Archives

November 2000

UK Joint Task Force in S.Leone - Press Release 12Nov 2000
Posted November 13, 2000 - 19:55 by newsdesk

ROYAL MARINES COME ASHORE IN FREETOWN

An amphibious force from 42 Commando Group Royal Marines came ashore in Freetown today in an impressive beach landing exercise launched from helicopter carrier HMS Ocean.

Seaking helicopters thundered overhead as the troops poured from amphibious landing craft and secured the beachhead on Aberdeen peninsula, three kilometres west of the capital. Chinook battlefield support helicopters delivered underslung 105mm light artillery guns and Commando all-terrain vehicles while Lynx attack helicopters provided air cover.


This exercise followed the arrival of the Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) the previous day, which had been diverted to Sierra Leone following the completion of an exercise in the Mediterranean.

The ARG comprises elements of the Joint Rapid Reaction Force. (JRRF) and is just one capability that we could have chosen to deploy. It is headed by HMS Ocean supported by four Royal Fleet Auxiliaries and support helicopters.




In our announcement on 10 October about further assistance to Sierra Leone, the Government made it clear that, under our memorandum with the United Nations, we were ready to deploy a rapid reaction force in support of UN peacekeeping operations, including that in Sierra Leone. Today's exercise was a highly visible demonstration of the seriousness of that commitment.

This powerful display of military capability has enabled the Group to practice procedures and conduct a detailed reconnaissance both of which will significantly reduce the time needed to deploy should the JRRF be required in future. It was planned prior to yesterday’s welcome announcement of a cease-fire between the GoSL and the RUF, but we hope it will remind the leadership of the RUF of the need to honour that agreement to ensure that it marks the first step towards a peaceful and prosperous future for Sierra Leone.

The British military mission in Sierra Leone remains unchanged in its efforts to assist in the building of a long term peace and security for the country through creating an effective, democratically accountable, self-supporting indigenous military force that is capable of extending the Government’s control over its territory.


A Press Release by the UK Joint Task Force Headquarters (JTFHQ)
Contact: Flt Lt Julie Phillips, Media Ops
Email: freetownmedia@hotmail.com

British plan offensive in Sierra Leone
Posted November 13, 2000 - 18:53 by newsdesk

Related Source: The Observer

UK infantry units may have to be deployed

By Jason Burke and Brian Johnson-Thomas

Sunday November 12, 2000

British artillery and helicopter gunships will be thrown into combat against the Sierra Leone rebel forces within weeks under plans being drawn up by Whitehall and defence chiefs.

The plan, which senior diplomatic sources confirmed yesterday, would see a massive escalation in British involvement in the war-torn West African state and possibly result in the fiercest combat involving UK forces since the Gulf War nearly 10 years ago.

The British plan involves deploying helicopter gunships and artillery. The helicopters - Sea Kings from the Royal Navy warships currently off the Sierra Leone shore - would attack rebels of the Revolutionary United Front in support of a government offensive to secure the crucial diamond fields in the south-west of the country which provide the finance for the rebels' war effort.

On the ground, the commandos' light artillery batteries - equipped with 105mm guns - would also be used. Such a weapon has only a limited range and gun crews would be vulnerable. It is likely that infantry units would also have to be deployed to protect them.

A key component of the offensive will be the 1,000-strong brigade of government soldiers that has been trained by British advisers at a base near Freetown, the capital. At least 400 British soldiers are already in positions in and around the city.

Informed sources in Sierra Leone told The Observer last week that forces from the RUF - the main rebel group - had started taking up positions closer to Freetown in recent days. It was the imminent capture of the capital - and the apparent collapse of the UN force protecting the city - that precipitated the British intervention in May which successfully stopped the rebel advance.

British troops have already taken casualties in Sierra Leone. One was killed and 17 injured while freeing a group of soldiers held hostage by a renegade militia three months ago. British troops were involved in some fierce firefights with rebel forces when they first landed in the country.

There were reports yesterday that a ceasefire negotiated on Friday between the Sierra Leonean government and the RUF was still holding, though analysts were pessimistic about its long-term chances.

Peter Hain, the Foreign Minister, told The Observer yesterday that the truce vindicated the Government's policy.

'[The truce] could be a very significant breakthrough. Any ceasefire agreed with the RUF has to be treated with considerable caution, but does reflect the success of the strategy that Britain has helped to drive forward since May,' he said.


© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2000

UNAMSIL Press Briefing - Friday, 10 November 2000
Posted November 13, 2000 - 18:51 by newsdesk

Related Source: UNAMSIL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of a briefing with UNAMSIL Spokesman Hirut Befecadu and military spokesman Lt. Commander Patrick Coker

The meeting of the Coordination Mechanism for ECOWAS, Government of Sierra Leone and the UN started in Abuja on 8 November under the chairmanship of the Foreign Minister of Nigeria, standing in for his Malian counterpart whose arrival was delayed. The meeting has concluded its deliberations and has made several recommendations whereby it expressed that the meeting with the RUF should focus exclusively on a ceasefire, and that all the other outstanding issues relating to restarting the political dialogue would be discussed after a through assessment of progress made in implementing the ceasefre agreement. The Coordination Committee emphasized the importance of deploying UNAMSIL troops throughout Sierra Leone to monitor the ceasefire, and called on ECOWAS to press the RUF to return all the seized UNAMSIL weapons and equipment. It further called for the need to build trust and confidence between the Government of Sierra Leone and the RUF, as well as to encourage the RUF to have direct contacts with the government and President Kabbah, UNAMSIL and ECOWAS. It also called on the RUF to establish a presence in Freetown as soon as possible.

The delegation of the RUF led by Col Jonathan Kposowa and six other members have been airlifted from Monrovia by an aircraft provided by the Nigerian Government to travel to Abuja for the meeting between the Government of Sierra Leone and the RUF. The Liberian delegation also travelled on the same plane. We expect the meeting to have started by noon today.

UNAMSIL’s Civil Affairs Section in collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), provided 1000 kits of vegetable seeds to the NGO Farming Families Project named PLASAS, operating in the Freetown Western Area and the Northern Province. The delivery ceremony took place November 9, 2000. The project beneficiaries are 43 community groups comprising 1075 women gardeners, who have traditionally been engaged in community farming, but due to the civil war, their condition worsened. The donation will allow the beneficiaries not only to ensure food security, but also to generate a minimum income. Their request for funding was made to UNAMSIL’s Civil Affairs Section by FAMINE, an umbrella organization supporting efforts of Community Based organizations (CBO), involved in rehabilitation and reintegration activities.

On November 8, a Civil Affairs Officer Ms Laura Linares conducted a field visit to Bo to establish links with regional and local authorities, representatives of NGOs, the UNAMSIL Guinean contingent, MILOBS and UN Civ Pol officers. The role of the Civil Affairs Section was discussed with the Resident Minister, the Mayor and the Counsellors of Bo, and NCRRR representatives. Emphasis was made on governance and the humanitarian situation. The Resident Minister pointed out that his effort is focused on promoting confidence building, and stressed the need to work in close collaboration with UNAMSIL to enhance the capacity of regional and local government. He also suggested that a sensitisation campaign be initiated to further explain the role of UNAMSIL to the population. The NCRRR representatives on his part identified three areas of concern: The restoration of civil authority; rehabilitation of roads infrastructure and rehabilitation of community basic services such as health centres, primary school and court barriers.

Freetown MILOBS at Wilberforce Reception Centre disarmed two-RUF child combatants and one-AFRC unarmed child combatant on November 8, they were transported to LAKKA Child Camp the same day.

The DDR Camp at Lungi was officially closed on November 8, as the last ex-combatant was discharged. The camp will be handed over to the SLA on November 11.

You will recall that we informed you that the withdrawal of the Indian and Jordanian peacekeepers will be carried out in phases. The first phase of this withdrawal commenced during the week. The details are not available, however, the general outline is as follows: from the western area, Jorbatt 1 which is located at Waterloo-songo will be the first to pull out from the Jordanian contingent next week. The Jorbatt 1 area of responsibility will be taken-over by NIBATT 5 and 6. Jorbatt 2 located at Masiaka will vacate their position to the Kenyan Battalion. In the eastern area, the Ghanaian Battalion that was located at Kenema will now take over from Indian Battalion 1 at Daru. The Zambian Battalion currently located at Lungi will take over form Ghana Battalion at Kenema. The advance redeployments and phased withdrawal has commenced however none of the peacekeepers have left the shores of Sierra Leone yet. These general movements will ensure that no vacuum is created to jeopardize the current security situation in UNAMSIL positions.

There was a wreath laying in honor of Lance Corporal Nabu who drowned at the Lumley Beach. He was sent off by senior military and civilian officers of UNAMSIL. His remains will be flown to India.

***********

For additional information, contact:
UNAMSIL Public Information Office
UNAMSIL Headquarters, Mammy Yoko, P. O. Box 5, Freetown, Sierra Leone
Tel: 232-22-273-183/4/5 Fax: 232-22-273-189 e-mail: odine@un.org


(c) United Nations 2000
For information purposes only; not an official document of the United Nations.

British show of strength to deter Sierra Leone's rebels
Posted November 12, 2000 - 9:47 by newsdesk

Related Source: The Telegraph

UK's Amphibious Ready Task Group is led by the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean

By Philip Sherwell

Sunday, 12 November 2000

BRITAIN'S military commitment to Sierra Leone will deepen this week as Royal Marine commandos stage a full-scale amphibious landing exercise on the beaches of Freetown in a "show of strength" to deter the country's rebels from launching a dry-season offensive.

