Sierra Leone.

• Author: Grabish, Beatrice
• Position: Peacewatch - Return of Pres. Ahmad Tejan Ahmad Kabbah to power

On 10 March, the democratically-elected President of Sierra Leone, Ahmad Tejan Ahmad Kabbah, returned to Sierra Leone after the forces of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) ousted the illegal military junta from Freetown on 12 February.

At the ceremony to mark President Kabbah's return, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahima Fall delivered a message on behalf of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, stating that the President's return accomplished a major objective for the people of Sierra Leone, as well as for the United Nations, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), ECOWAS and the entire international community. The return of President Kabbah must be celebrated as a step that strengthened democracy and the rule of law in Africa, he said, reiterating the conviction that the will of the people must be the basis of governmental authority.

On 16 March, the Security Council also welcomed President Kabbah's return by unanimously adopting resolution 1156 (1998). Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Council decided to terminate, with immediate effect, its prohibitions on the sale or supply to Sierra Leone of petroleum and petroleum products, as stated in its resolution 1132 (1997) of 8 October 1997. It decided to review the other prohibitions it had imposed on the country.

On 17 April, the Council again took up...