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afrol.com, 12 September - This morning, Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened the first meeting of the coordination mechanism between the United Nations, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Government of Sierra Leone. In his opening remarks, the Secretary-General expressed concern about reports of tensions on the border between Liberia and Guinea. He said he hoped that ECOWAS would do all it could to prevent any deterioration in this situation, which could have an adverse effect on Sierra Leone. Saying that the humanitarian situation has already reached deplorable levels, he pledged to do whatever he can the to help calm the situation. In a statement issued through his Spokesman, the Secretary-General voiced distress at the loss of life following clashes along the Liberia-Guinea border and urged the Presidents of both countries to refrain from any action that might aggravate the situation. He called on them to support the mediation efforts of President Alpha Oumar Konaré of Mali, the current Chairman of ECOWAS. At the meeting, which he described as another opportunity to review the progress that has been made and set out priorities for the future, the Secretary-General expressed his relief over the rescue of the six British military personnel and one Sierra Leone army officer over the weekend. The situation in Sierra Leone remains relatively calm, but unpredictable, the UN spokesman informed. In Conakry, Guinea, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) visited Sierra Leonean refugees who had been rounded up by police over the weekend. UNHCR officials screened them to determine the refugee status of those rounded up, and they asked Guinean authorities to protect genuine refugees and asked refugees to respect Guinean laws. In New York, the Security Council today discussed a draft resolution on Sierra Leone that would expand the force level of the UN mission to up to 20,500. Referring to the Council's discussions, the Secretary-General said he hoped that the resolution would give a new impetus to the search for a solution to the conflict. The resolution is expected to be finalized today and voted on by the Council this Friday. The Security Council also held its monthly working luncheon with the Secretary-General today. Source: UN
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