Let us go back to the course of events in the year 2000.
As a New Year's greeting, President Kabbah appealed to the public to join their hearts together and to rebuild the country. But the peace process did not progress and Makeni and Lunsar still remained under RUF rule. Although Commander S. Maskita, the #2 of the RUF was exiled, Sankoh, the #1, kept postponing disarmament of the RUF and abused his power by making impulsive statements and playing with the people. Furthermore, despite the fact that he had no authority to do so, Sankoh declined the suggestion by the Secretary General of the United Nations to increase the UN Peacekeeping Force from 6000 to 10000, to make up for the blank in security due to the withdrawal of the Nigerian troops of ECOMOG, threatening to break the peace accord if otherwise. His stubborn attitude against the increase of the peacekeeping force lead the government and the UN to suspect that if ECOMOG and UNAMSIL were to withdraw or if there was a shortage of troops at any point, he would once again use force.
"An unfilled space in peacekeeping is the chance that he hopes for, and the increase in the peacekeeping force is most probably inconvenient for whatever it is that he is planning. Couldn't it be that he is postponing disarmament so that he could carry out that plan?" And, his plot became clear later on.
Lend A Hand Movement continued to provide aid to Father Bruno, who became the hope for the people of Sierra Leone who suffered without the presence of the sisters. Father Bruno assisted the education, meals and health of the students and teachers who were uprooted with the funding from Japan, and also set himself to building houses, for orphans of the war. And in February 2000, we received great news from him: People were returning to Lunsar, and both Murialdo and O.L.G schools reopened.
At the international level, the tension between the UN and Sanko intensified. Sanko called the UN Peacekeeping Force 'useless' and was criticized from within and outside of the country.
The UN sent him a final warning to accept the deployment of the peacekeeping force, and to carry out the disarmament of the RUF immediately. Sanko, using his new position as chairman of the Commission of Mineral Resources, prohibited all digging, selling, and buying of diamonds without his permission, while in the back, he used RUF soldiers and civilians to dig and was earning from diamond trade through Liberia. One of the reasons why we did not want to let UN Peacekeepers into the areas under his control was probably that he did not want that truth to come out. To watch someone who should really be tried and judged for genocide and other inhumane and cruel actions take advantage of his power instead was embittering.
Under these circumstances the disclosure of the illegal trade within the diamond industry in Antwerp occurred. This incident came to be observed closely because it was suspected that 98% of the diamonds produced in Sierra Leone were being sold through Liberia illegally, and that the revenue was not going to the government but to the rebels. In addition to the wealth and the privilege, the involvement of presidents of neighboring countries, arms merchants of Eastern Europe, and the high value placed on precious stones in Western Europe and North America all caused the war to continue, making an infinite number of people suffer.
The fact that Sankoh was going in and out of the Republic of South Africa became clear in February 2000. The UN requested the South African government to decline his entry, on the basis that the peace accord, which was still valid, prohibited rebels to travel abroad. The UN's purpose was to cut off all of the rebels' routes to their sources of revenue. Sankoh went into South Africa under the name of medical treatment, and was planning an illegal diamond trade, but since the South African government accepted the UN's request, Sankoh was humiliated and expelled, and his plans failed. As if responding to this incident, De Beers, the largest diamond company in the world made a statement that it would not buy any illegally traded diamonds. The elimination of the rebels' sources of revenue by the international community began to tighten its grip. Furthermore, Sankoh's reputation fell, as he took advantage of his status and acted selfishly, and he became known as a murderer, an egoist, and a liar.
After he was expelled from South Africa, Sankoh was summoned to Parliament. And in April, he was forced to go into Kono and Kailahun, the areas under his control, with UN officials and the commander of the UN Peacekeeping Force, to cooperate with disarmament and the handing over of arms. As a result, the RUF could no longer use the excuse that they "cannot disarm without the order of their leader." However, the only ones who actually did respond to the call to disarm were a few child soldiers with shabby weapons. This was because Sankoh had ordered his gang not to disarm beforehand. So, in the end, the RUF became even more openly confrontational with the UN Peacekeeping Force.
Toward the end of April 2000, the circumstances changed drastically. The RUF violated the peace accord and resumed military actions in different areas, and their attacks on the UN Peacekeeping Force became frequent. And on May 6, an incident occurred, the first of its kind in the UN history, where 500 of the UN Peacekeepers were captured and taken hostage, robbed of all their equipment and uniforms. The UN and the heads of each country criticized Sankoh and worked to resolve the situation. But the RUF refused to release their hostages, and on the contrary, attacked the remaining peacekeepers with the equipment that they robbed from their hostages, wearing the uniforms with the UN mark. The RUF had assumed that the peacekeepers would not counter their attacks because the UN Peacekeeping Force had said that they were there to keep the peace and not to fight, that they were neutral. To their helpless attitude as they easily became hostages with little resistance, even Médecins Sans Frontières commented, "The peacekeepers watched as the citizens were being attacked by the RUF." The peacekeepers were losing people's trust. Perhaps Sankoh was aiming for the UN to lose public support as they did in Somalia, and that that would cause them to retreat. Although, that did not happen.
