RESOLUTION(1)

on the situation in Sierra Leone

The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,

- meeting in Strasbourg (France) from 29 March to 1 April 1999,

- having regard to its earlier resolutions on the situation in Sierra Leone,

- having regard to the European Union's declaration of 12 January 1999 on Sierra Leone,

A. deploring the resurgence of violence in Sierra Leone in early 1999,

B. whereas the clashes which took place in Freetown claimed thousands of victims, particularly among civilians, and sparked off a major humanitarian crisis which has led to a fresh exodus to neighbouring countries,

C. expressing horror at the campaign of terror and intimidation conducted by the rebels over recent months against the civilian population, particularly the atrocities committed on women and children,

D. shocked at the widespread use of child soldiers in the conflict, especially by the rebels, and at the high number of casualties and the suffering of children subjected to the hardships of military life,

E. pointing out that, since the elected president Ahmed Tejan Kabbah was returned to power in March 1998 and the junta was removed from power several months after its military takeover, fighting has continued unabated in Sierra Leone and is continuing to cause much suffering to the population of that country,

F. aware that control of the country's diamond-producing areas is one of the main stakes in the conflict,

G. whereas the humanitarian situation remains extremely delicate in the capital, owing to the fact that the clashes make it extremely difficult to bring in provisions, most of which come from the interior of the country,

H. condemning the execution on 19 October 1998 of 20 or so members of the military junta who had been sentenced to death by a court martial with no possibility of appeal, and expressing the conviction that those executions did nothing to further the peace and national reconciliation process,

I. drawing attention to the efforts being made at regional level by the Economic Community of West African States to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in Sierra Leone,

J. whereas the statement by President Kabbah on 7 February 1999 to the effect that he intended to continue his efforts to establish a dialogue with the rebels, the call for a ceasefire which the rebel leader, Foday Sankoh, made from his cell and the promise that a meeting would be organised between the latter and his military commanders prior to the opening of peace negotiations, all indicate that relations are becoming less strained,

1. Condemns the new attempt to seize power made by Sierra Leonean rebels in January 1999;

2. Condemns the atrocities committed by the rebels on Sierra Leonean civilians and enjoins the rebels to put an immediate end to such barbarous acts and to stop creating a climate of terror in the country;

3. Urges the government and, in particular, the rebels, to bring hostilities to a lasting end in all parts of the country;

4. Notes the desire for appeasement shown by President Kabbah and the rebel leader, Foday Sankoh, and hopes that the meeting to be organised on neutral ground between the leader of the RUF and his military commanders will lead to a firmer commitment on their part to resume a constructive dialogue with a view to revitalising the process of national reconciliation and drawing up a framework for lasting peace;

5. Reminds the Sierra Leonean Government of the need to abide by the international human rights commitments it has entered into, with particular reference to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; asks it in particular to show scrupulous respect for every individual's right to a fair trial and to introduce appeal procedures for trials by court martial;

6. Restates its support for the mediation efforts being made by ECOWAS member states with a view to restoring peace in Sierra Leone, and calls inter alia on the European Union to provide financial and logistical support to the ECOMOG forces deployed in the country;

7. Calls on the European Union to make a greater commitment to settling the crisis in Sierra Leone by helping to formulate a negotiated settlement between the parties to the conflict;

8. Condemns the use of child soldiers in the conflict and urges both the rebels and the government troops to refrain from involving any children in the fighting;

9. Calls on the European Union and the United Nations to provide ad hoc programmes for the physical, mental and psychological rehabilitation of children who have participated in armed combat;

10. Calls on the international community, and the European Union in particular, to step up the provision of humanitarian aid to the Sierra Leonean population, which has been sorely afflicted by the conflict;

11. Urges the parties to the conflict to cooperate fully with the various providers of humanitarian assistance, with a view to enabling aid to be brought in and distributed in Freetown and throughout the country, and to ensure the safety of the staff of humanitarian organisations;

12. Calls on the European Union to provide assistance to neighbouring countries, which are having to cope with an increasingly large influx of refugees from Sierra Leone;

13. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, the Commission, the government of Sierra Leone and the ECOWAS member states.

(1) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 1 April 1999 in Strasbourg (France).