UN peacekeeping force commander pushes for progress in Sierra Leone's disarmament

Visiting towns in the southern and eastern parts of Sierra Leone, the commander of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in the country has pushed for progress in the disarmament effort, the UN Mission for Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) announced today.

Force Commander Lt. Gen. Daniel Opande, who visited Zimmi, Pujehun, Tongo and Kenema on Tuesday, advised the leadership of the Civil Defence Force (CDF) to encourage their combatants to disarm. He also urged those who could not meet the disarmament criteria to seek assistance from the National Commission for Reconstruction, Resettlement and Rehabilitation, which is responsible for addressing the general welfare of war-affected Sierra Leoneans.

Later in the day, senior commanders of the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Kailahun District assured the Force Commander that the RUF was ready to disarm, contrary to earlier reports that it was suspending disarmament.