The arrival of the British naval task force coincides with the signing of a 30-day ceasefire at talks in Nigeria between the Sierra Leonean government and the Revolutionary United Front, the ruthless rebel movement that controls most of the country's diamond fields.

The truce is the latest in a long line of accords that RUF guerrillas have signed but then broken. Doubts were immediately cast over the new ceasefire when a rebel leader called the deal a "stepping stone" but said that he could give "no guarantees that it means the end of the war".

The deployment of the Amphibious Ready Task Group, led by the helicopter carrier Ocean, is designed to shore up the feeble 12,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping force (Unamsil) at a time when its two strongest contingents - the Indians and Jordanians - have announced their withdrawal. In May, Britain sent 1,000 men to defend Freetown and the international airport as rebel fighters advanced on the capital despite the presence of the UN force.

The dispatch of the task force has raised fears in the Ministry of Defence about further "over-stretch" of Britain's military resources and prompted criticisms of renewed "mission creep" by the Conservatives. British policy on Sierra Leone has been driven by the desire of Robin Cook, the Foreign Secretary, to make the country an example of his much-trumpeted "ethical foreign policy".

British soldiers are pressing ahead with preparations for the ramshackle Sierra Leonean Army (SLA) to launch its own offensive against the RUF if talks break down. Brig David Richards heads a team of about 40 senior officers from the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) in Northwood, near London, who are now stationed in the Cockerill army headquarters in Freetown. They will provide "high-level" operational advice to the country's military if the SLA goes into action.

Another 300 British soldiers are retraining the country's troops, many of whom previously sided with the rebels to commit atrocities against the civilian population. Three thousand Sierra Leonean soldiers have so far gone through the programme.

British trucks, radios, rifles and uniforms have also started to arrive in Freetown to provide the SLA with vital logistical back-up. Their lack of equipment has previously hampered any military operations.

A Government minister said: "Cockerill is full of British officers and equipment nowadays. We're all hoping that the SLA will be able to go into action with their backing soon." British officers believe that the SLA is now strong enough to repulse any attacks by the RUF and hope that, if needed, it will soon be ready to press ahead with an offensive of its own.

Under the truce, the rebels said that they would grant UN peacekeepers access to the whole country, including the diamond mining areas. The battle for control of the gem fields has driven the ferocious nine-year civil war.


© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2000.

Sierra Leone ceasefire may signal end to civil war
Posted November 12, 2000 - 9:33 by newsdesk

Related Source: The Independent

The UK has a 400-strong military training team in Sierra Leone

By Ed O'Loughlin in Freetown

12 November 2000

Diplomatic and military sources in Sierra Leone claim that this weekend's ceasefire between the government and Revolutionary United Front rebels will – if fully implemented – put an end to the country's nine-year-old civil war.

The ceasefire, which coincides with the arrival of a Royal Navy task force off Freetown, requires the RUF to demonstrate its compliance within 30 days by disarming and demobilising its forces and by granting the United Nations unfettered access to all areas of the country.

According to Lieutenant Commander Tony Cramp, spokesman for the 400-strong British military training team in Sierra Leone, the ceasefire will force the RUF to allow UN troops to occupy the key diamond-producing areas in the east of the country.

Despite the RUF's claim to be fighting against government corruption and nepotism, control of the diamond fields has long been the true aim of its bloody campaign against its own people.

Signed in Abuja, Nigeria, late on Friday, the ceasefire has surprised many diplomatic observers in the region, particularly as the rebel delegation made no effort to secure the release of the RUF's imprisoned leader, Foday Sankoh.

The deal makes it possible for a compliant RUF to enter a future power-sharing government as outlined in last year's abandoned Lome peace deal.

Despite initial welcomes for the deal, there is still considerable scepticism in Freetown about whether the RUF seriously intends to keep its side of the bargain. Previous peace agreements in 1996 and 1999 were abandoned after the RUF launched renewed offensives against the government and supporting forces from west Africa, principally Nigeria.

Human-rights groups say that tens of thousands of ordinary Sierra Leoneans died as rebel guerrillas targeted civilians, often at random, in retaliation for support of elected president Ahmed Tejan Kabbah. Thousands more were mutilated by RUF units that hacked limbs, ears and lips from men, women and children.

Those sceptical of the ceasefire point out that the Abuja delegation excluded some of the party's senior military leaders, and argue that there are signs that the RUF may have split into rival factions. Optimists believe the RUF is responding to recent military setbacks and to increasingly diplomatic and economic pressure on its main foreign backer, Liberian president Charles Taylor.

Western intelligence sources say that guerrilla attacks into neighbouring Guinea were launched by RUF forces under the order of Taylor, in retaliation for earlier attacks into northern Liberia by Liberian dissidents based in Guinea. The Guinean army has been successful in driving back the RUF, which suffered heavy losses.

Lt-Cdr Cramp said that the RUF's apparent climbdown is also motivated by fear of the growing military capability of the Sierra Leone Army, with training, equipment and support from the British military.


© 2000 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd.

Sierra Leone Cease-Fire in Doubt
Posted November 12, 2000 - 9:30 by newsdesk

Related Source: AP

'The release of Foday Sankoh is a very, very important (priority) of the RUF' - rebel spokesman.

Saturday, 11 Nov 2000

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP)

A cease-fire reached in Sierra Leone was in doubt Saturday after a rebel leader said that the deal was no guarantee of an end to the West African nation's nine-year civil war.

Sierra Leone's government and leaders of the brutal rebel movement agreed Friday to a 30-day cease-fire, and for U.N. peacekeepers to deploy in rebel territory, including lucrative diamond mines.

But less than an hour after signing the deal, Col. Jonathan Kposowa, the leader of the Revolutionary United Front, called it a ''stepping stone,'' and said he could give ''no guarantees it means the end of the war.''

''Lets see whether there will be (success). So long as there is confidence, then we have to do something after the 30 days,'' Kposowa said.

The deal was reached in negotiations in this Nigerian city, the first high-level talks between the two sides since the RUF rebels reignited Sierra Leone's civil war in May, breaking a year-old peace deal. It was the third peace agreement abandoned by the rebels since the war began in 1991.

The civil war has forced more than one-quarter of Sierra Leone's 4.2 million people from their homes and killed tens of thousands. Thousands of civilians have had their hands and arms hacked off in a horrific rebel terror campaign.

Fighting has picked up in recent weeks with the end of Sierra Leone's rainy season, though U.N. officials say the country is largely calm. There was no immediate word Saturday if the cease-fire, which started a minute before midnight, had taken hold.

Kposowa refused to say whether the rebels would give up control of the diamond mines used to finance their war chest. Under Friday's deal, U.N. troops are to deploy in diamond fields and other rebel areas, but only after the U.N. peacekeeping force is satisfied that the cease-fire is being observed.

''Why are they (the government) curious now? Instead of finding solutions to the problem, they are telling us about diamond, diamond, diamond. I don't think that's the problem,'' Kposowa said.

In London, British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said that ''real proof'' of the rebels' peace commitment hinged on whether they give up control of the diamond fields.

''The RUF has a history of failing to live up to its commitments. We will be watching its actions very closely,'' Cook said. Britain has some 600 troops retraining Sierra Leone's shattered army.

A 13,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force, the world's largest current U.N. deployment, is pretty much all that stands between Freetown, the Sierra Leonean capital, and the rebels who continue to control much of the country's interior — including the diamond-rich east. Despite the training program, Sierra Leone's army is not seen as capable of holding off an RUF offensive on its own.

Under the deal, the two sides agreed to end hostilities and the rebels promised to cooperate with a U.N.-supervised disarmament program. Negotiators are due to review the deal together in 30 days.

The signatories also pledged to allow the ''free flow'' of refugees and goods ''with a view to restoring the authority of the government throughout the entire territory of Sierra Leone.''

One apparent development was the absence of rebel demands for the freedom of the RUF's charismatic founding leader Foday Sankoh, who has been in custody since June and could face trial for war crimes in a proposed international court to be established in Sierra Leone.

''The release of Foday Sankoh is a very, very important (priority) of the RUF, but for now let us forget about that,'' Kposowa said.

The eruption of fighting in May wrecked a 1999 peace agreement that had granted the rebels government posts and amnesty for war crimes in return for laying down their arms.

Kposowa said the rebel and government officials who signed the 1999 peace deal ''didn't take it seriously ... and they didn't implement what they said.'' Since then, the RUF has undergone frequent power-struggles within its senior ranks.

''Therefore what I'm saying is that we are going to use (the latest cease-fire deal) as a stepping stone,'' Kposowa added without elaborating.

The U.N. mission has been riven with organizational problems and infighting. Two major contributors, India and Jordan, have announced they will pull out. U.N. spokesman Patrick Coker said Friday that the troop pullout had begun.

He declined to give full details of the withdrawal, but said Nigerians and Ghanaians would be taking over from the departing soldiers in some areas.



Copyright © 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Probe Into Sierra Leone Diamond Dealing Allegations Ends
Posted November 11, 2000 - 8:19 by newsdesk

Related Source: PANA

Nigerians are credited with keeping the RUF at bay before UNAMSIL emerged

November 10, 2000

Lagos, Nigeria

The panel that probed allegations of diamond deals made against Nigerian UN peacekeepers in Sierra Leone has submitted its report to the Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Adm. Ibrahim Ogohi.

