(New York, October 14, 1999)—Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
should show the same commitment to justice in Sierra Leone that she has
shown for victims of crimes against humanity in Kosovo and East Timor,
Human Rights Watch said today.
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"The United States has not pursued justice as vigorously in Sierra Leone
as it has in other parts of the world. We believe the amnesty in
Sierra Leone is a mistake and will undermine the peace agreement in the
end. But having supported it, Secretary Albright should now do
everything possible to see that these terrible crimes become part of the
public record. The United States cannot participate in whitewashing the
atrocities of this war."
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Peter Takirambudde Executive Director for Africa of Human Rights Watch
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Human Rights Watch urged Secretary Albright to express strong support
for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a body which is envisaged in
the Sierra Leone peace agreement but has not yet been established.
Similarly, the U.S. should back the formation of an United Nations
commission of inquiry into human rights violations in the eight year
civil war.
The United States helped broker the peace agreement, which includes a
general amnesty for all crimes committed during the war. In a June 1999
report, Human Rights Watch documented these extensive atrocities,
including the murder, rape, and limb amputation of thousands of
civilians.
"The United States has not pursued justice as vigorously in Sierra Leone
as it has in other parts of the world," said Peter Takirambudde,
Executive Director of the Africa division. "We believe the amnesty in
Sierra Leone is a mistake and will undermine the peace agreement in the
end. But having supported it, Secretary Albright should now do
everything possible to see that these terrible crimes become part of the
public record. The United States cannot participate in whitewashing the
atrocities of this war."
Since the signing of the Peace Agreement on July 7, the rebels have
continued to rape and abduct civilians and loot villages
Human Rights Watch urged Secretary Albright to back a stronger mandate
for a United Nations peacekeeping force to enforce the July 7 peace
agreement between the Sierra Leonean government and rebels. The U.N.
Security Council will vote this week on whether to give the peacekeepers
"Chapter Seven" powers, which would authorize them to use force to
protect civilians. Human Rights Watch said Secretary Albright should
also use her meeting with Foday Sankoh, the leader of the rebel
Revolutionary United Front who has now joined the government, to urge
him to release thousands of abductees. At least 2,871 children have been
missing since the rebels' January offensive on Freetown. The rebels are
also still using hundreds of girls and women as sexual partners whom
they have pledged to release.
In regard to Nigeria, Secretary Albright should welcome the steps the
new Nigerian government has taken to improve human rights and the rule
of law, such as extending the mandate of a commission to investigate
past human rights abuses to 1966, the date of the first military coup.
The U.S. should recognize President Olusegun Obasanjo's efforts to
defuse the crisis in the Niger Delta, but urge him not to allow Nigerian
security forces to respond violently to expressions of discontent in the
region, Human Rights Watch said. In particular, the U.S. should press
for an independent judicial enquiry to investigate past and current
human rights violations in the Niger Delta, and to discipline or
prosecute those responsible. Over the last few days, Human Rights Watch
has received disturbing reports of fresh disturbances and arrests in
Ogoniland.
Nigeria's new president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has released many political
prisoners and made commitments to respect the rule of law. But several
pernicious laws remain on the books, including the Public Order Law and
the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Decree, which are not in
accordance with constitutional guarantees for human rights.
"President Obasanjo has made a good start toward improving Nigeria's
human rights record," said Takirambudde. "But the country needs a
complete legal overhaul, starting with the constitution. The Secretary
of State can praise Obasanjo for what he has done so far—but she needs
to make it clear that the U.S. expects far more."
For more information, please contact:
On Sierra Leone: Corinne Dufka in Freetown +232-22-23-1185
On Nigeria: Bronwen Manby in London +44-171-713-1995
On U.S. policy: Janet Fleischman in Washington, D.C. +1-202-612-4325
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