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Sierra Leone's parliament on Thursday unanimously ratified the peace pact between the government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and set up a committee to facilitate its implementation, a UNOMSIL source told IRIN.
And Attorney-General Solomon Berewa reportedly announced at Thursday's session that he would present a bill early next week to enable the RUF to become a political party.
The peace pact, signed in Lome on 7 July, states that the legal steps needed for the RUF to register as a party should be taken with 30 days of the signing.
Meanwhile, Foday Sankoh, the leader of the RUF, said he planned to head to Freetown next week, according to AFP, which reported that he did not say whether he would travel directly to the capital or via Liberia and hinterland areas held by the rebels.
Asked about concerns expressed by Sankoh to AFP over his security in Freetown, Presidential spokesman Septimus Kaikai told IRIN Sankoh had "nothing to worry about".
"Government will do everything to make sure Sankoh is safe," Kaikai said. Those responsible for the RUF leader's security may include representatives of ECOMOG and UNOMSIL, he added.
Under the peace agreement, Sankoh is to chair a commission that will oversee mineral resources and post-war reconstruction.
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
