"UNITED NATIONS OBSERVER MISSION IN EL SALVADOR - ONUSAL"

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES. Natural Sounds.

The first universal elections in El Salvador was declared acceptable by the UN Observer Mission in El Salvador

The land distribution programme is part of a national effort to address the root causes of the civil war which claimed the lives of more than 75000 people. Peasants who previously lived and worked on parcels of land will now have to buy it from the large land-owners through a long-term loan programme. The United Nations is acting as an observer to ensure the process is fair and voluntary.

Explosive experts from the Spanish police and other members of the Police division of the UN Observer Mission in El Salvador

As the fighting ceases in El Salvador, the nation prepares for elections which are scheduled for March this year. Citizens turn out in full strength to register at centres throughout the country. Meanwhile observers from the UN meet with election officials to ensure that the entire process runs smoothly.

With the recent signing of the peace accord, ending 12 years of civil war in El Salvador, refugees can now return home. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UNHCR, is organizing convoys of buses to assist the return of one million EL Salvadorea

After 12 years of civil war, a cease-fire is now in force in El Salvador. ONUSAL, the UN Observer Mission in El Salvador, established to monitor respect for human rights, continues to carry out its task. The presence of ONUSAL in El Salvador is vital so that the peace accord signed between the government and guerilla coalitions will continue to hold.

With a UN-sponsored agreement bringing the end of the civil war in sight, the UN Observer Mission in El Salvador, ONUSAL, is continuing its work reporting on violations and educating Salvadoreans about human rights. The education campaign use radio and television commercials and meets with officials on all sides of the conflict and the public to increase human rights awareness. Supported by both the army and guerilla forces, the UN theme in El Salvador is that human rights is the road to peace.