Though details of the report have not been made public, indications are that it exonerated the officers named in the allegation made by former commander of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone, Maj. Gen. Vijay Jetley of India.

Ogohi said that, in spite of the allegation, Nigeria still stood shoulder high because of its contributions to international peacekeeping.

"This investigation became necessary to formally clear Nigeria and her officers of any complicity in Sierra Leone," he added.

Though the panel invited and took oral and written reports from all the officers linked with the diamond deals, it could not meet with Jetley as he did not respond to its enquiries.

The investigation team also did not get the UN official reports on the illegal diamond mining allegations.

The allegations caused some friction between the Nigerian peacekeepers, which formed the core of the 13,000-strong UN mission in Sierra Leone, and Jetley and led to changes in the command structure.

Observers also blamed India's decision to withdraw its troop from the force on the fallout of the allegations by Jetley, who has now been replaced by Lt. Gen. Daniel Opande of Kenya, a veteran peacekeeper in UN missions.



Copyright © 2000 Panafrican News Agency.

Sierra Leone govt. and rebels agree new truce
Posted November 11, 2000 - 8:04 by newsdesk

Related Source: Reuters

President Kabbah and Foday Sankoh at previous talks in Lome

November 10, 2000

ABUJA, Nigeria (Reuters)

Sierra Leone's government and rebels agreed on Friday a new cease-fire in their nine-year conflict, pledging to allow U.N. troops unhindered access throughout the West African country, officials said.

A spokesman for the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) said the cease-fire would come into effect on Saturday morning.

"We have agreed on all aspects of the cease-fire and the immediate return of all weapons seized by RUF from peacekeepers," spokesman Gibril Massaquoi told reporters after talks in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

Regional analysts cautioned, however, that it was too early to read too much into the agreement given that it was not entirely clear if the RUF leadership at the talks had real control over armed guerrillas in the bush.

The RUF's founder and figurehead, Foday Sankoh , is detained at a secret location in Sierra Leone. His guerrillas kidnapped hundreds of U.N. peacekeepers in May and relaunched fighting that shattered a peace accord signed in Lome, Togo, in 1999.

The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) wants to revive that accord following the emergence of a new RUF leader, who was not at the talks.

The RUF's chief delegate Jonathan Kposowa told Reuters that the rebel side did not demand Sankoh's release as part of the new agreement.

"What our country needs most is a cease-fire. Once there is peace we can then discuss other issues," he said.

In fighting marked by brutality on all sides, the rebels are accused of some of the worst atrocities seen in any civil war in Africa, including hacking off the limbs of civilians suspected of supporting President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah.

Sierra Leone's state radio earlier announced the new cease-fire agreement, saying the government had noted the new RUF leadership's "commitment towards the restoration of peace."

A draft of the accord obtained by Reuters said both parties agreed "that UNAMSIL shall have full liberty to deploy its troops and other personnel throughout Sierra Leone, including the diamond producing areas."

The two parties further agreed to restart the disarmament of combatants, a key requirement of the Lome accord but which was derailed by the abductions of U.N. soldiers for weeks.

Past efforts at disarmament have been hampered by the lack of sufficient peacekeepers. The U.N. is currently trying to replace Indian troops, pulling out after a dispute with Nigerians, and Jordanians who are also leaving.

Former colonial power Britain, which has a naval force off Sierra Leone and more than 400 troops in a force training the government army, welcomed the accord cautiously.

Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said: "While this is a very positive development, we are not complacent. This is not the time to drop our guard. The RUF has a history of failing to live up to its commitments.

"The real proof of the rebels' commitment to peace will be whether they give up control over the diamond fields," he said. The Commonwealth also welcomed the cease-fire.

The government and rebels agreed to reconvene in 30 days to review the new cease-fire and move to implementing other aspects of the Lome pact, which involved a power-sharing deal.

The Abuja talks were the first formal meeting between the RUF and government since the breakdown of the Lome accord. The talks were held under the auspices of a mediation committee of the 16-nation Economic Community of West African States.



Copyright © 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

Guinean, S Leone villages deserted in Conakry bombing campaign
Posted November 10, 2000 - 19:54 by newsdesk

Related Source: AFP

CONAKRY, Nov 9 (AFP)

Guinean troops have bombed villages over the border in Sierra Leone in a bid to flush out rebels, and dozens of hamlets have been deserted on both sides of the border, soldiers told AFP here Thursday.

One soldier said several villages in the north of Sierra Leone had been "wiped off the map" in the Guinean army's bombing campaign against rebels from Liberia and Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front (RUF).

Conakry accuses the rebels of carrying out armed attacks on Guinean territory since the beginning of September.

Inside Guinea, the villages of Pamelap, Daragbe, Siramodiyah, Tassin and Kaba Moussayah have been emptied of their inhabitants, soldiers and civilians told AFP.

Schools and farms in the area have been abandoned. Most of the villagers are now staying with family in Forecariah, 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Conakry, or in the towns of Coyah and Benty and on Kabbak island.

The Guinean government says that at least 400 people, including soldiers, have been killed in rebel attacks over the past two months.


bm/kc/sas AFP

© AFP 2000

Sierra Leone peace talks resume
Posted November 10, 2000 - 10:27 by newsdesk

Related Source: BBC

President Charles Taylor of Liberia. Increasing isolation.

Friday, 10 November, 2000 (BBC)


Peace talks between the Sierra Leonean Government and the rebels of the Revolutionary United Front are due to start on Friday in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

The meeting - at the highest level between the two sides since fighting broke out in May - is to pave the way for talks between the president of Sierra Leone, Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, and rebel leaders.

Representatives of the West African Economic Community, Ecowas, and the United Nations, are also due to take part.

Sierra Leone's Government, propped up by UN peacekeepers and British troops, has little authority beyond the immediate surroundings of the capital Freetown.

The RUF rebels still control large parts of the countryside, including the richest diamond mining areas, and paid almost no heed to last year's Lome peace accord, which required them to disarm.

The so-called peace process has been moribund for months but correspondents say there is some confidence in West Africa that the rebels are ready to make concessions.

Regional governments believe that the rebels' main backer, President Charles Taylor of Liberia, is feeling isolated and is ready to co-operate in peace efforts.

There have also been suggestions of splits within the rebel leadership although the RUF denies this.

What the RUF does say is that it wants to talk about more than just disarmament - it has political demands such as the release of some of its prominent members and it wants to take up some of the ministerial positions it enjoyed before the resumption of fighting.


Government demands

But the a government made clear in a statement published in the Vision newspaper on Tuesday that it will make no concession to the RUF or its members unless they demonstrates a commitment to the disarmament process.

According to the statement, the RUF must allow free movement of civilians, aid workers and peacekeepers and also the establishment of government agencies and authority throughout the country.

This is consistent with provisions of last year's Lome Peace Accord which the Kabbah government still considers a viable instrument for achieving durable peace in the war-torn country.

Rebel soldiers and other combatants who wish to be reintegrated into the restructured national army will be encouraged to do so after they disarm, the statement added.

Once again, the government urged the populace to forgive and accept in their communities RUF combatants in the name of reconciliation.


(c) 2000 BBC News

Sierra Leone foes head for Abuja talks without leaders
Posted November 9, 2000 - 17:11 by newsdesk

Related Source: Reuters

President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of S.Leone. Not expected in Abuja.

November 8, 2000

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (Reuters)

Warring parties in Sierra Leone headed for Nigeria for Thursday's talks on a new ceasefire, but without their leaders, government officials and sources said.

They said President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and Issa Sesay, the leader of the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF), would not be part of their respective delegations which are due to meet in Nigeria's capital Abuja.

A presidency spokesman said on Wednesday that a five-member government delegation headed by Justice Minister Solomon Berewa had left Freetown on Tuesday.

National security adviser Brigadier Kelly Conteh was also part of the government team, the spokesman said, adding neither Kabbah nor Foreign Minister Sama Banya would attend the meeting.

The spokesman described the talks, sponsored by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), as "technical."

According to government sources, the RUF delegation did not include Sesay, who took over the day-to-day running of the RUF after its figurehead leader, Foday Sankoh, was arrested in May.

The U.N. mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) is trying to rally the warrying parties around a new ceasefire to end a nine-year civil war, after a 1999 peace deal collapsed in May when RUF fighters took hundreds of U.N. peacekeepers hostage.

On Tuesday, however, Foreign Minister Banya said his government was not going to Abuja with a view to renewing peace talks but to remind the rebels of their commitments under the 1999 agreement signed in Lome.

Banya said the meeting had been organised after calls by the RUF for talks.

The RUF controls much of the north and diamond-rich east. Its fighters have recently raided northern villages.

The government says it has had little contact with Sesay since his appointment and some diplomats have questioned whether he is really in control of all the RUF fighters.

Former colonial power Britain has sent a naval rapid reaction force to support U.N. peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone.



Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved.

UK aims to help free Sierra Leone from crazed rebels
Posted November 8, 2000 - 15:37 by newsdesk

Related Source: Ananova News

Mr Cook visiting a camp for amputees

Wednesday, 8 November 2000

[UK] Foreign Secretary Foreign Cook says his objective in sending British forces to Sierra Leone is to prevent any more people having limbs cut off by crazed rebels.

