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![]() Wednesday, July 7, 1999 Published at 17:15 GMT 18:15 UK ![]() ![]() World: Africa ![]() Sierra Leone peace deal signed ![]() Foday Sankoh and President Kabbah: Deal after six weeks of talks ![]() Sierra Leone's government has signed a peace deal with the rebels of the Revolutionary United Front, in a move towards ending the country's brutal eight-year civil war.
It was reached after RUF negotiators backed down at the last minute on their demands for representation in a government of national unity. Reports say the deal will
Last-minute switch
Mr Sankoh said the People's War Council - which represents the rank and file of the RUF - had told him the offer of four cabinet seats in a future government was "not enough".
The RUF also dropped a demand that soldiers from Ecomog - the Nigerian-led intervention force which has been backing President Kabbah's government against the rebels - be excluded from a future peacekeeping force for Sierra Leone. But doubts remain over whether the rebels will abide by the deal, and whether civilians will accept the presence of rebels in the government. Bloody conflict
The government was later restored to power with the help of foreign troops, but the RUF continued to control large areas of the country - and briefly held most of the capital, Freetown, in January this year. The RUF has conducted a campaign of terror to dissuade people from supporting the government. Casualties of the war include
The talks in Lome, chaired by the Togolese government, have involved representatives of Nigeria and Liberia, as well as the warring parties. The start of the summit had been delayed by the late arrival of President Kabbah. His plane finally landed in the evening, several hours after his counterparts. ![]() |
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