UN General Assembly
1999

A special conference is to take place shortly in Washington, D.C., for pledges to the fund and for other post-conflict programmes, including humanitarian assistance, the welfare of refugees and the welfare of children associated with the war. I would like to thank all our friends in the donor community who will be participating in that meeting and to plead with them to donate generously. Since the signing of the Lomé Agreement, the peace has been generally holding. There have been a few severe hiccups, but because of the determination of all to move forward, we have been able to contain the situation. The war went on for a long time; the rebels were used to obtaining everything they needed by the use of force. Since the Agreement, they have simply been waiting for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme to commence. The delay in implementing this could be a factor in the restlessness observed in some elements from time to time. It is a dangerous void. The programme itself is under the chairmanship of our