UNJLC LIBERIA BULLETIN 11
21 - 28 October 03

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UNJLC bulletins aim to provide a concise weekly overview of UNJLC activities and the present logistical situation in regard to the crisis in Liberia. In addition sector/country specific reports will be released regularly in order to provide in-depth coverage of priority areas.

Contact details for all UNJLC offices are available on the UNJLC website.

CONTENTS

• 1. HIGHLIGHTS
• 2. SECURITY
• 3. AIR OPERATIONS
• 4. SEA PORT OPERATIONS
• 5. BORDER CROSSINGS, CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION
• 6. TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
• 7. LOGISTICS CO-ORDINATION
• 8. CIVIL-MILITARY COORDINATION
• 9. FUEL (Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene) / COMMODITY PRICES
• 10. LIBERIA UNJLC INTERNATIONAL STAFF
• 11. OTHER

1. HIGHLIGHTS

An Operations Centre is to be established by OCHA, UNSECOORD, UNMIL, HIC and UNJLC.  This Centre will provide a common platform that can focus on the multi-sectoral humanitarian coordination within Liberia. The functional areas of this Centre include logistics coordination, ICT, security, information, CM Coordination and liaison to NGOs and local authorities. 

UNJLC has updated the outlook of its website. It can be viewed at www.unjlc.org.

The new transitional government headed by Chairman Gyude Bryant is still in the process of nominating and appointing senior officials. An updated contact list is provided below.

The first phase of the Roads and Bridge Assessment within Liberia is expected to commence soon. The survey will be implemented out by contracted commercial companies.

2. SECURITY

The security situation has been calm and stable in and around Monrovia.

Following the inauguration of the transitional government on 14 October and the process of nominations for government posts, fighting has broken out in various regions, including Grand Bassa County. 

Continuing clashes were also reported in the Bong and Nimba Counties in the North, with large-scale movements of displaced people as a result. Influxes of IDPs in Totota were reported, as people fled from the Sanoyie area.

Monrovia remains in UN Security Phase IV, while the rest of Liberia continues to be designated as Phase V.

3. AIR OPERATIONS

The WFP Air Operations will be meeting on 28 and 29 October with their counterparts in UNHCR and UNMIL to harmonise and de-conflict air assets and schedules in the region. It is anticipated that a new flight timetable will be announced by mid-November. The new schedule will be posted on the UNJLC website.  In addition UNJLC will produce an humanitarian air schedule chart detailing humanitarian flight details and links to commercial and military carriers.

The transport of 250 Sierra Leonean refugees for UNHCR will commence on 29 October from Monrovia to Freetown. It is expected to continue over the next few weeks.

An updated Passenger Request Form is available on the UNJLC website.

Initial information has been collected for use in the compilation of a comprehensive planning map of RIA. This will take a form similar to that of the UNJLC Freeport of Monrovia planning map, downloadable from the UNJLC website.

Contacts: WFP West Africa Air Service contacts are as follows:

               Ivory Coast:                                          Liberia:
               WFP West Africa Air Service                      WFP West Africa Air Service
               WFP Office                                             Ground Floor, WFP Office
               Rue Jesse Owens                                    United Nations Office
               Angle Boulevard de la Republique             Mamba Point
               Residence Tropique 3                              Monrovia
               Abidjan Plateau
               Contact: Alain Rakotovao                        Contact: Carole Harris
               Phone: (225) 05 404 990                        Phone: +377 47 530 092
               Fax:     (225) 20 226 239                        Fax: N/A
               Email: alain.rakotovao@wfp.org                Email: liberia.airops@wfp.org

              Sierra Leone:
              WFP West Africa Air Service
              WFP Office
              5H, Old Railway Line
              Tengbeh Town
              Freetown
              Contact: Aisha Kamara/Rosemary Parnell
              Tel +232 22 227 796/+232 22 222 395
              Fax: (232) 22 277 094
              Email: john.rhodes@wfp.org

4. SEA PORT OPERATIONS

The new Managing Director for Monrovia Freeport has been appointed. Mr. Clayee Z. Doe can be contacted at Tel: 534428.

