§ Mr. MillerTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on UK policy towards Sierra Leone. [118769]
§ Mr. HainWe are committed to helping the Government and people of Sierra Leone and people of Sierra Leone restore sustainable peace and security after a brutal civil war. We are also encouraging wider support for Sierra Leone from the international community.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development jointly chaired with representatives of the UN and the World bank at a high level conference on Sierra Leone at Lancaster House on 27 March. This resulted in pledges of new assistance totalling more than £40,5 million, including a further £17.5 million from DFID. Donors reaffirmed political support for the peace process, and agreed to speed up implementation of their programmes in Sierra Leone.
We have agreed with the Government of Sierra Leone that a number of the weapons and ammunition which we provided last year for the new Sierra Leone Army can be used temporarily by the new police force. This will help meet an urgent requirement for armed police to deploy in support of the UN peacekeeping force, and help promote peace and security.
We have also decided also to establish a UK-led Military Advisory and Training Team (MATT) of up to 90 personnel. This will provide advice and training to help the Government of Sierra Leone to build new, democratically accountable and effective armed forces, with a strengthened civilian Ministry of Defence. The UK contribution to the MATT will be funded by the FCO, MOD and DFID. The UK will provide the majority of the personnel, but other countries with an interest in building peace in Sierra Leone will also contribute. Work will begin as soon as possible.