Sierra Leone's ex-rebels name candidate for first post-war election 

 Monday April 8, 2002 Sierra Leone's former rebels on Monday nominated a candidate for the presidency - ending a threat to boycott the country's first post-war vote.   The ex-rebels had let the April 2 deadline for submitting a candidate go by, saying they wanted only jailed movement founder Foday Sankoh to represent them in the race.  On Monday, however, they nominated their Revolutionary United Front Party's secretary-general, Alimamy Paolo Banguna. 

Banguna is a university lecturer and former energy minister under current President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah.   The onetime rebels' decision to take part in the vote was seen as a hopeful sign for the vote, meant to help move the country beyond what had been 10 years of an increasingly nightmarish war.    Sankoh led a 10-year terror campaign, bent on winning power for himself and control of the country's diamond fields for his movement and its allies. 

The movement by the late 1990s specialized in unsparing slaughter, maiming, kidnapping and raping of Sierra Leone's innocent civilians.   Massive deployment by the United Nations and British forces since May 2000 quelled the fighting. Sankoh and 49 of his followers now are standing trial in the capital, Freetown, on a 70-count indictment of murder and other charges.   At least one faction in the Revolutionary United Front party had insisted upon Sankoh as its candidate for the May 14 4presidential elections, to be overseen by the United Nations. 

 Sierra Leone's election commission banned the imprisoned former rebel leader. Sankoh was not a registered voter and, being jailed, could not submit his nomination papers in person, as required, the commission said.   Eight other candidates, including Kabbah who is seeking a second five-year term, have been entered in the race.