Issued by: The Department of foreign Affairs
The South African Government is extremely concerned about reports that the Sierra Leone armed forces have overthrown the democratically elected government of their country. This is a major setback to a process of democratisation in Sierra Leone to which the international community attached great importance.
This development is also disappointing in the light of recent progress in the expansion of democracy in Africa. Coming on the eve of the upcoming OAU Summit in Harare, it constitutes a flagrant disregard of this encouraging trend.
The South African Government hopes that the democratically elected government of Sierra Leone will be restored to power without delay.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA 26 MAY 1997