PERSONAL STATEMENT BY Lt. Col. J.P. Koroma on October 1st 1999.
Previous to May 1997, I did not collude with the RUF/SL nor did I ever collaborate with any coup plot. I want to hereby inform my brothers and sisters in the Diaspora that yesterday was the very first time that I ever met with the RUF leader.
On the 23rd March 1991, I was the very first officer who was sent from Daru Barracks to counter the RUF at Bomaru in Eastern Sierra Leone and until May 1997, God being my witness, I never had any contact with the RUF leadership. However, I had seen the devastation that the war had wrought on the country. In 1997, when I saw an opportunity to get peace for Sierra Leone through dialogue and power sharing, I worked hard to achieve this in spite of the enormous misunderstandings that were created.
Yesterday, after meeting with Chairman Foday Sankoh, I am very pleased that we are one step closer to the meeting between President Kabbah, Foday Sankoh and myself that I repeatedly called for in 1997 and 1998.
I am fully aware of the concerns by the International Community and my countrymen about the state of the Lomé Peace Accord. I want to assure all that the meeting between Chairman Sankoh and myself went well. I want to assure all that my men and I are fully committed to the Lomé Peace Accord albeit the necessary addendum(s) that would have to be attached in the near future. I am very sincere in seeing my country at peace and seeing that the socio-economic problems that caused the RUF to take up arms be addressed.
I am very thankful to President Charles Taylor for the role he has played in seeing that the first face to Face meeting between Chairman Sankoh and myself went smoothly. My first meeting with Foday Sankoh was successful because of the diplomacy showed by President Charles Taylor. After the meeting at the Liberian Executive mansion, I held a second meeting with Foday Sankoh again last evening. This ended at 11pm. I had suspected that Chairman Sankoh's earlier statements referencing me had been made based on a lot of misinformation that he had received. Yesterday, after meeting with me, the RUF Leader publicly told President Taylor and others that he had been largely misinformed about my motives.
Again, I want to assure my brothers, sisters and the International Community that Chairman Sankoh and myself will work together to see the full implementation of the Lomé Peace Accord. There are however a few points that we wish the world to be made aware of:
1. The document released this week by the Sierra Leone Government, which promises to see to the grievances of the Sierra Leone Army, was signed not by our Commander-In-Chief, President Kabbah but by his deputy, Vice President Demby. We welcome the written promise by the government to see to the re-instatement and payment of salaries of my men but we question the rationale behind Demby's signature on the document as against President Kabbah's.
2. The exact role of the Civil Defence Force in the Peace process has to be seriously considered by all concerned. These fighters should not be made to feel that they have been used and are now being marginalised. The assurance from their leaders that all is well is in sharp contrast to the reality on the field. A package must be designed to rehabilitate and re-integrate the civil defence force fighters. In the current situation, any fighting force, however small can disrupt the Lomé Accord if they feel aggrieved.
3. All addendum(s) to the Lome Peace Accord including the current proposal signed by Vice President Demby must be signed by President Kabbah, Chairman Sankoh, myself and all the moral guarantors of the Lome Peace Accord before they can be considered as Addendum(s) to the Lomé Accord. They must also be speedily passed through parliament for legislative approval.
Finally but most importantly, I want to appeal to my countrymen to forgive my men for atrocities that they might have committed. I sympathise with the suffering of my brothers and sisters throughout Sierra Leone and I am again assuring them that I, Lt. Col. Johnny Paul Koroma, am fully committed to making Sierra Leone a land of peace and subsequent development. I had been kept out of contact with my men for 18 months since February 1998; However, as from now, I will see to it that the suffering inflicted on the populace be brought to an end. Too many innocent people on all sides of the war spectrum have died. I want to encourage us all against the shedding of blood. Let us now look towards making our rich country a place we can all be proud of.