Contacts for the Ghanaian contingent at the Freeport are as follows:

Commanding Officer – Lt Col James Adoinama: +377 47 530 657

Operations Officer – Major Louman Gbetanu: +377 47 530 654

Military Intelligence Officer – Capt Errigton Commil: +377 47 530 649

5. BORDER CROSSINGS, CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION

Liberia’s borders with its neighbouring countries remain closed. Customs and Immigration officials responsible for these entry points are currently in Monrovia and other communities in Liberia.
 

6. TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

Rehabilitation of the access road to the Freeport of Monrovia continues to take place. (WFP Sitrep report 25 October)

On October 22, WFP took part in a joint Heads of Agency needs and security assessment mission to Buchanan. The mission aimed to hold talks with the MODEL leaders and prepare the ground for road assessments on the route to Zwedru and to Harper.

7. LOGISTICS CO-ORDINATION

The eleventh weekly Joint Logistics Meeting was held at 11.00 hours in the HOC, ground floor of the WFP building. 

Chief UNJLC described a concept for an Liberian Operations Centre to the attendees.  The Ops Centre concept is evolving and is currently envisaged to include UNOCHA, UNHAS, UNSECOORD, UNMIL, HIC and UNJLC.  Its purpose will be to facilitate the coordination and de-confliction of logistics and movement in the region. The policy guidelines for this Centre will be defined by UNOCHA and presented to the country team.  UNJLC will assist in the development of the concept, and the establishment of the Centre. 

Funding for the first phase of the Road and Bridge Assessment of Liberia is now available. The assessments are expected to begin as soon as training of the assessors is complete.  Phase I will comprise of surveys of primary roads and key bridges, followed by secondary roads.  A Road Assessment Task Force will be tasked with assessing the primary road and bridge network in Liberia and identifying where emergency repairs are required.   The Task Force will prepare a prioritised list of proposals for repair and prepare bills of quantity for the work required. The Task Force will be placed under regime of the UN security system. Data compiled will be used in the updating the map information of the road networks. HIC and UNHCR GIS staff will be involved in training the personnel involved in this project.

UNJLC is in the process of negotiating warehouse space for UN agencies with UNMIL Civil Engineers and Legal Advisers. This potential space will be located between “Star Building” and the NIOC Pier.

8. CIVIL-MILITARY COORDINATION

The draft “General guidance for the interaction between humanitarian organisations and military forces operating in Liberia” (version 24 October), was presented in the UNCT meeting on 24 October. This document has been put under silence procedures expiring on Wednesday 29 October.

UNMIL succeeded in retrieving 8 vehicles which were stolen previously from UN agencies and/or NGOs.

Initially planned to deploy to Tubranburg, the Bangladeshi Battalion will deploy to Gbarnga as soon as possible.

UNMIL Emergency Response HOTLINES:

Duty Officer HQ Sector 1: +377 47 530 173

Duty Officer HQ UNMIL:   +377 47 532 313

UNMIL Force Commander – Lieutenant General Opande, Kenya.

Sector 1 Commander – Brigadier General Festus Okonkwo, Nigeria.

Civil-Military Co-operations Officers– Capt Lapage: +377 47 532 516
                                                    Col Whobrey

UN Civil-Military Co-ordination – Willy Peerens: +377 47 530 434

WFP Civil-Military Liaison – Albert Fiawosime: +377 47 530 209

UNHCR Civil-Military Liaison – Harry Leefe: +377 47 530 180

UNJLC Civil-Military Liaison – Oleksandr Grebenyuk: +377 47 532 378

9. FUEL (Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene) / COMMODITY PRICES

The exchange to the US $ dropped from L $ 40.00 on 21st October to L $ 43.00 on 28th October.

