UN military command leads disarmament efforts in Sierra Leone

The military command of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) today continued a series of visits to Kono District to encourage combatants to join the disarmament process.

UN Force Commander Lt. Gen. Daniel Opande and his deputy, Maj. Gen. Martin Agwai, left for Kono this morning in an ongoing effort to ease tensions and resolve issues hindering the disarmament process in the district.

In the last week, the Deputy Force Commander has travelled on a nearly daily basis throughout Kono with a team composed of Kono traditional leaders and representatives of the Sierra Leonean Government to sensitize the combatants about disarmament. A joint monitoring committee composed of representatives from UNAMSIL, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and the Civil Defence Force (CDF), formed as a follow-up to the disarmament meeting on 17 July, has also made the trips.

Since 2 July, a total of 304 RUF and 454 CDF have disarmed in Kono District, while 813 CDF have disarmed in Bonthe.