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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth Secretary-General Welcomes Cease-fire in Sierra Leone

19 May 1999

Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku today welcomed the announcement of a cease-fire in Sierra Leone. In a statement issued in London, he said:

I welcome the decision by the Government of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) to declare a cease-fire as from Monday, 24 May 1999 in order to enable negotiations to begin. This is the necessary first step and will be welcomed by all friends of Sierra Leone. Talks cannot proceed while fighting continues.

However, this is only the first step. The challenge now is to use this as a basis for serious negotiations leading to a durable agreement which has the support of all the people of Sierra Leone and which provides the conditions for true national reconciliation, peace and justice.

The Commonwealth will continue to do all it can to contribute to the success of the negotiations and the still greater challenge of reconstruction which lies ahead.




Issued by the Information and Public Affairs Division, Commonwealth Secretariat,
Marlborough House,
Pall Mall,
London SW1Y 5HX,
United Kingdom.
Tel: 0207-839 3411;
Fax: 0207-839 9081;
Telex: 27678


99/34 19 May, 1999

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ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION
Commonwealth Secretariat Marlborough House Pall Mall London SW1Y 5HX United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6385/6 Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 9081
Email: info@commonwealth.int