Framework for Long-Term Peace in Sierra Leone

29 June 2003

Working document 2.0

Sierra Leone’s war is almost ten years old; it has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of innocents and the rape and maiming of tens of thousands more.Criminals and warlords have caused the destruction of much of the country’s infrastructure and stolen the the country’s wealth.The fact that the international community ignored the war for so long, and then failed to end it properly has been an international disgrace.

The only long-term method through which the war can be ended is through the empowering people: free and fair elections.In light of the fact that presidential elections are scheduled for 2001 it is essential that long-term security be in place to ensure free and fair balloting, and to ensure that armed factions do not thwart the decision of the people after the election results are revealed.

Providing safe elections requires will and support of Sierra Leone’s dynamic civil society, the services and resources of the United Nations forces in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), the ECOWAS states and organisation, the United Kingdom, the United States, and a truly neutral, transparent, and accountable private company that will be contracted as special election police.

Peace and security must be provided within the borders of Sierra Leone within six months of the deployment of the special election police, followed by three-months of election campaigning, and then the actual elections within a year.At the end of a one-year period Sierra Leone should be entirely demobilized, at peace, and under a new, freely elected government.By the end of five years it should have another free and fair election, and its own newly rebuilt and professional military.After the first year the special election police will operate on two-year contracts, to be reviewed by the primary funders and modified as needed.The two-year contracts will be scaled back as services are turned over to rehabilitated, retrained and reequipped Sierra Leonean government entities.

A special ten-year authority should be granted to a reputable and transparent international accounting firm under UN authority to monitor all diamond and gold regions to ensure that those products are no longer used to fuel the conflict and instead are used to develop Sierra Leone, particularly the mining areas which have been ignored in past development schemes.

PROPOSAL

Summary:

  1. Elections will be coordinated by ECOWAS, with international observers from the UN, ECOWAS, OAU and other relevant organizations as well as NGOs.
  2. A neutral, transparent and accountable private company will be contracted as “special election police” to provide security for all of Sierra Leone in order to ensure free and fair elections through two election cycles.
  3. After an initial eight-month period where security throughout the country will be established by the special election police, there will be a three-month election campaigning period followed by the actual elections.
  4. An election ombudsman, ideally an internationally respected military officer, will supervise the elections and the security progress leading to the elections. The ombudsman will lead a special committee made up of key members from civil society, government officials, and representatives of the UN, ECOWAS and international NGOs.
  5. The disarmament and demobilizing process, supported by the special election police, will be completed by UNAMSIL before the election campaigning period.
  6. The diamond producing regions will specifically receive protection by the special election police and a special ten-year authority will be granted to a reputable and transparent international accounting firm under UN authority to monitor all diamond and gold regions to ensure that those products are no longer used to fuel the conflict and instead are used to develop Sierra Leone.
  7. A new, professional and accountable Sierra Leonean armed force will be trained to replace the demobilized armed forces.
  8. The cost of this operation will be paid by the international community with a significant percentage to be covered by Sierra Leone in order to ensure both input into the operation and a an important level of national pride and inclusion.
  9. Parallel to the security and election operations there needs to be an active program of development, spearheaded by NGOs and international development agencies, but bolstered substantially by investment support to allow private initiatives to blossom and create jobs for the unemployed youth.
  10. Finally, virtually all Sierra Leoneans agree is a critical need not just for free elections, but constitutional reform and a complete restructuring of the government. This process should also be built into the larger security plan.

This proposal is designed to harness and coordinate the most constructive attributes of all positive players in the Sierra Leone conflict to produce a popular, fairly elected government, reflecting the will of the Sierra Leonean people.It will ensure several years of guaranteed security by the special election police while international organizations disarm the various factions and facilitate the training of truly professional and accountable armed forces.The peace can be used by humanitarian NGOs to spread throughout the territory of Sierra Leone in order to jump-start the long process of national reconstruction.The proposal is designed to quickly and effectively end this tragic chapter of Sierra Leone’s history.

