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:
- Elections will be
coordinated by ECOWAS, with international observers from the UN, ECOWAS,
OAU and other relevant organizations as well as NGOs.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The disarmament and
demobilizing process, supported by the special election police, will be
completed by UNAMSIL before the election campaigning period.
- 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.
- A new, professional and
accountable Sierra Leonean armed force will be trained to replace the
demobilized armed forces.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Elections
will be coordinated by ECOWAS, with international observers from the UN,
ECOWAS, OAU and other relevant organizations as well as NGOs.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Once internal and border
security is assured, all remaining factions within Sierra Leone will be
disarmed of military weapons.
- By the time elections
are held, the only armed force in Sierra Leone will be the company
providing election security.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The disarmament and
demobilizing process will be supported by the special election police and
will make use of reorganized UN DDR structures.
- 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.
- 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.
- All weapons and
munitions turned in will be publicly catalogued and then destroyed
immediately on site.
- Due to the sensitive
nature of the diamond trade, the diamond producing areas will receive
special dispensation
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- A new, professional, and accountable
Sierra Leonean armed force will be trained to replace the demobilized
armed forces.
- 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.
- This process will take
two years for the officers, and an additional two years for soldiers.
- The size of the new
force will be no more than 6,000 armed officers and soldiers.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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