Mr Kabbah -- still known as President Kabbah to his supporters -- visited an island controlled by Nigerian peacekeeping troops which is just across a river estuary from the Sierra Leone capital, Freetown. On returning to his country of exile, Guinea, he told me by telephone that he had visited his country to rally his supporters.

The Nigerians, along with a small number of other West African troops, are enforcing an economic blockade against the soldiers in Freetown to try and force them to return power to the civilians by next April, as they agreed recently in a regional peace plan. Since agreeing the plan, however, the military leader, Major Johnny Paul Koroma, told the BBC he did not think the deadline could be met.

This statement caused considerable controversy and West African foreign ministers meeting in Nigeria said this weekend that the timetable had to be adhered to. Tejan Kabbah told me by telephone that his visit to the island near Freetown could be seen as a response to Major Koroma's statement.

Any delay in the handover, he said, was totally unacceptable. Mr Kabbah said that while on the island, which is site of Sierra Leone's international airport, he addressed soldiers still loyal to him.