Asked in the Commons to state exactly what Britain was trying to achieve in Sierra Leone, Mr Cook said: "I went to Sierra Leone this summer and I visited a camp for the amputees where I saw two thousand people who had had arms or legs lopped off by the rebels, including babies who are unable to crawl before they had their arms lopped off by the crazed rebels.

"My objective in Sierra Leone is in order to try and prevent anybody else having their arms lopped off by the rebels," he added, to cross-party cheers.

His comments came as he confirmed the initial training of the first three battalions for the Sierra Leonean Army had been completed.

"We will pursue with determination our goal of a Sierra Leone free from fear and rid of the rebels.

"Britain is already making a bigger military commitment to Sierra Leone than any other Western nation," he added.



Copyright © 2000 Ananova Ltd

S.Leone rebels and Guinean troops in fresh clashes
Posted November 8, 2000 - 15:24 by newsdesk

Related Source: Reuters

FREETOWN, Nov 7 (Reuters)

Sierra Leonean rebels and Guinean forces have clashed again in the past few days on the volatile border between the two countries, British and Sierra Leonean military officials said.

A joint statement issued late on Monday said that Guinean forces had attacked fighters of Sierra Leone's rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) last week near the Guinean border town of Pamelap, forcing the RUF to retreat.

New fighting broke out in the border area on Sunday, said the statement, issued jointly by the Sierra Leone army and a military training force sent by former colonial power Britain.

British military spokesman Lieutenant Commander Tony Cramp said the Guinean army had also driven insurgents out of its territory across the border from the Liberian town of Zorzor.

He said nine insurgents had been killed in that engagement.

Cramp confirmed reports from the area that Guinea had been using a helicopter gunship to bombard its border region with Sierra Leone.

Gunmen have launched a series of raids on Guinea from Liberia and Sierra Leone since September, while northern Liberia has seen fighting since early July between government forces and armed insurgents who attacked across the border from Guinea.

Guinea says 600 people have been killed in attacks on its territory since early September.

Liberia accuses Guinea of harbouring its northern rebels, and Guinea in turn accuses Liberia and Burkina Faso of backing insurgents attacking across its borders, who it says include RUF fighters.

Liberian President Charles Taylor has close relations with the RUF going back to his own days leading an armed faction in Liberia's civil war, which ended with his election in 1997.

United Nations peacekeepers are trying to implement a 1999 peace deal to end Sierra Leone's own civil war that began in 1991. The RUF reneged on the deal in May.



Copyright © 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

UNAMSIL Press Briefing - Monday, 6 November 2000
Posted November 8, 2000 - 15:18 by newsdesk

Related Source: UNAMSIL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of a briefing with UNAMSIL Spokesman Hirut Befecadu and military spokesman Lt. Commander Patrick Coker

The UN Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan will be in Sierra Leone around the 2nd December on a two-day visit. He will be accompanied by his wife and senior officials from the UN.

The latest report of the Secretary-General submitted to the United Nations Security Council emphasized that Members State of the United Nations Security Council and other countries of the United Nations as well as troop-contributing countries should take their commitments to UN Peacekeeping in Sierra Leone seriously in order to increase the current troops level from 13,000 to 20,000. He appealed to Member States to urgently consider providing troops and equipment. He also added that the current mandate would have to be strengthened to actually accommodate the prevailing situation.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji on 3 November returned from Bamako, Mali, where he held consultations with the Chairman of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS, Malian President Alpha Oumar Konare on arrangements for the proposed meeting of the UN-ECOWAS-Government of Sierra Leone Coordination Mechanism scheduled to take place in Abuja on 7and 9 November, respectively. The meeting should focus exclusively on securing a ceasefire; the Malian Foreign Minister and the UN would co-chair the meeting; and the government of Nigeria would be requested to offer full hospitality to the Government of Sierra Leone and RUF delegation.The Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji leaves today, 6th November for the meeting.

The UN Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Jean-Marie Guehenno briefed the Security Council Thursday, 2nd November on the Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s latest report on the situation in Sierra Leone and delegates expressed support for his proposal for a continuous UN-based mechanism to coordinate overall strategy for the country. In a presidential statement read out after the meeting, the Council said it was concerned about the "fragile situation" in Sierra Leone and stressed that only a "comprehensive regional approach" could restore security and stability to the sub-region. The Council also supported Mr Annan’s view that UNAMSIL’s role in providing security in the country was critical, and agreed that the peacekeeping force required strengthening in order to fulfil its mandate. The Security Council is convinced that the continuation of a credible military presence of the international community in Sierra Leone remains an indispensable element of the peace process. The Council also called for the strengthening of state institutions to maintain the principles of democratic accountability and the rule of law - especially with regard humanitarian aspects and human rights. The Council welcomed the current efforts of ECOWAS to explore the possibilities of dialogue toward peace, but stressed that this should only be pursued under terms acceptable to the Government of Sierra Leone. The Council also underlined that it is important that the RUF give full freedom of movement to UNAMSIL and relinquish control of the diamond-producing areas. It called that UNAMSIL should be deployed throughout the country and proper provisions for the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) of all non-governmental forces full and secure access and the extension of the authority of the government throughout the country.

There was a UN Medal parade at UNAMSIL Headquarters and a total of 90 UNAMSIL military observers, peacekeepers and the civil police were awarded a medal for their distinguished services.

Yesterday, 5th November, it was reported to UNAMSIL peacekeepers that gunshots were heard along Patton Street, Kissy Road in the eastern part of Freetown from armed robbers who were apparently trying to raid a house. The robbers did not succeed because the residents were alert.

On arrival at the area, UNAMSIL peacekeepers from Nigeria Battalion (NIBAT 6)discovered that there was a mob action from the residents and upon investigations, it was revealed that this action was carried out against the Sierra Leone Police for their delayed action to the public’s call for security. The Commanding Officer of NIBATT-6 noting the agitation of the public, pacified the situation by advising the civilians not to take the law into their own hands and encouraged the Police to leave the area. UNAMSIL peacekeepers thereafter removed barricades, made some arrests and the suspects were handed over to the Police. The situation was professionally handled without loss or damage to lives and properties. UNAMSIL will continue to be vigilant by strengthening and reinforcing their patrols and cordon-and-search in that area with the cooperation of all Sierra Leoneans including the media and there is no need for civilians to panic.

In another patrol by NIBATT 6 in Freetown, 147 rounds of 7.62mm and 346 rounds of special ammunition were recovered around the National Stadium. The recovery was made after a tip-off. UNAMSIL appreciates this gesture and encourages such information.

In the Lungi Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) camp, some 41 ex-combatants were released, bringing the total number to 236.

As humanitarian assistance, UNAMSIL Civil Affairs Section obtained 1,000 kits of vegetable seeds from Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in order to help community-based organizations that are operating in Freetown , urban and Lungi areas. The seeds will be distributed to AMEN, a Non-Governmental Organization, set up four years ago to help reorganize farming and gardening groups.

UNAMSIL regrets to report the death of one peacekeeper, Lance Corporal S. S. Babu of the Indian Aviation Refueling Unit by drowning yesterday, 5th October at Lumley Beach in the Freetown area. He arrived in September and has been here for about a month.


Questions and Answers

Q: Freetown is supposed to be a weapons-free zone. Considering the recent incident that took place yesterday Sunday 5th November at Kissy Road can you give the percentage achievement in making Freetown a weapons-free zone?

A: To know the extent of UNAMSIL’s achievement in the directive of making Freetown a weapons-free zone will rather be most hypothetical because in the first place we do not know how much weapons have been brought into Freetown. However, I can assure you that to a very large extent, we do not have gun-touting individuals within Freetown and even if they do have guns, they make sure it is hidden away. In the past, we carried out cordon-and-search operations wherein some arrests of individuals with weapons and ammunition were made. That notwithstanding cases of armed robbery cannot be ruled out as an aftermath of armed conflict. However, the security agencies are making all efforts to make sure that such activities are curbed.

Q: Is UNAMSIL part of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) set up by the Sierra Leone Police Force?

A: You will recall that Freetown was declared a weapons-free zone and this became the responsibility of security agencies within Freetown to ensure that this directive is enforced. In order to coordinate activities, a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) was established, which includes representatives of security agencies. The public was given contact telephone numbers whereby this Committee can be contacted. The JCC meet regularly to discuss security matters.

Q: The meeting in Abuja is basically geared towards attaining a cease-fire. What will be the stance of the United Nations if the Revolutionary United Front gives a precondition of, for example, release of detained RUF personnel, etc.?

A: The United Nations being represented by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji, will be one of the Co-Chairmen and will help facilitate the meeting between the Government of Sierra Leone and the RUF. Since that meeting is the first after the May 2000 crisis, it is expected that the basic issue is cease-fire, the details of the agenda of the meeting is not yet decided.

Q: ‘A credible military presence of the international community is necessary on the ground for such situations in Sierra Leone, as far as the United Nations is concerned.’ Are you saying that the United Nations is trying to rationalize the presence of the British troops indirectly?

A: The British are in Sierra Leone on a special arrangement with the Government Sierra Leone for the training of personnel of the national arm, and UNAMSIL appreciates their contributions toward the peace process in the country.

Q: What is UNAMSIL’s reaction to the public’s call for the lifting of the curfew?

A: I think the curfew was imposed based on the assessment of the security situation in Sierra Leone.

