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Foreign Office Officials Criticized for Handling of Sierra Leone Arms Embargo

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Commons foreign affairs select committee has published a scathing report on the handling of the Sierra Leone arms embargo by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The report highlights a series of failures and mistakes made by officials, including the permanent under secretary, Sir John Kerr, who is held responsible for the unacceptable situation. The report notes that officials failed to act on information warning of Sandline International's plans to supply arms to Sierra Leone, despite a UN arms embargo in place. The affair has been particularly embarrassing for Robin Cook, foreign secretary, due to his commitment to an "ethical dimension" in foreign policy.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Foreign Office officials failed to act on information warning of Sandline International's plans to supply arms to Sierra Leone, despite a UN arms embargo in place.
  • The permanent under secretary, Sir John Kerr, is held responsible for the unacceptable situation and failed to communicate effectively with ministers.
  • The report highlights the failure of the Foreign Office's Africa section to pass on information from the British high commissioner to Sierra Leone, Peter Penfold, about Sandline's plan.
  • Officials are criticized for exposing ministers to the risk of misleading parliament and for their cavalier attitude in not implementing UN resolutions through a parliamentary vote.
  • The report asserts the rights of select committees to hold the executive to account and criticizes the Foreign Office's attempts to withhold information from the committee.
  • Sir Thomas Legg's independent inquiry was not notified of the apparent error in the Foreign Office minute outlining intelligence material from December 3 1997.

Statistics:

  • $10m (approximately £6m) worth of arms were supplied by Sandline International to Sierra Leone in February 1998.
  • The UN arms embargo was in place from January 1997, prohibiting the supply of arms to all parties in Sierra Leone.
  • The report criticizes 10 months of delays in implementing the UN embargo order in council.
  • The Foreign Office modernization programme, led by Robin Cook, aims to address some of the lessons learnt from the affair.

Sources:

  • Foreign Affairs Committee; Second Report; Sierra Leone
  • [pound]12.50, Stationery Office, Copyright Financial Times Limited 1999. All Rights Reserved.

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