Sierra Leone secrets

By Gamal Nkrumah

From Conakry, the democratically elected President Kabbah plotted his return. In October 1997, the UN imposed an arms embargo on Sierra Leone. But, evidence is mounting that the British Foreign Office was involved in the reinstatement of Kabbah. The British foreign secretary, Robin Cook, denied any knowledge of Britain's connivance in the supply of mercenaries in aid of Kabbah's cause, in breach of UN Resolution 1132, which imposed an arms embargo on Sierra Leone. Cook's blaming of his officials at the Foreign Office complicated matters. Tony Lloyd, minister of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs, confessed to misleading the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee last week. An independent inquiry was set up to look into the arms-for-Africa affair, and Cook pledged to resign if the inquiry implicates him.

The arms-for-Africa scandal has put the Labour government on the spot. Many heads are likely to roll if the results of the inquiry implicate Cook and his officials at the Foreign Office in a conspiracy to supply arms to oust the Sierra Leonean junta. While there would be no problem with the fact that Britain could have helped restore a democratically elected president, it is the alleged tactics that have caused the storm. If indeed the Foreign Office took part in the supply of arms to the Sierra Leonean rebels, then it would be tantamount to a deliberate breach of a UN resolution. For a Labour government that came to power with the promise of an "ethical" foreign policy, that would be a big embarrassment.

Fighting for political survival, Cook claimed in a televised interview that no one had produced a "shred of evidence" that his officials were involved in the arms-to Africa scandal. But, Lord Avebury, leading human rights campaigner, told Al-Ahram Weekly that "there is undisputed evidence of Foreign Office complicity in the arms-to-Africa scandal."

In May 1997, Lord Avebury wrote to Lloyd expressing concern about possible Nigerian intervention in Sierra Leone. "It is reported that Nigerian forces are being dispatched to Sierra Leone, with the object of restoring President Kabbah, and that the Americans are encouraging this enterprise. The Nigerians think they could get back into the good books of the international community by doing the Americans' bidding," Lord Avebury told Lloyd. He warned of the "incongruous spectacle of the Nigerian military posing as the defenders of democracy: If Nigeria's strongman General Sani Abacha can pose as the champion of an elected government, his regime will gain a spurious credibility on the world stage, while keeping its own supporters of democracy, including the legitimate president, Chief MK Abiola, safely behind bars."

Moreover, United States officials seem to have been in the know as well. John Hirsch, the US ambassador in Sierra Leone, and David Kaeuper, the director of African Analysis, the bureau of intelligence and research at the US State Department, knew about the arms-to-Africa affair. British and American complicity in the arms-for-Africa scandal seems to be irrefutable.

While the world believed that the Nigerian-led West African peace-keeping force, ECOMOG, forced out the Sierra Leonean junta single-handedly, it now appears that Britain masterminded the whole affair. According to Lord Avebury, an Indian-born Thai businessman facing extradition from Canada on embezzlement charges financed the counter coup because of his interests in Sierra Leone's diamond mining industry. Sierra Leone has vast mineral resources including diamonds, untapped reserves of aluminium ore and gold.

The Indian-born financier Rakesh Saxena funded the arming of Kabbah's poorly-trained 40,000-strong force of Kamajor tribesmen from northern Sierra Leone. The Kamajors were no match for Koroma's men. Saxena and Kabbah enlisted the help of British-based Sandline International, a company that, according to its founder, Lieutenant Colonel Tim Spicer, offers "special forces rapid reaction" around the world. Sandline has been involved in Africa and the Pacific, most notably putting down a rebellion in Papua New Guinea last year. Spicer claims that he discussed plans with British and American diplomats, military advisers and intelligence agents. A firm called Sky Air Cargo Services shipped over 35 tons of military hardware in a Boeing 707 to Sierra Leone. The Nigerian forces who controlled Sierra Leone's main airport, Lungi International, confiscated the AK47 rifles and other military equipment.

As controversy erupted in Britain about whether or not British officials knew beforehand of Nigeria's planned invasion of Sierra Leone, the media reported Sandline's links with the diamond mining firm, Diamondworks, for major concessions.

The British ambassador to Sierra Leone, Peter Penfold, met Kabbah in Conakry and is said to be "up to his neck in preparations for the Sierra Leonean counter-coup."

An old Africa hand who survived two coups in Uganda, a revolution in Ethiopia and civil war in Nigeria, Penfold's job is on the line.

Two months ago, Lord Avebury was invited to meet Ann Grant, head of Africa Equatorial Department at the British Foreign Office and Lynda St Cook, the Sierra Leone desk officer, to discuss the situation in Sierra Leone. Avebury says that this was the "first time in 36 years as a politician that Foreign Office officials had asked to see me."

It later transpired that Sandline International representatives were also meeting with Foreign Office officials.

Meanwhile, the British Navy was helping to restore Kabbah to power. While the British Defence Ministry claims that the Royal Navy warship HMS Cornwall was in Sierra Leone on a humanitarian mission, Sandline International says that HMS Cornwall was in Sierra Leone to assist in the counter-coup.

Perhaps the most interesting fact to emerge from the arms-to-Africa scandal is the close collaboration between Western powers and African so-called peace-keeping forces. Compliant African civilian and military regimes collaborate with the West for the exploitation of the continent's vast mineral resources. While publicly shunning Nigeria's Abacha and treating him as a pariah, Western powers have collaborated closely with his regime.

The British media focused on personalities embroiled in the arms-for-Africa scandal. But, as far as Africans are concerned, the problem is not about key characters such as former Scots Guard Tim Spicer, former Queen's Scout Penfold, or even Robin Cook's predicament. The crisis is essentially about Western double standards as Lord Avebury so aptly puts it. The alleged British complicity in the Sierra Leonean counter-coup raises doubts about the creation of an African peace-keeping force which is independent of Western powers and which is not controlled by foreign mercenaries and mineral concerns.