Sierra Leone
New Sierra Leone peace talks in Abuja

afrol News, 2 May - Again, delgations from the Sierra Leonean government and the RUF terrorists/rebels are meeting in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to talk about the progress of the peace process. The conference is aided by the United Nations and ECOWAS.

The Abuja talks are to "review of the progress in implementing a ceasefire accord for Sierra Leone," according to UN sources. The oarties are also to look into other steps to end their decade-long conflict. 

A leader of the RUF delegation at the talks, Omrie Golley, said he hopes they make substantial progress at the Abuja meeting, according to the BBC. 

The head of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), Oluyemi Adeniji, was in Abuja, Nigeria, yesterday to take part in a review of the peace progress. The UN peacekeepers are monitoring the ceasefire in Sierra Leone, which has been effective since November 2000. 

The UN however complains of little progress since the ceasefire came into effect. UNAMSIL troops have only been able to deploy on a very limited part of RUF-occupied territory (the RUF occupies roughly half of Sierra Leone). Further, little war material has been returned to the UN forces. The UN therefore is urging the RUF to make stronger commitments to the peace process.

According to the UN Mission, representatives of the Government of Sierra Leone, the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and UNAMSIL, in the presence of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), gathered in Nigeria to conduct an assessment of the implementation of the Abuja Agreement signed on 10 November 2000. 

Yesterday in Abuja, Mr. Adeniji attended the Fourth Meeting of the Coordination Mechanism among the UN, ECOWAS and the Government of Sierra Leone. The meeting, in which the Organization of African Unity participated as an observer, involved consultations on the peace process. 

The conflict in Sierra Leone dates back to March 1991 when RUF rebels/terrorists launched a war from the east of the country to overthrow the government. The RUF has since then used a strategy of terror against the civilian population.

UNAMSIIL was set up by the Security Council in October 1999 to cooperate with the Government and the other parties in implementing the July 1999 Lomé Peace Agreement and to help carry out the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration plan. The Council revised the Mission's mandate in a series of subsequent mandates, most recently in March.

Sources: Based on UN sources and afrol archives

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