Rebels “cautiously welcome” Kabbah’s peace offer

A spokesman for the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) yesterday (Monday) “cautiously welcomed” President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah’s offer to allow talks between jailed rebel leader Foday Sankoh and RUF commanders. According to the Sierra Leone News website, RUF spokesman Omrie Golley said the rebels were now awaiting government proposals “in the shortest possible time” on how to proceed “in order to carefully study them and respond”. He stressed there were many issues to be resolved, including the venue of the talks and security guarantees for both Sankoh and his rebel interlocuters. Presidential spokesman Septimus Kaikai yesterday told IRIN that Kabbah had agreed to let Sankoh consult with his rebel commanders so they could present their peace plans to the government, but stressed the offer was only good if the rebels accepted the government’s legitimacy, laid down their arms and presented no preconditions for talks. The Sierra Leone parliament has welcomed the move, saying the Abidjan peace accord signed between Sankoh and Kabbah in 1996, which would form the basis of any peace deal, was still a “viable framework” for settling the conflict.