DATE=1/16/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-244272
TITLE=SIERRA LEONE (L)
BYLINE=JOHN PITMAN
DATELINE=ABIDJAN
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: (RE-RUNNING WITH CORRECT CR NUMBER; NO OTHER CHANGES)
INTRO: REBELS IN SIERRA LEONE SAY THEY WILL OBSERVE A SEVEN-DAY
CEASEFIRE STARTING ON MONDAY, DESPITE THE GOVERNMENT'S CONTINUED
REFUSAL TO RELEASE THEIR JAILED LEADER. AS V-O-A'S JOHN PITMAN
REPORTS FROM OUR WEST AFRICA BUREAU, THE GOVERNMENT'S REFUSAL HAS
CAST DOUBTS ON REGIONAL EFFORTS TO MEDIATE A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO
THE COUNTRY'S CIVIL WAR.
TEXT: REBEL FIELD COMMANDER SAM BOCKARIE SAYS THE WEEK-LONG
UNILATERAL CEASEFIRE DECLARED ON THURSDAY WILL GO INTO EFFECT ON
MONDAY AT 18 HOURS UNIVERSAL TIME, AS PLANNED.
BUT THE REBEL COMMANDER ALSO SAYS THE TRUCE WILL END SEVEN DAYS
LATER IF REBEL LEADER FODAY SANKOH IS NOT RELEASED AND
TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER COUNTRY.
MR. BOCKARIE MADE THESE COMMENTS A DAY AFTER SIERRA LEONE'S
PRESIDENT, AHMAD TEJAN KABBAH, REJECTED THE REBELS' PRINCIPAL
DEMAND THAT MR. SANKOH BE FREED IMMEDIATELY.
FRIDAY EVENING, PRESIDENT KABBAH SAID IN A BROADCAST INTERVIEW
THAT HE COULD NOT RELEASE MR. SANKOH WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF
PARLIAMENT. TO DO OTHERWISE, HE SAID, WOULD BETRAY THE PEOPLE'S
WISHES.
MR. KABBAH DID NOT RULE OUT AN EVENTUAL RELEASE FOR MR. SANKOH --
WHO WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH IN OCTOBER AFTER BEING CONVICTED OF
TREASON. BUT HE SAID IF MR. SANKOH GOES FREE, HE WOULD HAVE TO
REMAIN IN SIERRA LEONE, NOT TRAVEL ABROAD AS THE REBELLION HAS
DEMANDED.
MR. KABBAH DID NOT SAY WHEN PARLIAMENT MIGHT MEET TO CONSIDER MR.
SANKOH'S FATE. BUT OBSERVERS SAY THE PHYSICAL DESTRUCTION OF
TELEPHONE AND ELECTRICAL UTILITIES IN SIERRA LEONE'S CAPITAL,
FREETOWN, DURING LAST WEEK'S REBEL ASSAULT, WILL LIKELY FORCE
MAJOR DELAYS IN THE GOVERNMENT'S AGENDA.
/// OPT /// REPORTS FROM FREETOWN SAY THE REBELS' INCURSION, AND
THE COUNTER-OFFENSIVE BY WEST AFRICAN PEACEKEEPERS, CAUSED
MASSIVE DAMAGE IN EASTERN AND CENTRAL FREETOWN.
THE PEACEKEEPERS SAY THEY HAVE REGAINED CONTROL OF THE WHOLE
CITY, BUT WITNESSES SAID SATURDAY THAT FIGHTING AND SMOKE COULD
STILL BE HEARD AND SEEN COMING FROM EASTERN NEIGHBORHOODS.
AID GROUPS SAY THE DEVASTATION HAS SET THE STAGE FOR EPIDEMICS OF
DISEASE AND STARVATION IN THE CAPITAL. THEY HAVE CALLED FOR AN
IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE TO DELIVER EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO CIVILIANS.
/// END OPT ///
MEANWHILE, REGIONAL DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO BRING THE GOVERNMENT
AND REBELS TOGETHER FOR PEACE TALKS APPEAR TO HAVE HIT A SNAG --
WITH MEMBERS OF THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES,
ECOWAS, DEBATING WHO SHOULD LEAD THE PEACE INITIATIVE.
THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF TOGO AND THE IVORY COAST HAD BEEN
SHUTTLING BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. BUT ON FRIDAY, NIGERIA'S
FOREIGN MINISTER CRITICIZED THOSE TWO COUNTRIES FOR NOT
SUPPORTING THE ECOWAS MILITARY MISSION TO SIERRA LEONE.
/// OPT /// NIGERIA, GUINEA-CONAKRY, AND GHANA PROVIDE THE
MAJORITY OF TROOPS TO THE WEST AFRICAN PEACEKEEPING FORCE, KNOWN
AS ECOMOG. IN THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO THE REBELS' SURPRISE
ATTACK ON FREETOWN LAST WEDNESDAY, NIGERIAN COMMANDERS COMPLAINED
THAT ECOMOG NEEDED TO BE REINFORCED. BUT EXTRA TROOPS WERE NOT
FORTHCOMING. MOST MEMBER STATES SAID DOMESTIC ECONOMIC
PRESSURES PREVENTED THEM FROM CONTRIBUTING MORE MEN. /// END OPT
///
ACCORDING TO SOME SOURCES, THIS INTERNAL DEBATE HAS FROZEN ALL
DIPLOMATIC ACTIVITY. THE UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SIERRA
LEONE HAS REPORTEDLY URGED THE ECOWAS MEMBERS TO RESOLVE THEIR
DIFFERENCES QUICKLY AND REFOCUS THEIR COLLECTIVE ENERGY ON SIERRA
LEONE. (SIGNED)
NEB/JP/DW/GE
16-Jan-99 12:31 PM EST (1731 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
