By Gbakanda Kamara, Norway
A lot has been said about the war in Sierra Leone and a lot more will be said as time goes on.Of course most of what is said covers the facts on the overt level and the covert side of the war is only privy to a few .
For the sake of total peace these few have decided to keep it in the dark. However, that wish not to take the country back to a conflict situation should not stop the exposure of some of the basic and salient facts of the raison d’etre and who were some of the internal and international players in this episode.
Sheka Tarawallie’s analysis is a picture of what happened and when it happened.He has not said anything about who played the key roles in what front. Of course every one blames Charles Taylor for it all.Yes, with regards to his overt role he is guilty of what he is accused of but go one step and ask some questions .(1) Charles Taylor was in a prison somewhere in the US some months before he started the war in Liberia,how did he escape from that prison? (2) who and who were involved in the attack on liberia to overthrow late SK Doe launched from Sierra Leone in 1984 and which group launched that attack?(3) where was the NPFL formed and who were the powers behind it?
(4) Why was Charles Taylor arrested in Freetown(Up Gun Roundabout) in june 1987 along with a taxi driver, called Sullay Mansaray ,and who authorised that arrest? CONSEQUENT TO THIS ; What was Taylor’s mission in Sierra Leone?
Those are tsome of the questions for the internal players.For the international players the following questions must be answered: !(1) Given that Sierra Leone was a former British colony why did it have to take close to 10 years before the British Government could have reacted with positive logistical support to the Government of Sierra Leone ? (2) Given that by march 23rd 1991 the Government of President JS Momoh had started THE MECHANISM OF CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS(The product of which is what Sierra Leone is using today) ;why did not the international community come to that government’s aid when the war started at Bomaru and when a group of soldiers came on the 29th april 1992 - by which time the constitution was in force? Consequently ,why was it only after the NPRC came to power that Britain first supplied a couple of dilapidated LandRovers to the Sierra Leone Army as logistical help ?
(2) Which Multi Nationals have vested interest and shares in the Executive Outcomes ,Sandlines ,Branch Energy and how are these groups related ? (3) What was the role of la Cote d’Ivoire AND WHY WAS Amara Esse’s Office as foreign Minister used by Foday Sankoh? .
(4)Why did Peter Penfold had to change his position after his first statement on the 2nd june 1997 warning ECOMOG to stop bombing Freetown?Who made the connections between the exiled Kabbah Government and Sandlines and what was the unofficial and covert role of some highly placed British government officials (some of whom are dead today after they fell out with the leadership of that government)?
These are very important questions that will throw a lot of light on the purpose ,nature and scope of the Diamond war (or was it the Diamond and Iron Ore war?) .
Sierra Leone and Sierra Leoneans need an explanation from the british government as to why they delinked the pound sterling from the leone? Was it because of poor economic performance of the Sierra Leone economy or was it because SLTS AND DELCO had been told to review their contracts and because they could not come to an agreement with Siaka Stevens ( who worked in the mines and was sec.gen, Mines Workers Union)? Did the British government not realise at that time that they were creating the foundations for a failed state? And that they owe a moral redress to the people of Sierra Leone ,NOW?
Sierra Leone wants peace and will get peace when the players come out and admit their roles. In fact the Truth and Reconcillation Commission should be revisited and both national and international players should be moral enough to come out and tell the people of Sierra leone they are sorry!
Photo: British Prime Minister Tony Blair
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