Sierra Leone peace talks announced

Trying to revive the collapsed Lome peace accord

Sierra Leonean President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah has announced that his government will hold talks next Thursday with representatives of the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF).

We are praying that this meeting will finally result in the achievement of sustainable peace

President Tejan Kabbah

The meeting would be the first high-level discussion between the two sides since the RUF restarted the civil war in May.

A BBC correspondent in the region, Elizabeth Blunt, says that after months without any moves towards a political solution for Sierra Leone, this looks like a good moment to make progress.

Representatives from the United Nations mission in Sierra Leone and regional economic grouping Ecowas will also take part in the talks, to be held in Nigeria.

RUF 'ready'

Speaking at a passing-out parade in the Benguema military training barracks, President Tejan Kabbah said: "My government has been briefed about the desire of the RUF to end this conflict by disarming rapidly without fighting."

President Taylor, the rebe's alleged backer, is on the defensive

"We are hoping and praying that this scheduled meeting will finally result in the achievement of sustainable peace in our country so the government can turn its efforts to eradicating poverty," he said.

There was no immediate comment from the RUF, which has been fighting an exceptionally brutal war against the government for nearly 10 years.

Our correspondent says the balance of power in the region is starting to shift and change, helping the prospects for the talks.

The difficulty the United Nations has been having in getting support from contributing countries for its peace keeping operation means there is no realistic hope for the government that the UN will help it force a military solution.

So it has to be prepared to talk.

But at the same time things are starting to close in on the RUF and their backers.

Taylor under pressure

The detention of their original leader, Foday Sankoh, may have weakened their cohesion with reports that fighters in the west are unwilling to take orders from Issa Seesay, the new leader.

The street price of the rebels' smuggled diamonds which pay for the war is starting to drop as export controls come into force.

And the Liberian President Charles Taylor, who has been their main backer since the start of the rebellion is now increasingly isolated, especially since Liberia began cross border raids into Guinea two months ago.

Our correspondent says there is now an almost total consensus in West Africa, at the United Nations and among influential foreign governments that Charles Taylor is at the root of many of the region's problems.