Q: How can you justify your statement -- "The situation was professionally handled without loss or damage to lives and properties," when there were about 16 casualties, 13 of them with gunshot wounds during the riot yesterday, 5 November at Kissy Road?

A: As you are aware gunshots were heard along Patton Street, Kissy Road in the eastern part of Freetown from armed robbers who were apparently trying to raid a house This resulted into a riot and two Police patrol vehicles were stoned by the rioters and during this process there might have been an exchange of firing. Reinforcement was sent by the police. UNAMSIL troops were then called in. On arrival at the scene, the Commanding Officer of Nigerian Battalion (NIBAT6) in assessing the situation, realized that the crowd was targeting the police. The Commanding Officer then encouraged the police to leave the area and thereafter calm down the situation without loss or damage to lives and properties by UNAMSIL peacekeepers.

***********


(c) United Nations 2000
For information purposes only; not an official document of the United Nations.

U.N. Denies Firing on Sierra Leone Youths
Posted November 7, 2000 - 10:39 by newsdesk

Related Source: The Associated Press

'U.N. troops in armored vehicles barricaded streets'

Monday, 6 Nov 2000

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP)

A U.N. spokesman on Monday denied that U.N. forces had opened fire on protesters over the weekend in an incident that left more than a dozen people injured.

Witnesses said Sunday that U.N. peacekeepers and Sierra Leone police had opened fire to disperse hundreds of angry youths, many of them burning tires in Freetown's streets, demanding the lifting of a curfew.

The witnesses said police and Nigerian U.N. peacekeepers had tried to scatter the crowds by firing automatic rifles — mostly in the air but sometimes in the direction of the protesters.

At least 13 protesters were wounded, most of them with bullet wounds, according to a doctor at Freetown's central Connaught hospital.

But U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard, speaking at the world body's New York headquarters, said: ``The impression we have is that the U.N. troops were basically trying to restore order. They say they did not fire their weapons.''

Eckhard also said it was Sierra Leone army soldiers — not police — who had gone to the scene of the protests about 4:30 a.m. But he cautioned that the U.N. mission in Sierra Leone had not yet filed a complete report on the incident.

The protest began after thieves raided a home in the crowded eastern end of the coastal capital. Police showed up after the culprits had fled, prompting indignant youths to barricade roads with burning tires. They say the country's 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew prevents them from mobilizing against robberies.

Witnesses said that after arriving on the scene of the protest, U.N. troops and Sierra Leone police fired toward the crowds.

Sierra Leone police Inspector-General Keith Biddle said Sunday that the reasons behind the shooting were still unclear, but confirmed that both U.N. and police members had fired their guns.

On Monday, Sierra Leone army spokesman Maj. John Milton confirmed that the force's acting chief of staff had also been on the scene with a few soldiers, but said the officer then returned to headquarters and never issued orders for the military to deploy in the area.

Although the gunfire died down around 7:30 a.m., small crowds of protesters gathered until nearly noon. U.N. troops in armored vehicles barricaded streets, and people scurried home to safety.

The curfew was put in place earlier this year in an effort to prevent incursions by Sierra Leone's rebel Revolutionary United Front, which controls much of the country's jungle interior.

The rebels, who have killed tens of thousands of civilians and intentionally maimed many more in a campaign of terror, reignited Sierra Leone's nine-year civil war in May by advancing toward the capital and temporarily capturing some 500 U.N. troops.

The 13,000-strong peacekeeping force, the world's largest current U.N. deployment, has been riven with organizational problems and infighting. Two major contributors, India and Jordan, have announced they will pull out.



Copyright 2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

ECOWAS Leaders Meet On Sierra Leone
Posted November 7, 2000 - 0:12 by newsdesk

Related Source: PANA

DAKAR, November 6, 2000 (PANA)

Leaders of the six-nation ECOWAS Mediation Committee on Sierra Leone meet in Abuja, Nigeria, Thursday at a summit to reactivate the faltering peace process in that country, ECOWAS officials said Monday.

The meeting, to be attended by Ghana, Togo, Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria and Mali, ECOWAS current chairman, is to "revive dialogue" between the government of President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and the rebel Revolutionary United Front or RUF, officials of the Nigeria-based ECOWAS told PANA.

The UN Special Envoy to Sierra Leone, Olu Adeniji, is also expected to attend the meeting, the first since the recent change of RUF leadership.

The front is now headed by Gen. Issa Sessey, who replaced Cpl. Foday Sankoh, now in custody following the May shooting incident by his bodyguards in which some 20 people died in front of his Freetown residence.

The RUF, under Sankoh, stands accused of stalling the implementation of the July 1999 peace plan it signed with Kabbah by provoking fresh hostilities and abducting members of the UN peacekeepers in Sierra Leone, UNAMSIL.

The estimated 13,000-strong UN blue berets, under Gen. Vijay Jetley of India, have been depleted with the planned withdrawal of some 5,000 troops from India and Jordan.

This prompted UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's latest appeal to the Security Council for reinforcement to save the peace process and help end Sierra Leone's almost 10-year-old civil strife that has killed more than 15,000 people and impoverished the otherwise diamond-rich nation.

Jetley leaves amid his controversial allegation that members of the Nigerian contingent in the UN mission in Sierra Leone were collaborating with the rebels in diamond-mining, a charge denied by Nigeria.

It was not clear if Gen. Daniel Opande of Kenya, who replaced him, will attend the Abuja summit.



Copyright © 2000 Panafrican News Agency.

For Refugees, Hazardous Haven in Guinea
Posted November 6, 2000 - 19:10 by newsdesk

Related Source: The Washington Post

S.Leonean refugees in Guinea squat outside their High Commission

By Douglas Farah, Washington Post Foreign Service


FORECARIAH, Guinea, November 6, 2000

In the camps here where tens of thousands of Sierra Leoneans have sought shelter since fleeing their country, life has become so dangerous and food so scarce that they are ready to go back and take their chances in a savage civil war.

Map of the Volatile Border Area


For a decade, Guinea--one of the world's poorest countries--has quietly played host to about 500,000 refugees from wars in its West African neighbors, Sierra Leone and Liberia. But since September, those conflicts have spread armed gangs and fighting into its jungles.


The refugees camped here are often attacked by armed bands that roam the Sierra Leone border, 15 miles away, or are harassed by hostile militias sponsored and armed by the Guinean government. Cross-border attacks into Guinea have killed 600 people since mid-September, Guinean officials have said, and the violence has forced United Nations and humanitarian agencies to drastically cut back deliveries of food to refugees.


"It is better to die at home than die in Guinea," said Ibrahim Suri Jollah, who has been at the Kaliah II camp, at the edge of this town, for the past three years. "We are caught in a death trap here. Both sides use us as human shields. We are surrounded by guns."


Guinea's long, porous border with Sierra Leone and Liberia has become the new flash point in a volatile region that is edging toward full-scale war, according to intelligence analysts, diplomats and relief workers. With Guinea and Liberia each apparently sponsoring cross-border attacks on the other, the rising violence threatens the stability of this country of 7 million people, the analysts said.


An 11-member assessment team from the U.N. Security Council, which toured the region last month, reported "illicit trafficking in diamonds and arms, the proliferation and encouragement of thuggish militias and armed groups and the massive flows of refugees," and said "there is growing evidence of hunger and disease in areas where humanitarian organizations have no current access."


Officials of Guinea, Sierra Leone, the United States and the United Nations blame Liberia's President Charles Taylor for much of the violence, saying he is sending his forces into Guinea. And Taylor is the main foreign backer of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in Sierra Leone, who recently have attacked here and elsewhere in Guinea. The U.N. team's report, issued in October, said that "President Taylor's relationship with the RUF [is] key to the situation in Sierra Leone and the Guinea border area."


But Guinea's government also is supporting anti-Taylor dissidents who recently have escalated a 20-month-long series of attacks on towns in northwestern Liberia.


The United States has strengthened its ties with Guinea and has publicly denounced Taylor. President Clinton last month banned Taylor and his senior officials from traveling to the United States because of Liberia's role in regional conflicts. And in what one U.S. official called a "small but growing" relationship with Guinea's military, a team of 10 U.S. Army Special Forces troops arrived to offer a month of "basic military training" to 60 Guinean soldiers.


Washington is offering the training despite the Guinean army's poor human rights record. President Lansana Conte, an army general, seized power in a coup in 1984. He declared victory in disputed elections in 1998 and relies heavily on the army to suppress internal dissent.


U.S. and Guinean officials say the training is necessary to ensure that Sierra Leone's rebels cannot move their bases into Guinea if they become pressed by the British, U.N. and Sierra Leonean forces supporting the government there.


"Without some steps being taken, the RUF will simply move into Guinea," said a Western diplomat in Conakry, the capital. In recent weeks, the RUF has attacked here at Forecariah, "and that is on the main road to the capital," the diplomat noted. "There are legitimate concerns about the RUF's designs in Guinea."


Military and intelligence sources said the RUF units along the border have demonstrated greater tactical sophistication than the rebel group normally displays, apparently because several dozen Guinean officers who led an unsuccessful coup against Conte in 1996 had taken charge of RUF operations. The sources said the officers, trained in the Soviet Union during the Cold War, were working with the RUF in the hopes of eventually forming a separate Guinean dissident movement.


