Awareness Times yesterday sounded the views of some Sierra Leone Government Ministers regarding the threat and ultimatum issued by a group of ex-combatants said to be from the CDF, RUF and AFRC. According to these Ministers they are not worried about the threat and they consider it as frivolous and that it is of no threat to them. Read them:

"I know that Chief Norman and his likes can go at length to see the demise of this country. He is a desperate man."

Asked how concerned he was in relation to the threat, Dr. Bobson Sesay responded, "I am not taking it mildly", and therefore asserted, "Let any man who is worth his salt, dare to arrest me. I will show him that we Sierra Leoneans are no longer prepared for such  rubbish." he said.

"I think that is absolute nonesense. Such a threat must have come from a lunatic... That must have come from somebody who has not adequately assessed the security reality on the ground." Dr. Harding went on to note that apart from the water-tight nature of security in the country, "Sierra Leoneans are no longer prepared to encourage anybody whose business is to disturb the peace and serenity of their country," he said.

As far as he was concerned, he maintained, he does not feel threatened at all. "I know the good Lord is with us and I have every confidence in our security apparatus. I even go about now without any security guard," he said.

"I feel very safe. I have full confidence in the security of this country now more than before. Those people that purportedly sent that threat are mere jokers. I have nothing to be scared of, Sierra Leoneans for now will never again entertain anybody or group that are intent on disturbing the peace they are now enjoying", he said.

UNSIGNED PRESS RELEASE

An unsigned Public Release sent via the internet on 4th January 2006 gave a ten day ultimatum to the Parliament of Sierra Leone, within that time was expected to have addressed certain issues the release states were violations of the 1999 Lome Peace Accord.

The release had threatened  action upon failure to meet their demands. The ultimatum which had expired on the 14th January, 2006, stated "We the members of the combatants and ex-combatants will arrest and make available ministers of government and individuals, foreign or nationals involved in the continued violations of the Lome Accord as stated."

Principal among the violations stated in the release is, that the government of Sierra Leone arrested the leaders of the AFRC, CDF, and the RUF, which according to it, is in violation of the Amnesty Provisions of the Lome Accord of 7th July, 1999 and in particular Articles II, III and IX signed by President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah on behalf of the government and people of Sierra Leone and CPl. Foday Saybana Sankoh on behalf of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF).

The release also alleged that the Special Court for Sierra Leone has over "the past two years recruited and re-armed some combatants and ex-combatants for clandestine operations in Liberia."

"WE ARE NOT PANICKED BY THIS ABSOLUTE NONSENSE"

Reacting to this allegation, the Deputy Chief of the Public Affairs Unit of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Mr. Peter Andersen described the allegation as "absolute nonsense."

He pointed out that the Special Court has never engaged in any recruitment or re-arming of any persons for clandestine operations in Liberia not to talk of ex-combatants.

Asked about their opinion on the threat to state security posed by the release, Mr. Andersen remarked, "I see no threat to the security of Sierra Leone or the Special Court", noting that the court is going on fine with its work as usual. He went on to note that even though they are not considering the threat issued by this unsigned release as serious, they have a very tight and reliable security measure in place. "We have the Mongolians here and there is a Rapid Deployment Force on the standby in Liberia that will come in any time the security of the court is considered as being under threat," he assured.

Asked to explain why Chief Norman was allowed to send such a security threat through those so-called ex-combatants, Mr. Andersen stated that there is supposed to be security measures relating to messages from indictees to the outside, but that it could sometimes be difficult to monitor. He however referred to the statement as "purported" since it was not signed by any individual.

"We are not panicked by this and we will urge Sierra Leoneans not to be panicked either." Mr Andersen assured.

HINGA NORMAN AIDE VERY MUCH AFRAID TO SAY ANYTHING

Meanwhile a very close aide to Speical Court indictee, Chief Sam Hinga Norman told Awareness Times when contacted for his reaction that he was afraid to say anything at the moment. He was almost on his knees begging for us not to force him to say anything. "I am very much afraid for my security as at now. I will not say anything for that might be used to implicate me in this on-going allegation of destablising the state" he pleaded.

PUBLIC REACTIONS

Although reactions of government officials since the 4th of January have been reassuring, opinions from the public are suggesting that government considers the threat as serious in the interest of maintaining the peace.

One student of the Prince of Wales School who preferred anonymity told Awareness Times yesterday, "Government should not be too complacent over its security. Even though much has been done to streamline the security sector, it should be aware that many people still remain disenchanted over the current state of their socio-economic well-being".