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Cease Fire – 2000

On May 15, 2000, government forces were reportedly pushing toward a traditional stronghold of the Revolutionary United Front rebels. The troops were moving 35 miles east of the capital to secure key bridges and towns the troops had lost to the rebels the previous week. At the same time, the rebels held 340 UN peacekeepers hostage and the UN was working to arrange a ceasefire and negotiate the release of its peacekeepers. On May 14, 2000, the rebels reportedly released 139 U.N. troops to Liberian President Charles Taylor after having turned over 18 others to Indian peacekeepers inside Sierra Leone earlier in the day.¹

In June 2000 there was an unsuccessful effort to restore the ceasefire. “A six-member ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States delegation arrived in Sierra Leone late Wednesday 14th June, where they will attempt to bring about a cease-fire between government and rebel forces and to put the peace process back on track.”² The recent surge in violence by both the rebels and the Government caused the UN Mission to Sierra Leone, UNAMSIL, to call for a ceasefire.³

On November 10, 2000, during a one-day conference at the Nigerian administrative capital of Abuja, Government and rebel negotiators agreed to a 30-day unconditional cease-fire agreement. The ceasefire went into effect at midnight. State radio stated that a cease-fire deal had been reached with rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and that the cease-fire is to take effect on midnight of the same day (Friday). In the agreement, both sides agreed to “allow unhindered access to all areas in the country by both local and international charities as well as allow the full deployment of the UN force in Sierra Leone to all areas in the country including the rebel-held diamond rich Kono District and Tongo Fields. Calls by the rebels for the release of their detained leader and senior comrades were turned down.”⁴

1. “Army Presses Sierra Leone Rebels; Troops Advance Despite U.N. Push For a Cease-Fire,” The Washington Post, May 16, 2000, Pg. A14.
2. “Sierra Leone: ECOWAS delegation arrives to attempt cease-fire agreement,” BBC Monitoring Africa — Political, June 16, 2000.
3. “Sierra Leone; UN Mission Calls For Cease-Fire,” Africa News, July 15, 2000.
4. “Sierra Leone; Government/Rebels Agreed To Cease-Fire,” Africa News, November 11, 2000.