Скачать или смотреть SIERRA LEONE: TRUCE PLEDGE BY PRESIDENT

(8 Jan 1999) English/Nat
As civilians flee the continued attack by rebel gunmen on the Sierra Leonean capital of Freetown, the country's President on Thursday reaffirmed his election pledge of bringing peace to the country.
President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah condemned the attacks and said he and his imprisoned arch-rival, Foday Sankoh have had discussions to bring about a ceasefire.
The forces from the Revolutionary United Front stunned the government and its allied Nigerian-led defence force on Wednesday when they battled their way into the city and seized control of the State House and a key police installation.
Freetown International Airport lies deserted as elsewhere in the city insurgents set the eastern parts ablaze and dragged residents from their homes.
Sierra Leone's Finance Minister accused the government in neighbouring Liberia of the assault which began on Wednesday when the rebels battled their way into the capital.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"This whole offensive was hatched and sustained from Liberian government."
SUPER CAPTION: Dr James Jonah, Finance Minister
British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said Thursday he had "sent a very firm message to Liberia that we believe there is credible evidence" it is supporting the Sierra Leonean
rebels.
The guerillas stunned Sierra Leone's government and its allied West African defence force early on Wednesday when they rampaged through the capital.
Thousands of people poured into the city as the rebel attack began.
As machine gun fire rattled in the capital, the insurgents raided homes to capture civilians.
A commander from the West African defence force, known as ECOMOG, said the rebels were using civilians as human shields, slowing down government efforts to dislodge them.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"ECOMOG saw them alright, because ECOMOG was waiting for them. But considering the fact that they are using civilians as human shields with our training, with our coercions we cannot start engaging these innocent people."
SUPER CAPTION: General Shelpidi, ECOMOG Operations Commander
Speaking with journalists at Freetown's main airport 10 miles from downtown, President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah said on Thursday the rebels had burned the city's university, its main hospital and the former British colonial State House building.
He also vowed to continue his efforts to bring peace to this troubled West African country.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Umpteen times from the day I was elected, even before I was elected, it was really on my campaign programme that I was going to bring about peace to Sierra Leone. And the day I was elected I said look I will go anywhere, talk to anybody."
SUPER CAPTION: Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, Sierra Leonean President
As the capital Freetown lay smoking, Kabbah also said he and his jailed rival, guerrilla leader Foday Sankoh, were talking about a possible ceasefire.
Kabbah was deposed in a coup in May 1997 by a military junta allied with the rebels, but soldiers from a West African intervention force restored him to power 10 months ago.
Since then, the insurgents have been rebuilding, strengthened by defections from Sierra Leone's military and mercenaries from Liberia.
They launched a renewed offensive in December.
People who have spent time with the rebels say they believe in their cause - a vague mixture of agrarian democracy and revolutionary socialism - with the fervour of religious zealots.
But their only stated goals are to oust Kabbah, who they accuse of corruption, and freedom for Sankoh, a former photographer who claims supernatural powers.
The homes of families that failed to do so were set ablaze.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...