Sierra Leonean President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah has agreed to allow imprisoned Revolutionary United Front (RUF) leader Foday Sankoh to talk directly with his rebel commanders so they can present their plans for peace to his government, Presidential Spokesman Septimus Kaikai told IRIN today (Monday).
However, the offer is only good if the rebels accept the legitimacy of the Kabbah government, lay down their arms, stop attacks on civilians and present no pre-conditions for talks. “If they agree then we can go to the next step for the meeting,” Kaikai said.
In a broadcast on Sunday, Kabbah said he would allow Sankoh, imprisoned for treason, to travel for the talks at a venue and time yet to be determined.
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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