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Powersharing Transitional Government – 1999

As disclosed by a senior aid to the Sierra Leone government on November 6, 1999, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) delivered their list of cabinet appointees to be included in the Government of National Unity. The former military ruler of the ousted military junta, Major Johnny Paul Koroma, and at least three of his ousted executives: Alimamy Paolo Bangura, Sahr Kaiagbanja and Eddie Kanneh, were on the list. Also included in the list of cabinet appointees were the rebels’ War Council Chief and chief negotiator of the Lomé Accord, Solomon Rogers, battlefield commanders Sam Bockarie and Denise Mingo, and the rebelsÕ legal adviser and spokesman, Omrie Golley. Following the presidential approval of the names, the list would go to the parliament for ratification.¹ The following positions were allocated to the RUF: the Ministry of Trade and Industry; the Ministry of Land, Housing and Central Planning; the Ministry of Energy and Power; and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. Koroma was appointed to head the Commission for the Consolidation of Peace and Sankoh the CMRRD.

On November 21, 1999, the Government of National Unity was announced and it saw the former cabinet being expanded from its original 15-member to 21. The agreed upon cabinet size during the lome negotiation was 18, but Kabbah expanded it to 21. “At least 7 cabinet positions were given to rebels of the Revolutionary United Front, RUF, 3 of which are senior cabinet positions. The RUF are to occupy the ministries of Energy and Works, Lands and the Environment, and Trade and Industry. The rebel’s appointees are Mr. Alimamy Pallo Bangura for Energy and Works, Peter Vandy for Lands and the Environment and Mr. Mike Lamin for Trade and Industry. The RUF were also given 3 deputy ministries while a former soldier of the national army was given a deputy minister position.”²

Typical of powersharing arrangements, Binningsbo and Dupuy (2009), who interviewed RUF/AFRC ministers, report that, “the RUF and AFRC representatives in the Cabinet were hindered in influencing high politics and were even excluded from Cabinet meetings.”³

1. “Sierra Leone; Rebel Send List Of Cabinet Appointees,” Africa News, August 6, 1999.
2. “Sierra Leone; Government Of National Unity Officially Announced,” Africa News, October 21, 1999; Helga Malmin Binningsbø and Kendra Dupuy, “Using Power-Sharing to Win a War: The Implementation of the Lomé Agreement in Sierra Leone,” Africa Spectrum 44, no. 3 (2009): 96-7.
3. Ibid., 97.