Comments, suggestions and corrections should be directed to:

Doug Brooks

Research Associate

South African Institute of International Affairs

Cell: (202) 297-9717

Email: Hoosier84@aol.com

Home page: www.Hoosier84.com

Framework for Long-Term Peace in Sierra Leone

29 June 2003

Working document 2.0

DETAILS OF PROPOSAL

  1. Elections will be coordinated by ECOWAS, with international observers from the UN, ECOWAS, OAU and other relevant organizations as well as NGOs.
  2. A neutral, transparent and accountable private company will be contracted as “special election police” to provide security for all of Sierra Leone in order to ensure free and fair elections through two election cycles.
    1. To ensure the proper election security required for free and fair elections, the company will be authorized to use necessary force to demilitarise all armed factions. The company’s mandate, restrictions and cost are to be specified in detail in a contract prior to deployment.
    2. The election security process will initially focus in those areas of the country that are not currently controlled by forces loyal to the legitimate government of Sierra Leone.
    3. To ensure the company follows it’s mandate to provide a safe atmosphere for elections, fair and impartial military observers from the UN, Britain and the United States will be permanently attached to the company for the duration of its mandate. 
    4. Once internal and border security is assured, all remaining factions within Sierra Leone will be disarmed of military weapons.
    5. By the time elections are held, the only armed force in Sierra Leone will be the company providing election security.
    6. The contract for the special election police is not to exceed US $100m for the initial security period leading to the elections, and not more than US $4m a month for the two-year mandates.
    7. Necessary equipment and armaments will be provided to the company based on the needs of the contract and will be returned by the company when no longer required.
    8. All armaments brought into the country must be accounted for at the end of the contract. The special election police would be required to pay penalties stipulated in the contract for armaments not returned or accounted for.
  3. Following the initial pre-election security period where national peace and security will be established, election campaigning will take place for a three-month period, to be followed by the actual elections. International observers will be enlisted to monitor every step of the election process.
  4. An election ombudsman, ideally a respected high-ranking international military officer, will serve as an impartial liaison between the company and the government of Sierra Leone and the various international organizations. The ombudsman will lead a special committee made up of key members from civil society, government officials, and representatives of the UN, ECOWAS and international NGOs.
  5. The disarmament and demobilizing process will be supported by the special election police and will make use of reorganized UN DDR structures.
    1. Demobilized individuals will be separated according to faction within the camps, and child-soldiers will be further separated and taken to special centres to be designed and maintained for that purpose by international NGOs.
    2. The camps will be operated and protected by UNAMSIL and will provide up to six months of room and board as well as vocational training.
    3. All weapons and munitions turned in will be publicly catalogued and then destroyed immediately on site.
  6. Due to the sensitive nature of the diamond trade, the diamond producing areas will receive special dispensation
    1. A special ten-year authority will be granted to a reputable and transparent international accounting firm under UN authority to monitor all diamond and gold regions to ensure that those products are no longer used to fuel the conflict and instead are used to develop Sierra Leone. 
    2. The special election police will be required to provide special security for the diamond areas. The company, its management and employees must accept total transparency in terms of financial ownership and mining interests, and will not be allowed to have any connections in any way to mining operations in Sierra Leone, they will only be allowed to provide security. Contractual fines can be imposed on the company for violations in this regard.
    3. At the end of the second election supported by this framework, security can be continued with the same company or the UN administrative unit can contract a new company. A transparent and accountable private company should nonetheless continue to support security services in the region to ensure that “conflict diamonds” do not re-ignite the war.
    4. The special election police will be contracted to maintain the security through the next election cycle on two year renewable contracts. After the second election, and unless requested by the international community, the company can be dismissed.
  7. A new, professional, and accountable Sierra Leonean armed force will be trained to replace the demobilized armed forces.
    1. This training will include a strong international component and possibly utilize the services of the British government and military, the American-sponsored African Crisis Response Initiative.
    2. This process will take two years for the officers, and an additional two years for soldiers.
    3. The size of the new force will be no more than 6,000 armed officers and soldiers.
  8. The cost of this operation will be paid by the international community with a significant percentage to be covered by Sierra Leone in order to ensure both input into the operation and a an important level of national pride and inclusion.
  9. Parallel to the security and election operations there needs to be an active program of development, spearheaded by NGOs and international development agencies, but bolstered substantially by investment support to allow private initiatives to blossom and create jobs for the unemployed youth.
  10. Finally, virtually all Sierra Leoneans agree is a critical need not just for free elections, but constitutional reform and a complete restructuring of the government. This process should also be built into the larger security plan.

Comments, suggestions and corrections should be directed to:

Doug Brooks

Research Associate

South African Institute of International Affairs

Cell: (202) 297-9717

Email: Hoosier84@aol.com

Home page: www.Hoosier84.com