BROADCAST TO THE NATION BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT, ALHAJI DR. AHMED TEJAN KABBAH ON TUESDAY JULY 5 1999, THE EVE OF DEPARTURE TO LOME FOR FINAL STAGE OF NEGOTIATIONS OF A COMPREHENSIVE PEACE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE AND THE REVOLUTIONARY UNITED FRONT (RUF)
Fellow Sierra Leoneans, I know you are all hopeful that the rebel war in our country will soon be over. This war which has been described as the most brutal in the African continent, if not in the world, indeed needs to end and fade away into history. This has been the driving force behind all my actions over the past few months. Some of you may be wondering why I have been silent all this while about the status of the talks in Lome. I know the peace process is a delicate affair, and I did not wish in any way to affect the talks adversely or otherwise by any comments I may make and therefore I believed in this instance, that Silence is Golden. However, I now have reason to believe that inspite of the conflicting reports we have been receiving over the past few days and hours, we may be close to achieving our desire.
Only this morning, I received a Special Envoy of President Obasanjo of Nigeria with a message inviting me to go to Lome, Togo for a meeting which will involve President Taylor of Liberia, President Obasanjo and President Eyadema among others. Accordingly, in a few hours time, I shall travel to Lome to finalise a comprehensive peace agreement, an agreement which, by God's grace, will lay a solid foundation for sustainable peace which has eluded us over the past nine years.
Fellow Citizens, when we embarked on negotiations with the RUF we knew from the outset, especially after the announcement of its 53-page proposal in May, that the RUF's definition and perception of peace were obviously not the same as those of the majority of Sierra Leoneans. We also knew that the peace talks in Lome were not going to be smooth sailing. However, for those of us in the majority who sincerely love our country and want to see it develop, we were convinced that achieving peace in our country should be our first priority and so we sat face to face with the RUF, discussed in good faith and with a determination to bring home a comprehensive agreement which will not merely silence the guns of war temporarily, but one which will ensure lasting peace and security for all Sierra Leoneans.
You will recall that prior to our negotiating team departing for Lome, I requested you to make your views known on the path to be taken in our search for peace and you spoke loud and clear at the National Consultative Conference convened by the National Commission for Democracy and Human Rights. In seeking your views, I was demonstrating my practical commitment to the principles of democracy which we have all fought so hard for. However, I have also tried to show leadership by negotiating with the RUF in a spirit of give and take which is essential for negotiations to succeed. I have even been prepared to take decisions which I know are perhaps unpopular, but which I am convinced are in the best interest of the majority of Sierra Leoneans. This has been done in the firm belief that in time the wisdom of these decisions will be made manifest.
I am pleased to inform you that throughout the dialogue the government delegation maintained that determination and commitment to succeed even when, unfortunately, priority issues such as the safety and security of our people have been repeatedly drowned by unreasonable political demands.
Even today, as I prepare to travel to Lome, the RUF continues to make unreasonable demands. I am sure many of you believe that the government has given the RUF far too much already, and that the RUF has given very little or nothing at all. Yet, they continue to make demands, prolonging the suffering of our people and delaying the start of reconciliation and the healing process. However, I have no doubt you will agree with me that after so much pain and suffering, after so much destruction of life and property, we need to exercise patience and persevere in our search for lasting peace.
In conclusion, I would like to appeal to all those who have taken up arms in their quest to achieve political objectives to fully commit themselves to a path of peace. Let them put aside all past grievances and personal ambitions and dedicate themselves to doing what is right. I believe that just like the majority of us who are prepared to forgive all the wrongs done to us by those who have brutalised us, the perpetrators of these wrongs should be prepared to make some sacrifices to enable us achieve real peace and reconciliation.
As I take this last giant step towards peace, I shall continue to count on your prayers and support. On my return from Lome, I will be speaking to you again. I will then provide you with details of any agreement reached.
I thank you for your attention.