President Tejan Kabbah last night (27/7/99) addresed
a meeting of Sierra Leonean residents in London. Over five hundred people
came to hear the President tell them about the Lomé Agreement and
the reasons why they chose dialogue and peaceful negotiation to bring the
war to an end. Hundreds of people were turned away disappointed because
there was no room for them in the hall. The President was accompanied by
Ms Clare Short, the British Secretary of State for International
Development who had herself just returned from a 3 day visit to Sierra
Leone. The Attorney General Mr Solomon Berewa also gave a blow by
blow account of the events leading up to the signing of the Agreement.
99% of those who attended endorsed the peace agreement with the RUF
although many had reservations on aspects of the deal. Opponents to the
deal were muted by the overwhelming response of the audience to the President's
plea for all to join hands and make the deal work. One notable doubter,
the High Commissioner Cyril Foray, tried to wriggle his way out
but there was no doubt about his lack of enthusiasm for the Agreement.
Mr Kabbah will this morning be addressing a donor conference being convened
by the British Government. He returns to Sierra Leone on Saturday.
More details of the meeting and the issues raised later tonight.