The U.S. training for the Guinean troops has angered Taylor's government. In an Oct. 23 letter to the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia said that "U.S. military assistance to Guinea in light of the current situation is a direct facilitation of the armed insurgency against the territory of Liberia.


"The Guinean army has been involved in the recruitment, training and arming of former combatants . . . who now constitute Liberian dissident forces which have carried out the recent wave of attacks" against Liberia, the letter said.


Caught in the middle are the refugees.


Among the Sierra Leoneans living in tiny mud houses with roofs made of aluminum or plastic sheeting at the Kaliah I camp here, 90 miles southeast of Conakry, dozens had their arms, legs and ears chopped off in RUF attacks back home. Now they and others taking refuge here are under attack again.


On Sept. 9, after repeated cross-border attacks from Sierra Leone, President Conte made appeals on radio and TV for Guineans to act. "Civilians and soldiers, let's defend our country together," he said. "Crush the invaders."


Conte accused the refugees of harboring rebels and said they "should go home." Starting that night, Guineans attacked refugee camps, rounding up thousands of Sierra Leoneans and Liberians and beating and raping many, according to a report issued in October by the New York-based group Human Rights Watch.


Conte's government urged villages to form militia groups, which committed many of the attacks and harassed and robbed relief convoys to the refugee camps, relief workers said.


On Sept. 17, unidentified raiders attacked camps near the Sierra Leone border, killing a worker with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) agency and kidnapping another. The United Nations and relief organizations--which had been helping refugees in dozens of small camps scattered through the region--quickly pulled out.


When a reporter visited camps near this town recently, the United Nations was distributing food for the first time in six weeks, but relief workers said they had been unable to deliver food to 300,000 of the refugees.


Since his speech, Conte has re-declared Guinea's willingness to host the refugees, but the militias remain. On the road from Conakry to Forecariah, armed young men, many of them drunk and abusive, manned dozens of roadblocks, forcing vehicles to stop, demanding money and searching cars.


Militiamen surround the camps and, refugees said, periodically threaten to burn them down. A Guinean military helicopter has repeatedly flown over the Kaliah I and Kaliah II camps and fired rockets. Telling the story, refugees sent a group of children into a nearby field, and they returned a few minutes later with the remains of several rockets.


"No respite is in sight for refugee populations or aid agencies," said a recent report by the International Rescue Committee, which helped to distribute food and run schools in the refugee camps. "It is clear that Guinea's hospitality toward refugees has run dangerously low, conditions are not suitable in Sierra Leone or Liberia for a mass repatriation and without immediate assistance, refugees in Guinea face widespread food shortages."


A U.N. relief worker said more than 300,000 refugees had run out of food. "There is an urgent need for food and medical supplies," acknowledged Chrysantus Ache, director of UNHCR in Guinea. "There is increased panic and fear because we are not there."


At Kaliah II, dozens of refugees crowded around a visiting journalist to shout that they wanted to leave Guinea.


"The Guineans say we are RUF supporters, but look at what the RUF did to me," said Margaret Masakoy, waving the stump of an arm that the rebels had amputated. "How could we support them?" she demanded. "We have already been traumatized once. Now we are living in fear again."


The UNHCR and relief agencies said the best short-term solution would be to move the refugee camps farther into Guinea, away from the border, with its fighting. But that would take months and cost perhaps $13 million, and no donors have offered to pay the cost.



© 2000 The Washington Post Company

UK Joint Task Force in S.Leone - Activities Update to 5 Nov 2000
Posted November 6, 2000 - 18:54 by newsdesk

SIERRA LEONE
SUMMARY OF MILITARY ACTIVITY - WEEK ENDING 5 NOV 00


  GOVERNMENT FORCES

• His Excellency the President met with Officers ranked Major and above at the DHQ on Tuesday. He disclosed plans for the year 2001 which were aimed specifically at improving the welfare of the troops, giving improvements in conditions of service for all military personnel.



• On Friday 3rd Nov, the third batch of trainees, comprising 10 and 11 Battalions, passed out from Benguema Training camp. During an impressive military parade they were addressed by the President before an audience of Civil, Military and Foreign dignitaries. Those battalions will now move on to the next phase of higher military training.



• The next batch of trainees will begin instruction under the 1st Battalion The Prince of Wales Own Regiment, on the 6th November.



• On Wednesday 1 Nov, the MV African Arrow arrived in Freetown carrying the first major consignment of the equipment, pledged to the GoSL as part of the £27M package announced on the 10 Oct 00. The load included 4 Ton Trucks, Landrovers, motorcycles, in addition to a variety of general support equipment. This has now all been taken on charge by the Government Forces.



• The Acting CDS addressed troops at Wilberforce Hockey pitch on Thu 2nd Nov, taking the opportunity to emphasize the importance of adherence to General Order One, issued last week. This order details to all troops their obligations under the Law of Armed Conflict and in particular the need for good behavior and discipline when dealing with civilians.



• The SL Navy continued its patrols last week, covering the approaches to Freetown.

• The British Force Commander, Brigadier David Richards, was informed on Friday that he is to be awarded the CBE (Commander of the British Empire) for his recent service, including operations in Sierra Leone.



• The Amphibious Ready Group, based around HMS OCEAN, having completed its exercise in the Mediterranean, is on route to Sierra Leone. The group, with a total of 1850 personnel, forms part of Britain's Joint Rapid Reaction Force. HMS FEARLESS, which suffered a fire in an engine room last week, has been replaced in the Group by the RFA ARGUS. RFA ARGUS, a helicopter support ship, will bring with it additional capability, including a further 3 Seaking helicopters.



• The explosives demolition task on Lumley beach continues and is on course to be completed by 17 Nov. Last week the ammunition and explosives destroyed included hand grenades, commercial explosives, mortar bombs and large caliber gun ammunition.

• Following the setback last week of a forced withdrawal by the RUF from the PAMELAP area, their has been further fighting this week between Guinean and RUF forces in that area.



• Reports have been received of executions by the RUF of its own personnel who have attempted to enter the DDR process in KAILAHUN. This is not the first time such reports have been received and is of particular concern at a time when the RUF are making conciliatory noises towards peace.



• Attacks have taken place this week into Guinea from Liberia to the West of KOYAMA (Liberia). On 28 and 29 Oct RUF attacked the village of BODEZIA (GU). The Guinea Army counter attacked and drove the RUF back to ZORZOR (Liberia). RUF suffered 9 dead. Guinea Forces have now returned across back to Guinea.



• A fisherman was shot dead and another injured by the RUF on the Island of Yelibuya last week. It is believed that he tried to leave the island whilst a meeting of RUF local commanders was taking place.



• Deserting RUF have reported several crimes that had been committed by senior RUF members including reports that senior RUF officers have attacked and looted a compound in the MADINA/KAMAKWE area, as well as molesting women and children. This may be an isolated incident, but is illustrative of the way in which the RUF continues to treat the civilian population.

U.N. troops fire on youths in Sierra Leone
Posted November 6, 2000 - 1:10 by newsdesk

Related Source: AP

UNAMSIL soldier in Freetown

FREETOWN, Nov. 5, 2000 (AP)

U.N. peacekeepers and Sierra Leone police opened fire Sunday to disperse hundreds of tire-burning youths demanding the lifting of a curfew, witnesses said.

At least 13 civilians, including two children, were wounded.

British soldiers tried to calm the pre-dawn demonstration stemming from public anger over a spate of armed robberies during curfew hours, which the government of this war-ravaged West African nation has imposed in an effort to prevent rebel attacks.

The youths said the 11 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew prevents them from mobilizing to protect their neighborhoods from robberies. In the midst of the demonstration, the acting defense chief of staff, Tom Carew, appealed to protesters to go home while authorities looked into their grievances.

The protest began about 4:30 a.m. after thieves raided a home on Kissy Road in the densely populated eastern end of the coastal capital. Police showed up after the culprits had fled, prompting indignant youths to barricade roads with burning tires.

Witnesses said armored-car loads of police and Nigerian U.N. peacekeepers tried to scatter the surging crowd by firing automatic rifles -- mostly in the air but sometimes in the direction of the protesters.

At least 13 protesters were injured, most with bullet wounds, said German doctor Alec Neelsen, who operated on several at the city's central Connaught hospital.

A Sierra Leonean medical officer later put the injured toll at 16, including gunshot victims and others who were stampeded by the crowd.

An Associated Press reporter counted eight with gunshot wounds lying on stretchers in the hospital's emergency ward. One of them, 24-year-old motorcycle mechanic Emmanuel Musa, was shot in the right ankle.

"When I was wounded, I saw only U.N. soldiers in the area," Musa said. "One of them stopped a passing vehicle, which he asked to convey some of us (wounded) to the hospital."

Ibrahim Conteh, a 12-year-old schoolboy, also with a gunshot wound, said: "When I was wounded, a (U.N.) soldier dropped his gun on the ground and it went off and hurt some of us," Conteh said.

Numerous other witnesses also reported seeing the U.N. troops and Sierra Leone police fire toward the crowds.

U.N. officials in Freetown could not be reached for comment, although a duty officer at the U.N. headquarters in New York, Edoardo Bellando, said he had been informed "thirdhand" that U.N. troops had been present when "police fired in the air to disperse a mob of thieves who were throwing rocks."

Sierra Leone police Inspector-General Keith Biddle said the reasons behind the shooting were "not 100 percent clear," but confirmed that both U.N. and police members had fired their guns.

