Nigerian dominated force but France and some of its former West African colonies appear wary of Nigerian ambitions in Liberia and France’s deputy ambassador, Mr Herve Ladsous, refrained from criticising Mr Taylor as most other council members did.
Meanwhile, Nigerian artillery shot at Guinean troops of the West African force in Liberia by mistake, causing some casualties but no deaths, officers said on Thursday.
Witnesses said the Guineans retreated from their frontline positions near Caldwell base when they came under fire, causing panic among residents of northern Monrovia suburbs facing the rebel siege.
Lessons for today:
- The UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Liberia, showing how global bodies step in when civil wars escalate and threaten regional stability.
- The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) deployed a peacekeeping force of 15,000 troops, demonstrating the role of regional organisations in conflict resolution.
- Peacekeeping is not straightforward, mistakes like Nigerian artillery hitting Guinean troops highlight the challenges of coordination in multinational forces.
- The Liberian civil war had already claimed 60,000 lives by 1992, reminding us of the devastating impact of prolonged internal conflicts.
- While the US strongly supported the Nigerian-led force, France and some former colonies were cautious, reflecting how foreign interests and rivalries influence peace efforts.
- Despite international and regional involvement, rebel forces continued fighting, showing that peace processes require sustained effort and trust-building.
