§ Mr. KilfoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the prospects of a return to full civilian, democratic rule in Sierra Leone. [145309]
§ Mr. HainSierra Leone returned to full civilian democratic rule in March 1996 when President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah was elected. But his Government have been prevented from governing the whole of the country because of the long running civil war. We are confident that if all the parties involved in the conflict abide by the Abuja ceasefire agreement signed in November 2000, the Sierra Leone Government will, with the continued help of the international community, continue to extend their authority throughout the country.