At one point during the demonstration, heavily armed British troops in three military Land Rovers drove through the crowds and were cheered by the protesting youths, while others chanted "no more curfew."

The British forces are in Sierra Leone to provide military training to help the West African nation's shattered army fight the country's brutal rebels. In some cases, the British have also provided military backing to the struggling U.N. peacekeeping force protecting the capital and major towns.

Lt. Col. Tony Cramp, the British military spokesman in Sierra Leone, declined to comment on Sunday's events, which he described as a "coordinated action between UNAMSIL (the name given to the U.N. peacekeeping force) and the Sierra Leone police."

Although the gunfire died down around 7:30 a.m., small crowds of protesters continued to gather until nearly noon. U.N. troops in armored vehicles barricaded streets and churchgoers scurried home to safety.

"This is a ... demonstration to focus attention on the security situation in our area," said one of the protesters, Mohammed Kamara. "Nearly every day we cannot sleep at night because of rapid firing while armed robbery is going on."

The curfew was put in place earlier this year in an effort to prevent incursions by Sierra Leone's rebel Revolutionary United Front, which controls much of the country's jungle interior.

The rebels, who have murdered tens of thousands of civilians and intentionally maimed many more in a campaign of terror, renewed Sierra Leone's eight-year civil war in May by advancing on the capital and capturing some 500 U.N. troops.

The 13,000-strong peacekeeping force, the world's largest current U.N. deployment, has been riven with organizational problems and infighting. Two major contributors, India and Jordan, have announced they will pull out.



Copyright © 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Liberian leader calls for cease-fire in Sierra Leone
Posted November 5, 2000 - 9:15 by newsdesk

Related Source: Reuters

President Charles Taylor of Liberia

MONROVIA, November 4, 2000 (Reuters)

Liberia's President Charles Taylor has called for an immediate cease-fire in neighboring Sierra Leone's nine-year-old civil war.

"There is an urgent and immediate need for a formal cease-fire to be signed," Taylor told reporters at the airport late on Friday after a short visit to Nigeria and Ivory Coast.

Taylor is widely believed to be backing Sierra Leone's rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which in May abandoned a 1999 peace agreement and took hundreds of U.N. peacekeepers hostage.

Britain and the United States have accused Taylor of orchestrating and personally profiting from the civil war by facilitating the illegal trade in arms and diamonds.

Taylor has repeatedly denied the accusations.

The U.N. mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) is trying to rally the warring parties around a new cease-fire and the Sierra Leonean government is due to meet its rebel foes in Nigeria on November 9th for fresh talks.

Taylor said he expected the meeting in Nigeria to lead to the signing of a new agreement.

Britain has ordered warships carrying 500 commandos to the coast of Sierra Leone to support U.N. peacekeeping operations. The U.N. has said it is having trouble finding troops for the force.



Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved.

UK Joint Task Force in S.Leone - Press Statement 4Nov 2000
Posted November 4, 2000 - 15:17 by newsdesk

SLA 10th and 11th Battalion march onto the parade square

PASSING OUT PARADE AT BENGUEMA TRAINING CAMP

Yesterday saw the Passing-out parade of 30 Officers and 1000 men and women of the 10th and 11th Battalions of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Force.

This was the culmination of 6 weeks intensive training under the British Short Term Training Team, the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment, which included training in field craft skills, battle organisation, leadership skills, weapon training, and first aid.

The training also included lessons on the laws of armed conflict and other moral issues.

The parade was inspected and addressed by President Tejan Kabbah, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, who congratulated them for their successful training and development of the highest qualities of moral and physical fitness and courage.

A large gathering of members of Government and the Armed Forces as well as family and friends witnessed the impressive demonstration of the new, restructured Armed Forces of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

This brings the total of men and women who have undergone British training to 3000.


A Press Release by the UK Joint Task Force Headquarters (JTFHQ)
Contact: Flt Lt Julie Phillips, Media Ops
Email: freetownmedia@hotmail.com

Fresh Sierra Leone peace talks in Nigeria
Posted November 3, 2000 - 19:31 by newsdesk

Related Source: Reuters

President Kabbah at the UK Joint Task Force HQ last month

FREETOWN, Nov 3 (Reuters)

Sierra Leone's government and its rebel foes will meet in Nigeria on November 9 with the U.N. and the west African country's neighbours to try to bolster the peace process, President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah said on Friday.

Kabbah, addressing the passing out parade of a contingent of British-trained troops for the new Sierra Leone Army, added that the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) had expressed a desire to end the conflict without further fighting.

"We are hoping and praying that this scheduled meeting will finally result in the achievement of sustainable peace in our country," he said, adding that the government could then focus on eradicating poverty.

"My government has been briefed about the desire of the RUF to end this conflict by disarming rapidly without fighting," he said at the Benguema training camp outside the capital Freetown.

Diplomats in Freetown say that questions remain over the RUF's real intentions.

The passing-out parade saw 1,000 soldiers and 30 officers take their place in the new army.

Britain has sent a naval rapid reaction force to support U.N. peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone, where the RUF took up arms against a 1999 peace deal in May. The U.N. has said that it is having trouble finding troops for the force.

Former colonial power Britain has now trained 3,000 soldiers for Sierra Leone's army which once numbered 15,000 men but is likely to finish with less than half of that.

Kabbah urged the new soldiers to remain loyal to the nation and its people. "I appeal to you not to allow yourself to be used as agents of ill-disposed persons determined to disrupt the peace and tranquillity of this nation," he said.

Britain has also begun shipping transport, communications and other equipment for the new army. The first shipment arrived on Thursday under 27-million pound (almost $40 million) programme.



Copyright © 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

UK Joint Task Force in S.Leone - Press Statement 2 Nov 2000
Posted November 3, 2000 - 10:52 by newsdesk

RSLAF Warrant Officer takes new vehicles on charge

PRESS RELEASE - 2 Nov 00

EQUIPMENT ARRIVES FOR GOVERNMENT FORCES

At about 1900 hrs 1 Nov the MV African Arrow docked at Queen Elizabeth Quay, Freetown, bringing with it the first shipment of the £20M equipment package promised to the Government Forces of Sierra Leone by the UK.

The equipment, unloaded over night, consists of 4 Ton Trucks, Landrovers, motorcycles and various support equipment, including vehicle spare parts and tentage. It has now been taken on charge by the Government Forces.

This equipment has been provided specifically to improve the logistical support capability of the Government Forces and is complimentary to the training currently being undertaken under the supervision of the British Military Training Team.

It forms part of the package of further assistance for Sierra Leone that was announced by the UK Government on the 10 October 2000.



A Press Release by the UK Joint Task Force Headquarters (JTFHQ)
Contact: Flt Lt Julie Phillips, Media Ops
Email: freetownmedia@hotmail.com

Eleven sailors injured in British assault ship fire
Posted November 3, 2000 - 10:42 by newsdesk

Related Source: Reuters

UK Armed Forces Minister John Spellar

LONDON, Nov 2 (Reuters)

Eleven British sailors were injured on Thursday when a fire broke out in the engine room of a British Royal Navy assault ship on the way to Sierra Leone.

By the tremendous work of the crew, the fire was put out rapidly, said Armed Forces Minister John Spellar.

Nine of the casualties aboard HMS Fearless were suffering from smoke inhalation, two from heat exhaustion. The fire broke out aboard the 11,000-tonne assault ship east of Malta.

HMS Fearless was withdrawn from the rapid reaction force which is taking 500 Royal Marines down to Sierra Leone.

The force is to train off the coast of the strife-torn West African country so they could be ready to deploy quickly in any future emergency.


Copyright © 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

Gambia deports ex-S.Leone junta chief to Britain
Posted November 3, 2000 - 10:41 by newsdesk

Related Source: Reuters

Valentine Strasser as the world's youngest head of state in 1992

BANJUL, Nov 2 (Reuters)

Gambia has deported the former military ruler of Sierra Leone to Britain, where he has lived for several years, officials in the West African state said on Thursday.

Valentine Strasser, now a resident of London, headed a government accused of numerous human rights abuses in Sierra Leone from 1992 to 1996. He moved to Britain to study after losing power to fellow military officers.

Official sources said Strasser had arrived in Gambia on a flight from Britain on October 27.

A senior government official who requested anonymity said Strasser had been expelled because as a former head of state he had not informed the authorities of his arrival, and because Gambia did not wish to be seen as a safe haven for people suspected of rights abuses.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International has said Strasser should be investigated by British authorities to establish whether he was personally responsible for abuses committed during his administration.


Copyright © 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

Nigeria floats idea of Sierra Leone Unity Govt
Posted November 2, 2000 - 17:29 by newsdesk

Related Source: Reuters

President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria. Regional power.

FREETOWN, Nov 2 (Reuters)

Nigeria has proposed that a transitional government be appointed to rule war-torn Sierra Leone after President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah's term in office ends next year, the United Nations says.

Maurice Odine, acting spokesman for the U.N. Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), told a news conference on Wednesday that Nigeria said the idea, recently suggested by a group of "concerned" Sierra Leoneans, should "be given careful consideration."

Nigeria, which is part of UNAMSIL and previously led a West African intervention force to prop up Kabbah against rebels, made the proposal at the United Nations in New York.

