§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning events in Sierra Leone. [3068]
§ Mr. Tony LloydThe military coup of 25 May which overthrew Sierra Leone's democratically elected government has not yet been overturned. The coup leaders have been joined by the Revolutionary United Front guerillas who have waged a long war against the Sierra Leone government. It is unclear who, if anyone, is now governing Sierra Leone. There have been no reports of fighting in Freetown since 3 June though sporadic looting continues. Food and fuel are in short supply. We have deplored the coup. We are in touch with regional powers involved in efforts to find a peaceful negotiated settlement in Sierra Leone. We shall continue to work for the return of constitutional order to Sierra Leone without further bloodshed.
§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with his counterparts in Commonwealth countries regarding Sierra Leonean participation in Commonwealth meetings and bodies. [3069]
§ Mr. LloydI look forward to discussing Sierra Leone with others in the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) when it meets in London on 10–11 July 1997. CMAG was created at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Auckland in 1995 and has since its inception considered events in Sierra Leone. It will report to this year's CHOGM in Edinburgh in October. Officials are in close contract with the Commonwealth Secretariat on events in Sierra Leone.