Political dialogue the priority, says Special Representative for Great Lakes region.

Within weeks of assuming office as Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan announced that the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity would appoint a joint Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region. Mohamed Sahnoun of Algeria was named to the post. Ambassador Sahnoun (right), a distinguished diplomat, had served as the Secretary-General's Special Representative in Somalia from 28 April to 30 October 1992. Talking to the press at Headquarters on 28 January, he said his first priority would be to work with all the parties concerned to bring about a political dialogue.

In eastern Zaire and Burundi, the international community was facing conflicts which were difficult to define, the Special Representative stated. A collective trauma was still gripping Rwanda two years after the massacre of over 600,000 people - labelled "minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus". The conflicts in the Great Lakes region had caused hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced persons, a horrifying proliferation of small arms, and hostilities among the leaders in the area. The prospects for peace were slim, he said, adding that the damage inflicted upon the environment was incalculable, and some of the scars would be almost impossible to heal in short and medium terms.

While CNN cameras were no longer focusing on the situation in the Great Lakes region, the tragedies continued, Mr. Sahnoun said. Serious incidents were still occurring, and the casualties were sometimes reported much later or not reported at all. The massive return of refugees to Rwanda from eastern Zaire and the United Republic of Tanzania, while a welcome development, could also constitute a time bomb. The tragedy could become overwhelming if the hopes for resettlement and reintegration were dashed. Therefore, Rwanda needed all the assistance it could get to help reintegrate the returnees into the social, economic and political fabric of the country. Also, approximately 400,000 refugees were trapped by the fighting between the Zairian army and the rebel forces.

Political dialogue must be fostered inside the countries of the region, as well as among them, Mr. Sahnoun stressed. But in order to bring about that dialogue, a number of confidence-building measures must be developed, and that meant mobilizing resources. In his appeal to the Security Council to make such resources available, he had advocated a "mini-Marshall Plan" for the region. The Great Lakes was one of the most precarious and sensitive regions in the world. It had the highest population density in Africa and, with the degradation of the environment and scarcity of resources, the situation was bound to become even more tragic if the needs of the population were not addressed.

In response to a question on what specific confidence-building measures would be used, the Special Representative said they would most likely involve social and economic incentives. Such measures would also involve guarantees for those parties that might feel threatened by the prospect of a peaceful solution.

Asked if he would revive discussion of a multinational force to open corridors in the region, Mr. Sahnoun said the subject had not been discussed in the Security Council and it was not part of his mandate. But if the situation developed and the question arose, it would be discussed. In response to a question on the current status of military conflict in the Great Lakes region, Mr. Sahnoun said the situation was being monitored and he was in contact with the parties concerned, including the Government of Zaire. He had tried to convey the message that a military solution might be efficient, but it could leave deep and terrible scars, and should be avoided at all costs, and that a peaceful, political solution should be pursued.

Asked if members of the Council had commented on his "mini-Marshall Plan" idea for the Great Lakes region, Mr. Sahnoun said there had been a positive reaction. But the term "mini-Marshall Plan" was meant to be symbolic, and there was no comparison with the Marshall Plan as such. He had wanted to stress the region's importance and that problem should be perceived as a regional problem. There was a need for a comprehensive approach, with economic and social initiatives, to help the population of the region cope with the consequences of the war.

How would you measure President Mobutu's power and influence on the situation in the Great Lakes region? a correspondent asked. The Special Representative said Mr. Mobutu was President of Zaire. It was important that all the institutions were respected whatever one's views on them.

On President Pierre Buyoya of Burundi, Mr. Sahnoun said the leaders of the region had asked Mr. Buyoya to take steps to encourage the democratic process in his country and declared that they would gradually lift the sanctions against Burundi if they saw progress towards democratization. He would be looking into that situation as it progressed.