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UN Secretary-General urged to reject blanket amnesty

    NAIROBI

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on
    Wednesday to reject any peace agreement for Sierra Leone that includes a general amnesty, and released fresh evidence of ongoing rebel atrocities in Sierra Leone.

    "The atrocities committed in Sierra Leone have shocked the world," said Peter Takirambudde, executive director of HRW's Africa division. "The United Nations must not sponsor a peace agreement that pretends they never happened."

    The testimonies released by HRW refer to abuses by Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels, including executions of civilians and gang rape of children in violation of a ceasefire agreement that went into effect on 24 May.

    HRW urged all parties at the Togo peace talks to insist on the inclusion of mechanisms of accountability, including trials and punishment for those who have committed the worst atrocities in the final peace accord. It also suggested that Annan use his visit to Freetown to call for greater international support for the peacekeeping effort by the mainly Nigerian ECOMOG forces in Freetown. It also called on ECOMOG to respect international humanitarian law.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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