A plane carrying a group of RUF negotiators led by Mr Solomon Rogers, Chairman of the RUF 'War Council' reportedly left Lomé, Togo yesterday and landed in Monrovia, Liberia. According to reports, arrangements are being made for an onward mission to RUF/AFRC headquarters at Kailahun in the Eastern Province, also home base of the RUF and its Military High Command.

The delegation, includes two other RUF and AFRC representatives as well as a Togolese foreign ministry official and the Nigerian ambassador to Togo, both respectively representing Presidents Eyadema and Obasanjo. Their mission is to consult with the fighters and possibly 'sell' the terms of a peace deal purportedly "agreed" at Lomé yesterday, following a meeting between the two heads of State and Sankoh.

Foday Sankoh who travelled on the same plane when it originally took off from Togolese President Eyadema's home city of Kara after meeting the Nigerian President, did not accompany the others but left the plane at Lomé. Conditions under which he was released from jail in Freetown while appealing against a death sentence do not allow him to travel outside Togo. He is still a prisoner.

Sankoh's personal encounter with obasanjo was described as extremely cordial and friendly. As a goodwill gesture to the Nigerian President, the RUF has promised to release 10 Nigerian POWs.

There is no doubt that there has been considerable arm twisting by the Nigerian President and the Ecowas Chairman to extract a deal from Sankoh at all costs. This no doubt is due partly to a genuine concern by both men to resolve the conflict in Sierra Leone. But also partly, in the especial case of Obasanjo, his abhorrence, upon taking the reins of power in his country, at learning of the true nature and extent of the huge casualties that his troops have suffered during the fighting. There has also been an urge to save face for western diplomats who have been involved in the negotiations.

However, Sankoh has resolutely refused to sign any deal while he remains a prisoner. According to our sources, the decision to send a mission to the 'bush' is interpreted as an attempt to by-pass the RUF leader in the hope of getting an endorsement by the real people on the ground. Speculation is that the terms will be rejected outright by the AFRC/RUF. The mission could thus fail.

In anticipation of such failure, we understand that plans have been completed for an all-out offensive on the rebels' positions in the aftermath. As we reported before, there has been frantic re-arming on both sides and our sources now say there is a real prospect of the fighting resuming unless a dramatic volte face, by both the Government and the RUF/AFRC rebel coalition, takes place over the weekend. 

One source who insisted that she must not be quoted said that the grounds for international acquiescence in an all-out military intervention to pulverise rebel controlled areas once and for all was laid with the flurry of high profile human rights visits to Sierra Leone recently (including that by Mrs Mary Robinson, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who said the situation in  "Sierra Leone was worse than Kosovo") and reports such as that by US based Human Rights Watch that came out during last week. 

We have not seen the text of the agreement, but from fragments of information we  have picked up about the proposed "deal" since last night, it simply does not augur well for a peaceful resolution of an 8-year conflict, in which neither side has been able to snatch "victory" from the other. 

We hear that some members of the Mediation Group, whose identity we must protect, have privately expressed  "their profound unhappiness and dissatisfaction" with the deal. Mr Rogers, the chief RUF negotiator, was reported to be in despair and extremely disappointed. We do not yet know of any reaction from the Government of Sierra Leone.

The agreement does not appear to be even-handed and calls into serious question the motives of those who are trying to impose rather negotiate a settlement for Sierra Leone.

Some key points which we cannot confirm until we have seen the actual text are:

• Four cabinet post are on offer as well as 4 deputy ministerial post. None have been designated; so which ministries they will be are entirely at President Kabbah's discretion;

• There will be no post of Vice Presidency on offer;

• The AFRC/RUF must disarm and be integrated into civil society; their security will be handled by the Kabbah government; in other words they must put their fate in the hands of their enemy;

• The government's new army will not disarm;

• Kamajoh's will disarm but, according to an objection by RUF at the talks, they could then change overnight into government soldiers in which case they will not disarm;

• There is no freedom for Sankoh; he must return to face the judicial process in Sierra Leone; seen by RUF as a broken promise.

• The RUF demand for a 4-year transition Government is out of question. Elections would held in 6 to 8 months.

• Nigerian Ecomog troops will stay in Sierra Leone ; no question about their pulling out.

This is very much a high risk strategy that has been adopted by the international community, represented by the Mediation Group. Sadly, if it does not work, the real losers will again be innocent, poor and defenceless Sierra Leoneans whom they all so piously say they want to protect ...just as in Abidjan 1996. And we know why that, too, failed.