United Nations

        NEW YORK, 8 December (UN Headquarters) -- Following is the text of a statement issued today by the Office of the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

        The Secretary-General has been following with growing concern the deteriorating situation along the Guinea/Liberia/Sierra Leone borders.  He deplores the loss of innocent lives as a result of the vicious attacks perpetrated over the last several days by armed elements on Guinean towns and villages.  He is concerned at the displacement of large numbers of Guinean nationals and Sierra Leonean and Liberian refugees away from affected areas, which these attacks have caused.

        He is also concerned that the situation will further impede the already difficult task of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its humanitarian partners.

        The Secretary-General calls on all parties inside and outside the Mano River Basin subregion to use whatever means necessary to curb this spiralling violence that is likely to have serious security and humanitarian consequences, not only inside Guinea but also for the subregion as a whole.

        The Secretary-General calls on the international community to actively support the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ongoing efforts to expeditiously deploy a military observer mission to this troubled area.