Two sides agree on the "principle of freeing Sankoh"

The Sierra Leone government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) have agreed in principle to the release of rebel leader Foday Sankoh, news organisation reported. "The principle of the release of Foday Sankoh has been accepted by the two parties," Togo's Foreign Minister, Joseph Kokou Koffigoh, announced on Thursday at a news conference in Lome, Togo. He said that the details of his release needed to be worked out in order for them to comply with Sierra Leonean laws, news organisations reported. "We are very happy, progress has been made and is being made," Reuters reported Omrie Golley, the RUF's legal adviser, as saying. However conference sources told Reuters that they did not expect an outright announcement on his freedom. One source said "I expect his freedom might well have some conditionalities, something like, you do this, I do that". The unconditional release of Sankoh, who was sentenced to death last October on treason charges but was temporarily released to attend the Lome talks, has always been a key demand of the rebels. Meanwhile after a long debate over proceedure the two sides agreed to start direct negotiations by tackling the contentious issue of an interim government for Sierra Leone, Reuters reported. During internal consultations prior to talks with the government, the RUF had demanded the provision of a four-year transitional government. President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah is opposed to his elected government giving way to an interim administration that would include rebels blamed for a "reign of terror," Reuters said.