Larger role for UN in Central America urged; presidents ask for demobilization of irregular forces.

Presidents ask for demobilization of irregular forces 

The United Nations has been asked to play a larger role in the Central America peace process. The request was made by the region's five Presidents at a summit meeting in San Isidro de Coronado, Costa Rica (10-12 December).

The Presidents of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua want the mandate of the United Nations Observer Group in Central America (ONUCA) expanded to give it direct responsibility for demobilizing irregular forces in the region.

They also want ONUCA to prevent the supply of weapons both to the Nicaraguan resistance and to the Frente Farabundo Marti por la Liberacion Nacional (FMLN) in El Salvador, and to verify any cease-fires.

ONUCA was established by the Security Council on 7 November 1989, strictly as an observer mission. Its mandate: to verify the cessation of aid to irregular forces and the non-use of the territory of one State for attacks on other States. Any change in that mandate must be approved by the Council.

In a Declaration (A/44/872S/21019) adopted at the end of their three-day summit, the Presidents also asked UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar to speed up full deployment and functioning of ONUCA, take steps to reinitiate the dialogue between the Government of El Salvador and the FMLN, and involve States with interests in the region more directly in the peace efforts.

The International Support and Verification Commission (CIAV) was asked "to proceed at once" with the demobilization of the FMLN. All funds for the Nicaraguan resistance, the Declaration stated, should be immediately turned over to CIAV. The Commission was jointly established on 6 September 1989 by the UN and the Organization of American States (OAS).

"Initiation of the demobilization of the Nicaraguan resistance and the FMLN is a key factor in overcoming the crisis besetting the peace process", the Presidents stated.

The Nicaraguan Government should make at once "the necessary contacts with ONUCA and CIAV so that the demobilization of the Nicaraguan resistance forces in Honduras may begin as of the signing of this agreement", they added.

The Presidents strongly supported El Salvador President Alfredo Cristiani in his efforts to find a peaceful and democratic solution to the conflict in his country.

They reiterated their appeal to the FMLN to cease hostilities, resume the dialogue with the Government and "publicly renounce any type of violent action that may directly or indirectly affect the civilian population".

They also appealed to the Nicaraguan resistance "to cease any action which may jeopardize

"the electoral process and the civilian population". Elections in Nicaragua have been scheduled for February 1990.

Presidents Cristiani of El Salvador and Daniel Ortega Saavedra of Nicaragua were urged to end through negotiations and dialogue, "the estrangement between their Governments".

The General Assembly on 23 October expressed (44/10) its strongest support for the peace process in Central America and fully supported the Secretary General's efforts in that regard.

The Assembly also reviewed the Special Plan of Economic Cooperation for Central America adopted by the General Assembly in 1987 (42/204).

The Secretary-General reported (A/44/519) that already under the Plan, 21 development projects, costing some $11.2 million, had been approved, with $12.4 million available for technical assistance projects.

In his last report of the year on Central America (A/44/886S/21029), Secretary-General Perez de Cuellar said on 21 December that he hoped that the cycle of great expectations and deep disappointments that had characterized the peace process in the region would finally be broken.

"I hope that the decisions adopted by the Central American Presidents will definitely guide the process along the right lines", he said. He was "taking the necessary steps" to carry out the tasks requested from the UN, which he felt were an indication of confidence in the Organization. Renewed violence

The Declaration of San Isidro de Coronado came after the peace process was shaken by renewed violence in Nicaragua and El Salvador in November and December. Both Governments exchanged charges before the Security Council.

On 1 November, Nicaragua unilaterally suspended the cease-fire in place since March 1988, after denouncing what it described as attacks and massive border infiltrations by Nicaraguan resistance forces.

Efforts to restore the cease-fire were made at a series of meetings held under CIAV auspices in New York and Washington, D.C., in November.

Attending were representatives of the Nicaraguan Government and of the Nicaraguan resistance, a representative of Honduras as an observer, and Nicaraguan Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo as a witness.

