The Lomé peace agreement between the government of Sierra Leone and the rebel movement Revolutionary United Front (RUF), signed on July 7, 1999 is a crucial first step toward ending years of civil war. In Resolution 1270 (1999) of October 22, 1999, the Security Council decided to send a 6000-strong UN peace mission to Sierra Leone, currently the largest in Africa. It also called upon the international community to support the peace process by providing assistance for refugees, for the disarmament and demobilization process as well as for the long-term reconstruction of Sierra Leone.
Germany has responded to this call for assistance. For 1999 alone, it has allocated an overall contribution of DM 16.9 million in humanitarian and development aid.
The federal government has also previously contributed aid to the victims of the conflict in Sierra Leone and supported the West African intervention force known as ECOMOG, the backbone of the current UN peace mission, which will remain in charge of security in the country.
Since the signing of the Lomé peace accords in July 1999, Germany has made the following contributions:
Assistance for refugees
DM 5.7 million for Sierra Leonean refugees in Guinea and Liberia via the UNHCR and the Deutsche Gesellschaft for Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) in 1998
DM 5.9 million for Sierra Leonean refugees in Guinea and Liberia via the UNHCR and the Deutsche Gesellschaft for Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) in 1999
DM 109,000 for medicines and medical material for a hospital in Moyamba DM 369,129 for a helicopter mission to help conflict victims in Freetown and vicinity.
Support of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, (DDR programme)
In close coordination with the World Bank, Germany is presently considering German support in form of a direct contribution to the trust fund, as well as parallel assistance. A decision is expected in mid-December.
Emergency aid/ humanitarian assistance
DM 3.74 million via GTZ, the NGO Terra Tech, and the World Food Programme
Reconstruction and development aid
DM 5.6 million in total available for projects of technical cooperation
DM 700,000 of this for institutional support of a Sierra Leonean NGO (ongoing project) and
DM 4.9 million for seeds and plant production (presently suspended due to the precarious situation in the region of Kobia).
Support of ECOMOG
DM 170,000 contributions in kind for ECOMOG offices (office materials, refrigerators, other equipment),
DM 600,000 (Ghana) for telephone equipment (DM 500,000 for Telecom equipment Motorola, DM 100,000 for Inmarsat equipment),
DM 150,000 tank truck,
DM 150,000 cost for air transport of Nigerian troops to Sierra Leone