Fuel Prices (per Gallon)

10. LIBERIA UNJLC INTERNATIONAL STAFF

 David Pittfield: david.pittfield@wfp.org pittfield@hotmail.com Mobile: +377 47 530 093
 Peter Schaller: Monrovia.guest19@wfp.org Mobile: + 377 47 534 090
 Matthew Dee: matthew.dee@wfp.org m_dee99@yahoo.com Mobile: +377 47 530 187
 Carole Harris: carole.harris@wfp.org Mobile: +377 47 530 092
 Victor Cole: victor.cole@wfp.org Mobile: +377 47 531 423
 Oleksandr Grebenyuk: oleksandr.grebenyuk@wfp.org Mobile: +377 47 532 378
 Farzana Rasheed: farzana.rasheed@wfp.org Mobile: +377 47 531458

UNJLC Offices are located on the ground floor of the WFP building, UN Drive, Mamba Point, Monrovia.

11. OTHER

As mentioned last week, the transitional government headed by Chairman Gyude Bryant continues to be established. Since 14 October, the process of nominations and appointments for government posts has been taking place.  The government’s 21 Ministries are to be shared among members of the old Taylor administration, the LURD and MODEL rebel groups, former opposition political organizations and civic groups.

Below, we have included the names of the senior officials from key Ministries:

Thomas Namely Yaya                  Minister of Foreign Affairs
Vivian Rred                                Chief of Protocol
Emmett Kennedy                        Deputy Chief of Protocol, Tel: +377 47511881

Lusinee F. Kamara                      Minister of Finance, Tel: +377 47 510680
Tugbeh Doe                               Deputy Administration, Tel: +377 47 510597
Emmanuel Crawford                    Deputy Revenue
Princeton Miller                          Special Assistant to Minister, +377 47 511764
Fatu Gaddens White                   Commissioner of Customs

Kabinah Jannuh                         Minister of Justice
Theophilus C. Gould                   Deputy Minister, Tel: +377 47 512076
Edward K Goba                           Deputy Minister for Administration, Tel:+37747510126

Christian Herbert                        Minister of Planning & Economic Affairs, Tel:  +377 47 513111
Edward Salli                               Deputy for Regional Planning
James Balleh                             Administrative Assistant to Minister

H. Dan Morias                            Minister of Internal Affairs 

Samuel A. Wlue                         Minister of Commerce & Trade, Tel:  +377 47 533-801
Mustapha Kamara                      Deputy Minister, Tel: +377 47 520478
Nyah Mantein                            Deputy Minister for Administration, Tel: +377 47 511778
N’du Adighibe                            Assistant Minister, Tel:  +377 47 530718
Gloria Bishop Hoff                      Special Assistant to Minister, Tel:  +377 47 510017

Dr. Vamba Karnah                      Minister of Transport  , Tel:  +377 47 533360

Eugene Nagba                           Minister of Post & Telecommunications, Tel: +377 47 510008
Stephen Kollie                           Director General of Post, Tel: +377 47 520643
Alfred Toe                                 Director for Technical Communication

J. Laveli Supuwood                     Minister of Labour

Dr. Peter S. Coleman                 Minister of Health & Social Welfare

Daniel Chea                             Minister of Defense  

George Kamee                          Minister of Agriculture  

Tiah J. D. Slanger                      Commissioner, Bureau of Maritime Affairs 

Dr. D Evelyn S. Kandakai            Minister of Education

Abraham B. Mitchell                   Minister, Bureau of Immigration

Ermat C.B. Jones                       Minister of Rural Development, Tel: +377 47 531561
George K. Yarngo                      Director for Rural Water, Tel: +377 47 511171

Sam Mohammad Kromah           Managing Director, Liberia Freezone Authority 

Hammed Wilson                       Acting Managing Director, Roberts International Airport, Tel: +377 47 512012