Lend A Hand Movement received a fax from Father Bruno that said, "I am about to escape from Lunsar. The Rebels are going to attack Lunsar. We were at first relieved that the UN Peacekeepers came, but that was a mistake. Not only do they do nothing for us, they are being robbed of their equipment and are taken hostage. For the time being, I am going to Freetown and take refuge. This takes us back to the start line, but I will not give up my hope. I will definitely come back to Lunsar."We were shocked, as everything had been going well and even the school meals were about to start. Since then, Father Bruno and others have not been able to return to Lunsar to this day. (August 2000)
On May 7 2000, an unexpected event took place. When about 10,000 non-violent protesters surrounded Sankoh's residence in Freetown, his RUF guards shot a rocket bomb into the crowd, killing 21, and injuring many. Sanko escaped, but was captured in a sad state after having disappeared for a few days. He was a fallen idol, having made the whole world his enemy after taking 500 peacekeepers hostage and becoming mistrusted after he displayed his cruelty when he shot at the protesters in the middle of the day. This detestable individual who is now behind bars will probably never appear in public again, except in courts. At least, we hope so.
Meanwhile, as a result of the UN officials and heads of states having worked to resolve the situation, the 500 peacekeepers were released. And even in terms of the war, the alliance between the national army, the UN troops and the British army were able to switch its position to the offensive. However, once again 300 peacekeepers were surrounded in Kailahun, and the vigor of their fighting weakened, which led Lunsar once again to be taken over by the enemies. This happened because there was a clash between the SLA and the ex-SLA (also called the Westside Boys).
But the UN succeeded in rescuing the 233 peacekeepers from India by using force, and also set out in earnest to prevent and prohibit the illegal trade of diamonds. This required a worldwide agreement that countries will not buy 'conflict diamonds,' diamonds from places where there is internal turmoil, without a justified approval from the government, in order to eliminate the resources that fund wars, and this of course was not limited to diamonds of Sierra Leone. For this, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Russia, India, Israel, and other main dealers discussed on the form of agreement, and it also became a topic of discussion at the summit in Okinawa.
Concerning this, Liberia was especially criticized by the United States and Britain that "There is evidence that there have been excavation and trade of diamonds in and from Sierra Leone." The Liberian government denied this, but it is now being discussed whether to be listed as a country of negative influence or not.
In August of 2000, militarily, peace is being maintained. Britain, the former colonial patron, is assisting with the raising and the training of the national army, in order for the democratic regime to be able to support itself. In the actual warfare, Britain is providing helicopters in order to help destroy the entire RUF and for the SLA to regain control of the whole country. And the UN Peacekeeping Force is backing this up indirectly. This can be taken as a firm resolution to conclude the Sierra Leone issue completely.
Although the Lomé Peace Accord has not been abandoned, with most of the RUF officials in confinement, it probably will have to be left as is until a new leader emerges. But if there is a renegotiation, the contents of the accord will have to be re-examined also. July 7 marked one year from the accord, but we cannot deny that the "buttons were hooked on the wrong holes" from the beginning. The UN and other countries forced disadvantageous conditions upon the Sierra Leone government, and did the opposite for the rebels, closing their eyes to the horrible crimes that were committed, making Sankoh chairman of the Commission of Mineral Resources, and his officials cabinet members. This mistake was the indirect cause of the events that occurred later on, reinviting the civil war. Strangely, those who were especially active at the peace negotiations were not Nigeria, Ghana or Guinea who supported the civil democratic government under ECOMOG, but Liberia and Libya, who were pouring oil into the fire of the civil war. The fishiness of the Lomé Accord can be seen in this respect as well.
In the re-examination of the contents of the agreement, the sharing of power should be done away with, the areas RUF occupation should be given back immediately, and the complete disarmament of the RUF, ex-SLA, and CDF should be required. It is said that there are about 45,000 of these fighters, but even one year after the formation of the Lomé Peace Accord, only about 18,000 have disarmed. Most of the RUF have not yet been disarmed. The DDR program (Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration) should be reconsidered also. The $300 reward system for soldiers who hand over their weapons is questionable, even if it is in the effort to stop the war, as this means rewarding killers and murderers. $300 is a lot of money in a country where people earn the average of $90 a year. How could the citizens, who are left with no jobs, food, or money, who have been robbed and whose houses have been burned be satisfied with that? Even if the soldiers were to receive something, the sum should be at most around $50 (around half the average yearly earning,) just enough for them to reintegrate into society. And, the $250 that would remain should be distributed to the people who are the victims of the war.
Also, all of those who committed any inhumane crimes should be tried at an international court, and this points to not only the RUF but the ex-SLA and CDF also. At the least, amnesty should not be an option for the war crimes committed after the Lomé Accord. The argument that Sanko should definitely be found guilty is popular, and that should of course be a natural result. What worse can one have done, when it is said that 70,000 citizens were killed and 20,000 more had their limbs hacked off or were hurt in some other way? Most of this has been carried out by the RUF, under his command. The Lomé Peace Accord granted them blanket amnesty, but Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and High Commissioner of Human Rights, said this March, "The blanket amnesty that was granted is only valid within the country, and the UN will not be hampered by that. Therefore, it is possible that he and his followers will be tried once again." We are in favor of the UN taking appropriate measures. And we think that the wrongdoings of countries like Liberia should also be pointed out.
Utinam Veniat Pax Vera In Sierra Leona!
