Date: Thursday, 25-Jan-96 06:47 AM

Date: Thursday, 25-Jan-96 06:47 AM
From: Osman Sankoh \ Internet:{sankoh@amadeus.statistik.uni-dortmund.de)
To: Saffa J. Kemokai \ PRODIGY: (GUGP07A)

Subject: Don't answer Richie's for now - peace first!

Richard Konteh asked:

> 1. Was Strasser THE impediment to peace in Sierra Leone?
> 2. Will these sequel of events lend any credence to the allegations
> of strong military involvement in the attrocities?
> 3. Why did the people of Sierra Leone have to go through all of these
> sufferings and attrocities if the issues could have been so easily
> resolved?
> 4. Is this not another tactical move to derail the democratic process?

I am extremely reluctant to attempt answers to your questions. I am not going to answer any one of them. Richie:

I would have said to

1): what do you think? As soon as Strasser left, both the NPRC and

the RUF declared their readiness to talk peace - unconditionally!

I would have said to

2): Let us forget about all this! Chairman Arafat waged a non-peaceful

campaign against Israel but later received the Nobel Prize for Peace; the 'Yugoslavians' have killed several of their kind. It shall never be possible to dig out the truth about who did the killings; If Sadam-Hussein decides to let his difiant posture crumble and if he embarks on peace strides that can lead to Israel signing a peace deal with Syria, even the USA will nominate him for the nobel prize for peace!

I would have said to 3: There is hardly any justification where human life is lost.

The lives of children killed even in their pre-natal stages are priceless. One would want to ask: why did Adam really accept the apple from Eve? What would have happened if he didn't, is a question that can just cause unnecessary trouble. I would have said to 4: Well, how many of us were really convinced that elections under the prevailing circumstances in Salone belonged to the set of the western defined 'democractic processes'? Karefa Kargbo seems to have summed it up: it is wonderful if all the political parties are able to participate in elections under a peaceful atmosphere; it is even nicer if the RUF is part of the process!

Indeed, let us put the speculations aside for now!

Mallam O.