Government, rebels agree in principle to disarm

Sierra Leone’s government and rebels have agreed on the principle of assembling, disarming and demobilising troops and reorganising and reunifying the army, Foreign Minister Joseph Koffigoh of Togo told a news conference on Tuesday, news organisations reported. Koffigoh, who has been mediating the peace talks in Lome between the Sierra Leonean government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), said the modalities of the accord still had to be worked out and discussions would be held in the next few days, according to the reports. The talks, launched last week under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), have still not yet addressed in any detail the issue of a four-year transitional government. However, the government has agreed in principle to the release of the rebel leader, Foday Sankoh, currently under sentence of death for treason.