To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide details of the equipment to be provided by the United Kingdom to ECOMOG, as part of the United Kingdom's £10 million package of assistance to Sierra Leone; and what assurances he has received about its use. [80720]
We continue to believe that lasting peace in Sierra Leone cannot be achieved by military means alone. But for a negotiated solution to be achieved, the people and Government of Sierra Leone must be secure.On 30 March 1999,
Official Report, column 567, I announced that £5 million of the UK's new £10 million package of assistance for Sierra Leone would be made available to provide further equipment for ECOMOG; and that deliveries of equipment would be arriving shortly. This is to support ECOMOG's efforts to protect the people and the democratically elected Government of Sierra Leone. As part of our package of assistance to ECOMOG, we are providing logistic support in the form of vehicles, boots and rations, as well as light weapons and ammunition.
We have secured assurances from ECOMOG that this equipment will be used only in accordance with internationally acceptable human rights standards and humanitarian law. We have made it clear to ECOMOG that our support is conditional on ECOMOG and the Government of Sierra Leone respecting human rights.
In accordance with normal practice, we will notify the United Nations Sanctions Committee once we have precise details of the consignments. We have received assurances from ECOMOG and the Government of Sierra Leone that the equipment will remain in Sierra Leone when ECOMOG eventually departs.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to publish the Government's response to the Foreign Affairs Committee report on Sierra Leone (HC 116 of Session 1998–99). [80721]
The Government's response will be published today.