ECONOMY-SIERRA LEONE: Windfall From Overseas

By Lansana Fofana Reprint | | Print |

Lansana Fofana

FREETOWN, Aug 4 1998 (IPS) - Sierra Leone’s 4.8 million people will soon begin to reap the fruits of last week’s conference held at the United Nations headquarters in New York to seek funds to rehabilitate the war-ravaged West African country.

The parley, attended by 30 representatives of governments and non-governmental organisations (ngos), resulted in a series of financial pledges for Sierra Leone.

Britain, which ruled Sierra Leone until independence in 1961, pledged 1.5 million Pounds (2.43 million US Dollars) for the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme and further earmarked 1.5 million pounds (2.43 million US Dollars) for logistical assistance to the West African Peace-Keeping Force (ECOMOG).

It was ECOMOG that restored President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah to power in March, one year after he was toppled by a military junta.

During the conference, the United States pledged a total of 55 million Dollars, of which 11.2 million Dollars was earmarked for the DDR programme, 3.9 million Dollars to ECOMOG and 33 million Dollars for humanitarian needs.

China and Japan also pledged undisclosed amounts. Germany has sent 20 vehicles for Sierra Leone’s police force and has resumed consular operations, which were halted due to a rupture in relations between the two countries in the early 1990s.

The New Zealand government pledged 100,000 New Zealand Dollars (about 57,857 US Dollars) for a child protection programme to be coordinated through the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Canada is considering sending five military observers in addition to its support for the police.

During the one-day conference, the U.N. Secretary General’s Special Envoy, Francis Otello, urged the international community to match their pledges with concrete actions to help Sierra Leone consolidate its democratic gains.

Apart from financial pledges, participants examined the security situation in Sierra Leone, against the background of rebel activities in the north and east of the country.

Rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) supported the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) military junta that was overthrown in February. Sierra Leone’s elected civilian government was returned to power in March.

Remnants of the AFRC and RUF rebels have continued to fight in rural areas where they have committed widespread atrocities against civilians.

President Kabbah told the UN conference that his government had offered the rebel forces a two-week ultimatum to surrender to ECOMOG in exchange for an amnesty, which he has extended until Aug. 8.

“My government, in a spirit of national reconciliation, has extended by two weeks, its offer to receive members of the junta and rebels who are prepared to lay down their arms and surrender to ECOMOG,” he said.

Although the president returned home Sunday to news of renewed junta atrocities in parts of the northern province, Sierra Leoneans are generally pleased with the outcome of the New York meeting.

In its editorial ‘Brave, Mr. President’, the independent ‘Vision’ newspaper said Tuesday: “The attention Sierra Leone has received from the international community is such that President Kabbah deserves a pat on the back … the President has proved that he is genuinely committed towards bringing development and peace to this war-ravaged country.”

‘The Daily Mail’ agreed. “The success of the President’s visit (to the U.N. in New York) is out of this world, it was an unqualified success”.

Since a good portion of all funds pledged will go to the DDR, the U.N. Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNMSRI), has set in motion the process of demobilisation.

Last month, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to set up a small peace-keeping operation in Sierra Leone. A team of 70 military observers will be sent to help disarm forces.