What should be done to Sierra Leone's Foday Sankoh?

Heads of State at last weekend's ECOWAS summit in Abjuja, Nigeria, discussed the fate of Sierra Leone's rebel leader Foday Sankoh.

Some proposed that to help the peace process he should be moved, for his own safety, to another African country.

The Sierra Leone government wants to put him on trial in Freetown.

What do you think should happen to him, and how do you think the peace process could now be moved forward? Tell us what you think.

This Talking Point is now closed, here are a selection of your e-mails.

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Sankoh and his followers have committed crimes against humanity, especially little children and should not go free

Kemoh, UK

Foday Sankoh should be tried like any other war criminal. Sierra Leone should decide the venue in consultation with the international community. Sankoh and his followers have committed crimes against humanity, especially little children and should not go free.
Kemoh, UK

Why waste time? He committed crimes against his countrymen, let that man be put to "rest". He has no space on this planet.
Charles, Uganda

Foday Sankoh should not be an issue in Sierra Leone anymore. He has dealt himself out of the peace process. The only way to deal with him is for him to undergo another trial for the crimes he committed against the people after the signing of the Lome peace treaty. He should also lose his amnesty and face the penalty for his previous convictions. He should be made to watch Sierra Leone rise out of the ashes that he has created.
Babatunde Spencer, Sierra Leone

I am embarrassed to be a part of the international community that allowed this fool to perpetrate havoc upon the people of Sierra Leone. He should have a speedy trial and if found guilty, let there be no justification for his continued existence.
Dwight Pinson, USA

The US and UN should stop feeding despot leaders with cash and promises. They should stop playing with the lives of human beings.
Zehra Moosajee, Kenya

Foday Sankoh has been put on trial once already, and has already been sentenced to death. This is ludicrous to put him on trial again, for similar offences. Just reinstate the old trial, and thereby forgo all the formalities and possible loopholes of a second trial. If Sierra Leone/UN opts to give him a second trial, and possibly give him the chance (albeit unlikely) to be acquitted...I fear the resolve and credibility of International Law would seriously be undermined.
Panha Chheng, USA

Foday Sankoh should be speedily tried in Sierra Leone. The trial should be monitored by international war crimes tribunal lawyers

Mohamed, Sierra Leone

Foday Sankoh, mass murderer, was busy killing a nation while the world watched. Now the West has realised that he is a liability. He should be tried in a world court for crimes against humanity. As long as he is alive, there will always be instability in Sierra Leone.
Rodney Edmondson-Deigh, USA

Since the beginning of the Civil War, Foday Sankoh and his followers have shown nothing but contempt for the citizens of that country. Having lived in Sierra Leone from 1972 - 1994, mainly in remote parts as an RC missionary, I know the people and the suffering they have experienced. Sankoh has consistently proved himself untrustworthy. I regret to say that against all my religious and human instincts, he has by his actions and leadership removed himself from the realm of human charity. Only trial and conviction with the death penalty will give Sierra Leone a chance of a future.
Terry Donnelly, UK

The world community and the West have always applied a double standard when it comes to the dark continent's demons such as Foday Sankoh. If oil, diamonds, minerals or any other precious natural wealth is found in African soil, the Western world won't hesitate to create a demon like Foday to represent its interest, even if it means killing and making a thousand African families suffer just to save and preserve one family in the West.
Yonas Debesai, Eritrean/ USA

Foday Sankoh should be speedily tried in Sierra Leone. The trial should be monitored by international war crimes tribunal lawyers. If found guilty, he should face the full penalty of the law.
Mohamed, Sierra Leone

If we let go of this monster, our children and grandchildren will blame us tomorrow

Aroun Rashid Deen, USA

Foday Sankoh is the Adolf Hitler of our generation. A monster and a heartless killer, who deserve nothing more than a speedy trial for his crimes and, if found guilty, to be executed. Remember, this man has killed thousands of our people among other things. If we let go of this monster, our children and grandchildren will blame us tomorrow.
Aroun Rashid Deen, USA

A very bad precedent was set when Foday Sankoh and RUF members were given a blanket amnesty and a share of power for butchering thousands of innocent civilians in their blind so-called "peoples revolution". SL and the rest of the world now has the opportunity to right these wrongs and see that justice is done. They have an obligation to the thousands of orphans, amputees and rape victims of this violent episode in our history to show them that the country does care about her citizens.
Tejan Fadlu-Deen, Sierra Leonean in Dubai

I think this man should be tried for war crimes and dealt with ruthlessly to the full extent of the law

Peter Okoli, USA (Nigerian)

I think this man should be tried for war crimes and dealt with ruthlessly to the full extent of the law. He has waged war against the innocent children and women of that country and should not be allowed the privilege participating in any peace process. African leaders should summon the courage and force this monster and his collaborators to face the consequences of their brutal and senseless acts.
Peter Okoli, USA (Nigerian)

Foday Sankoh does not need any new trial. He was already a convicted murderer and death row inmate before the Lome peace accord. Since he did not live up to the accord he signed, President Kabbah ought to remove the amnesty he gave him for signing the accord. This man deserves nothing less than the death penalty.
Shay Moi, USA

Sankoh committed the alleged crimes in Sierra Leone. Therefore, I believe he ought to be tried and, if convicted, imprisoned in Sierra Leone

Gordon Sawyerr, Sierra Leone

Sankoh committed the alleged crimes in Sierra Leone. Therefore, I believe he ought to be tried and, if convicted, imprisoned in Sierra Leone. This case is not only about justice but also deterring war criminals from all sides from committing such crimes with impunity. I think the government of Sierra Leone owes it to its people to try him here! Justice must be done and seen to be done.
Gordon Sawyerr, Sierra Leone

People like Foday Sankoh should be tried to the full extent of the law. Africa has a lot to worry about, famine, Aids, illiteracy. Thugs like Sankoh should not be allowed to continue disguising themselves as revolutionaries and wreaking havoc on a suffering populace. Put Foday Sankoh on trial and start setting good precedence for the generation of tomorrow.
Lagatto, USA

The UN should have allowed the ordinary citizens of Sierra Leone to dispense justice against this thoroughly evil monster. This might sound quite cruel, but we must accept that only unique forms of punishment can ever be appropriate for certain crimes.
Ubong Effeh, UK (Nigerian)

Foday Sankoh has not proved any sense in his proclaimed revolution. Instead he has dealt with ordinary people ruthlessly. Therefore, he needs to pay for his action against humanity.
Chukuma Duke, Sierra Leone