Although there had been "a narrowing of the gap" between the positions at the meetings, differences were "still outstanding", the CIAV stated in a communique at the closing meeting. New meetings were to be convened "at the earliest date". Civilian population suffers

Meanwhile, fighting between government and FMLN forces intensified in El Salvador. Security Council members reacted with grave concern", particularly to the numerous acts of violence resulting in loss of lives and sufferings of the civilian population". They reaffirmed support for the Secretary-General's peace efforts in two statements, on 24 November and 8 December (S/21011).

Mr. Perez de Cuellar stated on 13 November that the situation in El Salvador

had "seriously deteriorated" and talks between the Government and the FMLN in which a UN representative had been involved "seemed to be in jeopardy".

On 17 November, he said he was particularly shocked at the "cold-blooded murder of Father Ignacio Ellacuria, Rector of the Central American University, as well as other jesuit priests". The Genera Assembly on 15 December condemned the incident as a "brutal assassination" (44/165).

The Security Council convened on 30 November at El Salvador's request, after an airplane said to be registered in Nicaragua and reportedly carrying anti-aircraft missiles intended for rebel use crashed in south-eastern El Salvador.

Nicaragua said the allegations that Nicaragua was breaching the regional peace agreements were a "cover-up for the tragedy that had long been inflicted on the Salvadoran people".

On 5 December, Mr. Perez de Cuellar and OAS Secretary-General Joao Baena Soares informed the Central American Presidents that, much to their regret and for reasons beyond their control", they had been unable to set in motion the joint Plan to demobilize the Nicaraguan resistance, adopted by the Presidents at Tela, Honduras, on 7 August. The 90-day demobilization operation was to have been completed by 6 December 1989.

However, "it would be useful to persevere", Mr. Perez de Cuellar said in his end-of-the year report, since preliminary steps" had been taken to lay the foundation for subsequent implementation of the Plan. Nicaraguan election process begins

The election campaign in Nicaragua began on 4 December, following two months of voter registration. The UN Observation Mission for the Verification of Elections in Nicaragua (ONUVEN) by the beginning of December had opened offices in virtually all parts of the country.

Secretary-General Perez de Cuellar reported that in spite of the interruption of the cease-fire, the process was proceeding "in a generally positive way". He hoped that outbreaks of violence were "isolated incidents" and that the campaign would develop peacefully.

Elliott L. Richardson, the Secretary-General's Personal Representative the verification of elections in Nicaragua, visited the country from 18 to 23 October. On his return to New York, he reported that the registration period had not been disrupted in any major way. The goal of a free, fair and honest election was being taken very seriously by all those concerned in the Government, the parties and the people, he stated.

The Mission reported on its activities on 17 October (A/44/642) and 7 December (A/44/834), stating that a Nicaraguan electoral authority had been established and political parties organized. It also described the vote registration process, use of mass media in the campaign and complaints and allegations received. A total of 74 international observers were in place by the beginning of December. ONUCA established, first observers in place

The Security Council on 7 November decided to establish the United Nations Observer Group in Central America (ONUCA) for an initial period of six months. It did so in unanimously adopting resolution 644 (1989). The Group's total strength is expected to reach 675, including 260 military observers, naval and air support personnel, medical staff and administrative staff.

The Secretary-General reported SI20895) that ONUCA would "by its very presence perform a preventive function and, as appropriate, a deterrent function".

The Group's headquarters will be in Tegucigalpa, with liaison offices in other Central American capitals. Verification centres are to be set up in 33 locations as close as possible to sensitive areas throughout the region. Because of the long distances involved, and few roads and rugged terrain, observers will work in mobile teams, using heavy road vehicles, boats and helicopters.

The unarmed observers will come from Canada, Colombia, Ireland, Spain and Venezuela; logistics units from Canada and Venezuela; and civilian elements from the Federal Republic of Germany. Major-General Agustin Quesada Gomez of Spain was named Chief Military Observer. By the end of December, 25 observers from Colombia, Ireland and Venezuela had arrived in H