Deputy Minister Of Foreign Affairs Briefs Envoys On Just Ended ECOWAS Summit

Accra, Sept. 4, Mr. Victor Gbeho, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, said today that ECOWAS leaders are determined to deploy all efforts to resolve the Sierra Leonean crisis peacefully. The application of sanctions was in response to the breakdown of negotiations between the Committee of Four and representatives of the Sierra Leonean regime in Abidjan last July 30. The Committee is made up of the Foreign Ministers of Ghana, Nigeria, Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire. Mr. Gbeho was briefing members of the diplomatic corps in Ghana on efforts so far made to resolve the crisis in Sierra Leone. He said, however, that consistent with ECOWAS' original position and intention, ''the door will be kept open for the regime in Sierra Leone to carry out realisitic negotiations if and when they decide to do so''. He said in pursuit of the overall objectives of restoring constitutional order in that country, ''the sub-region considers the support of the international community, including the OAU, the Commonwealth and the United Nations, vital''. Mr. Gbeho said the Committee of Four considers it necessary that ''we keep in close contact with these organisations, in particular the UN Security Council''. The Committee, therefore, intends to proceed to New York ''as soon as possible'' to brief the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council about decisions taken during the Abuja Summit. At the summit, the heads of State and Government approved a package of sanctions and embargo made by the Committee as a further measure to ensure the restoration of the government of President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah. The summit decided to extend the scope of activity of ECOMOG into Sierra Leone and mandated it to assist in the realisation of the stated objectives of ECOWAS in that country. He told the diplomats that the ECOWAS authority has added Liberia to the membership of the committee of four. It further decided to raise the status of the Committee to that of Heads of State and Government, the Deputy Minister added.

Accra, Sept. 4, Mr. Victor Gbeho, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, said today that ECOWAS leaders are determined to deploy all efforts to resolve the Sierra Leonean crisis peacefully. The application of sanctions was in response to the breakdown of negotiations between the Committee of Four and representatives of the Sierra Leonean regime in Abidjan last July 30. The Committee is made up of the Foreign Ministers of Ghana, Nigeria, Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire. Mr. Gbeho was briefing members of the diplomatic corps in Ghana on efforts so far made to resolve the crisis in Sierra Leone. He said, however, that consistent with ECOWAS' original position and intention, ''the door will be kept open for the regime in Sierra Leone to carry out realisitic negotiations if and when they decide to do so''. He said in pursuit of the overall objectives of restoring constitutional order in that country, ''the sub-region considers the support of the international community, including the OAU, the Commonwealth and the United Nations, vital''. Mr. Gbeho said the Committee of Four considers it necessary that ''we keep in close contact with these organisations, in particular the UN Security Council''. The Committee, therefore, intends to proceed to New York ''as soon as possible'' to brief the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council about decisions taken during the Abuja Summit. At the summit, the heads of State and Government approved a package of sanctions and embargo made by the Committee as a further measure to ensure the restoration of the government of President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah. The summit decided to extend the scope of activity of ECOMOG into Sierra Leone and mandated it to assist in the realisation of the stated objectives of ECOWAS in that country. He told the diplomats that the ECOWAS authority has added Liberia to the membership of the committee of four. It further decided to raise the status of the Committee to that of Heads of State and Government, the Deputy Minister added.