The move followed a report by Britain's U.N. ambassador Jeremy Greenstock, who recently visited Sierra Leone, Odine said. Greenstock recommended that UNAMSIL be strengthened and said the war in Sierra Leone was linked to an upsurge in armed attacks along the borders of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. West African countries made the same point, Odine said.

"Basically, what they are saying is that they want to look at the possibility of achieving a transitional government for Sierra Leone to enhance an everlasting peace," he said.

Kabbah's five-year term ends in March 2001. His Sierra Leone's People's Party, the biggest in parliament, recently slammed the call for a transitional national unity government made by a group of "concerned citizens."

They had said there was no point in holding elections while a large part of the country was still under the control of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel movement. Kabbah should remain as president after his term ended and rule with a national unity government, they said. They did not suggest how its members should be appointed.

A peace agreement was signed in July 1999 to end Sierra Leone's eight-year civil war but it fell apart in May and an increase in RUF attacks has been reported in the north in the past week or two.



Copyright © 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

Britain and US fear spread of Sierra Leone war
Posted November 2, 2000 - 12:56 by newsdesk

Related Source: The Independent

UK marines in S.Leone earlier this year

By Alex Duval Smith, Africa Correspondent

2 November 2000

Britain's decision to send a senior army officer to serve with the United Nations in Sierra Leone – and its move to deploy a naval rapid reaction force off the war-torn West African country – represent the first evidence of a wide-ranging rethink of peace-keeping in the world's trouble-spots.

Six months after 500 United Nations peace-keepers were humiliatingly disarmed and taken hostage by rebels fighting for supremacy in Sierra Leone's diamond areas, Britain yesterday announced its first high-level appointment to the country's blue-helmet force (Unamsil) when Brigadier Alastair Duncan was named as chief of staff under a new commander, the Kenyan three-star general Daniel Ishmael Opande.

The British appointment and the removal of the former commander, Major-General Vijay Jetley, from India, coupled with a United States commitment to train and supply Nigerian peace-keepers, signals an acceptance by Security Council members of the need to commit real back-up and firepower to UN efforts to end conflicts.

According to military analysts, the development also signals a recognition, by Britain and the US in particular, that the Sierra Leone conflict threatens to spread throughout west Africa. It also shows that Britain, as the former colonial power in Sierra Leone and the best-equipped player in the region, has accepted the role of acting as permanent back-up for the UN.

The changes in Sierra Leone come two months after a UN report called on Britain and the US in particular to commit themselves to making peace-keeping work or see the world body's credibility disappear for ever.

The abduction of 500 troops in Sierra Leone came after a series of humiliations, including the UN's failure to prevent Bosnian Serbs overrunning the so-called "safe haven" of Srebrenica in 1995; its powerlessness in the face of the 1994 Rwandan genocide; and the negative image it gained in the US after 18 US Marines died in Somalia in 1993.

Brigadier Duncan, of the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment, has served in Bosnia and will answer to General Opande, who is Kenya's deputy chief-of-staff and has held senior positions in UN missions in Liberia, which adjoins Sierra Leone, and Namibia. General Opande's deputy will be a Nigerian who has yet to be named. He will replace Brigadier General Mohammed Garba, who has had public clashes with General Jetley.

According to a Western military analyst, the UN hopes that the high-level nature of the new team – and the fact that international peace-keepers will be backed by a British rapid reaction force including more than 500 Royal Marines – will encourage member countries to commit new troops.

India, currently the mainstay of the 12,500-strong UN force with 3,000 soldiers, and Jordan, which has the third-largest contingent, have announced their intention to withdraw their men by the end of the year. It is understood that the Netherlands and Canada, which have pledged troops to peace-keeping on the Eritrea-Ethiopia border, have been sounded out about switching their commitment to Sierra Leone.

Britain currently has more than 400 troops in Sierra Leone, whose main role is to train and lead the country's army in its efforts to thwart rebels who control diamond-producing areas in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. In the 18 months in which Britain has played an overt role in backing President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah's government, it has always insisted its troops are distinct from any UN force. But the latest developments signal an acceptance that they must work with the blue helmets.

Britain's increased commitment in Sierra Leone may cause controversy at home. After a paratrooper died during an operation in September to rescue British troops held hostage by a rebel militia, the Opposition called for a withdrawal from Sierra Leone.


© 2000 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd.

HRW - Justice and the Sierra Leone Special Court
Posted November 1, 2000 - 16:03 by newsdesk

Related Source: Human Rights Watch

'If the Sierra Leone Special Court is not given jurisdication over crimes commited during the entire war, justice cannot be served for the people of Sierra Leone ... Human Rights Watch believes that the Court's already limited resources should be used to pursue adults, not children.'

New York, November 1, 2000

The United Nations Security Council may be preparing to place excessive limitations on the Sierra Leone Special Court, Human Rights Watch charged today.

The proposed restrictions might limit the Court's jurisdiction to crimes committed since November 30, 1996, leaving untried the crimes committed since the beginning of the war in March 1991. This raises the possibility that some of the worst perpetrators of atrocities in Sierra Leone, such as former rebel leader Foday Sankoh, would walk free.

"If the Sierra Leone Special Court is not given jurisdication over crimes commited during the entire war, justice cannot be served for the people of Sierra Leone," said Peter Takirambudde, director of the Africa division of Human Rights Watch. "The bottom line is that perpetrators of atrocities committed bewteen 1991 and 1996 will never be tried."

Human Rights Watch welcomed the Secretary-General's report on the Special Court, but urged the Security Council to approve a statute that will empower the court to act more effectively. This Court must create a precedent for a strong cooperation between national and international justice. The Court must be vested with powers to vigorously enforce international cooperation at every stage, and member States should cooperate with the Court's orders and requests.

Human Rights Watch also recommends that the Special Court not try persons who were under the age of eighteen when they committed crimes. Children should be held accountable for their offenses, but in view of their inherent immaturity, and because many child combatants were forcibly abducted, brutalized and coerced, Human Rights Watch believes that the Court's already limited resources should be used to pursue adults, not children.

In addition, Human Rights Watch opposes the statute's definition of the crime of recruitment of child soldiers. The statute considerably narrows the well-established prohibition of recruitment or use of children. The statute's definition should be amended to include any recruitment or use of children under the age of fifteen in hostilities as a war crime.


Click here for the full text of HRW's letter to the UN Security Council.

Annan designates Kenyan as UN commander in Sierra Leone
Posted November 1, 2000 - 13:48 by newsdesk

Related Source: Reuters

UNAMSIL is slowly recovering from the crisis in May

UNITED NATIONS, October 31, 2000 (Reuters)

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced his intention Tuesday to name Lt.-Gen. Daniel Opande of Kenya to head the Sierra Leone peacekeeping mission, replacing the current Indian force commander.

The appointment is the first of three changes in the force's military hierarchy expected since the hostage-taking in May of 500 peacekeepers by the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF), U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said.

The U.N. Security Council has until Thursday morning to raise any objections to the appointment, Eckhard said. Diplomats said none were expected.

Opande, who is Kenya's vice chief of staff, had led a U.N. Observer Mission in Liberia and was a deputy force commander for the large U.N. operation in Namibia in 1989-1990.

He visited Sierra Leone last May when the peacekeepers, including some 18 Kenyans, were held captive. Four Kenyans lost their lives, leading to calls in Nairobi for the Kenyan troops to withdraw. But a parliamentary mission that included Opande recommended otherwise.

Opande also met the now-jailed rebel leader Foday Sankoh in an effort to get the troops released. The RUF finally did so and Sankoh was imprisoned.

India, currently the mainstay of the force with 3,200 troops, last month said it was pulling out its contingents gradually at a time when the United Nations was attempting to increase its soldiers from 13,000 to 20,500.

Jordan, which has an 1,800-member contingent, followed suit earlier this month, saying that not enough rich countries were contributing to the force.

Annan also told the Security Council that his native Ghana would send a battalion to the U.N. Mission in Sierra Leone, known as UNAMSIL, Eckhard reported.

UNAMSIL is to help the government of Sierra Leone consolidate its position in face of rebels who control parts of the West African nation, including diamond mining areas used to finance their operations.



Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved.

Fighting Flares in Sierra Leone
Posted November 1, 2000 - 13:42 by newsdesk

Related Source: Associated Press

Rebels still present a threat in S.Leone

FREETOWN, Tue 31 Oct 2000 (AP)

Sierra Leone's brutal rebels, taking advantage of the end of the rainy season, have resumed attacks in this war-ravaged country, officials say.

Much of the new fighting came last week. It centered around villages near the southeastern town of Bo and the northern town of Kabala, Sierra Leonean and United Nations officials said Monday.

Patrick Coker, a U.N. spokesman, said the Revolutionary United Front rebels had fought two battles last week against the Kamajors, a pro-government militia of traditional hunters. He said much of that fighting appeared to come when RUF and Kamajor patrols stumbled into one another.

He had no reports of any deaths.

Maj. John Milton, a spokesman for Sierra Leone's army, said the rebels had attacked and burned villages near the northern town of Kabala on Saturday.

Earlier, they had torched villages near the town of Lunsar, about 60 miles northeast of Freetown, the capital, Milton said. Those attacks were launched to steal food, officials said.

It was not clear how many people were injured or killed.

The rebels have killed tens of thousands of civilians and systematically maimed many more since 1991 in a bid to oust the government through terror. They have abandoned three peace treaties, the latest signed in July 1999.



Copyright 2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

END