Amnesty – 1999
1999
Immediately after signing the Lomé Agreement, President Ahmad Kabbah addressed the House of Parliament on the signing of the Lomé peace deal, which included an amnesty provision. He granted a blanket amnesty to rebels, as well as the release of more than 65 political prisoners, including RUF leader Foday Sankoh. «The prisoners were among a group of civilians and military officers held in detention for their role in the ousted military junta which rule the country in 1997… The President told Parliamentarians that such a move in granting amnesty to the political prisoners was a difficult one but that in the interest of peace it was worth making.»1
Troops received a complete amnesty for any crimes committed from March 1991 up until the date of the signing of the agreement.
There was widespread criticism of granting a blanket amnesty. The United Nations, serving as one guarantor of the agreement, signed the agreement, «with the explicit proviso that the United Nations holds the understanding that the amnesty and pardon in article IX of the agreement shall not apply to international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other serious violations of international humanitarian law.»2