DATE=10/5/1999
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=SIERRA LEONE / OUTLOOK
NUMBER=5-44416
BYLINE=JOHN PITMAN
DATELINE=FREETOWN
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The peace agreement that ended Sierra Leone's
eight year civil war was signed three months ago this
week. During the past 90 days, security in the West
African nation has improved significantly, and the
rebellion's chiefs have returned home. However, as V-
O-A's John Pitman reports from Sierra Leone's capital,
Freetown, the accord's most sensitive elements have
yet to be implemented, and disagreements continue to
cause delays.
TEXT: Last Sunday, Sierra Leone's president, Ahmad
Tejan Kabbah, said the return of the country's two top
rebel leaders had brought a "symbolic" end to the war.
Speaking at his hill-top mansion, flanked by his old
adversaries, Mr. Kabbah might have also spotted two
other symbols in the sky above Freetown. One, a
rainbow that arced over the city during the homecoming
ceremony, fit nicely with the day's hopeful, yet
carefully-worded, speeches about forgiveness and
reconciliation.
But the other symbol suggested a darker, less certain,
side of the Sierra Leonean peace process: Birds of
prey, including vultures, circled high over the
presidential mansion as the three men spoke.
For ordinary Sierra Leoneans, these two images express
what many feel: On one hand, relief that the war is
over. But on the other hand, fear that bickering
(disagreements) between the government and the former
rebels, coupled with a lack of funding, could doom the
peace accord and lead to a resumption of hostilities.
Despite former rebel leader Foday Sankoh's
proclamation that Sierra Leone stands on the threshold
of what he called "a new era," there is still a lot to
worry about.
The peace agreement signed in July hinges on two
critical elements, disarmament and the creation of a
transitional government of national unity.
But while both sides say they remain committed to
fulfilling the accord, progress toward disarming the
estimated 40-thousand combatants has been slow, and
the creation of the new government is also behind
schedule.
/// OPT /// Under the terms of the July accord, the
West African peacekeeping force known as ECOMOG was to
have begun withdrawing within 30 days, leaving behind
some of its troops to serve under a United Nations
peacekeeping force.
/// OPT ///That United Nations force was to have been
deployed within 60 days of the accord's signing, to
begin disarming and demobilizing the former ex-
combatants.
/// OPT /// But both the ECOMOG withdrawal and the
United Nation deployment have been delayed. ECOMOG's
pull-out was stopped in August at the request of
president Kabbah, who expressed concerns about
security. The United Nations deployment has begun,
but the bulk of the force has yet to be approved by
the U-N Security Council. And to date, only two
disarmament camps have been built. /// END OPT ///
Observers say until the disarmament process is
completed - and the weapons are destroyed - mutual
suspicion will haunt the rest of the process.
The creation of the transitional government and a new
Sierra Leonean military have also been delayed by this
distrust as well as by misunderstandings about the
language of the July peace agreement.
/// OPT /// The most serious misunderstanding involved
a group of former soldiers who argued that their
interests were not included in the July agreement.
The soldiers said they wouldn't accept the accord
unless they were reinstated into the military. After
weeks of tension, it remains unclear how this issue
will be resolved. On Sunday, the former coup leader,
Johnny Paul Koroma, announced that all of the former
soldiers would be reinstated. However, government and
United Nations sources say the new national army will
be much smaller than it was before the coup, and that
not every former soldier will be guaranteed a
position. /// END OPT ///
While high ranking officials on both sides and within
the international community remain upbeat about the
creation of a new transitional government, public
attitudes remain skeptical.
With tens of thousands of civilians killed, maimed,
raped or left homeless by the war, the government's
rhetoric of forgiveness has not been able to hide a
widespread feeling of public animosity toward the
rebels.
/// OPT /// Under the July accord, four ministries
will be controlled by former rebels in the new
government. But a recent, informal survey of
government officials found many who said they would
have difficulty working for the people they hold
responsible for destroying their country. /// END OPT
///
The highest ranking former rebel will be Foday Sankoh,
the chief of the Revolutionary United Front, who will
chair a special commission on strategic resources - a
job that will essentially put him in charge of the
country's major source of revenue.
Observers say the biggest challenge for Mr. Sankoh
will be to stop illegal mining - something he
allegedly encouraged during the war - and ensure that
the profits from this sector end up in the
government's treasury. (SIGNED)
NEB/JP/GE/JP
05-Oct-1999 13:36 PM EDT (05-Oct-1999 1736 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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