UN forces in control of Masiaka

UN forces are in control of the strategic town of Masiaka some 60 km east of Freetown, following fighting with Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels on Tuesday, UN spokeswoman Hirut Befecadu told IRIN on Wednesday. “Masiaka is today calm and quiet and UN forces are settling in,” she said. Following reports of “disturbances” on Monday night in Masiaka, some 415 UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) troops were deployed to the town on Tuesday, and took control after exchanging fire with RUF rebels, Befecadu said. She had no details of casualties on either side. A senior Sierra Leone military officer said the rebels took the town after a six-hour overnight battle on Monday, and a British army officer confirmed that the rebels had established a significant presence there, the BBC reported on Tuesday. UN troops from the Indian and Jordanian contingents used tanks and infantry to beat back the rebels, it added. Masiaka has changed hands several times since renewed fighting between pro-government forces and RUF rebels broke out in early May. It was also the scene of fighting last week between rival Sierra Leone Army (SLA) factions, including one group based in the nearby Occra Hills known as the ‘Westside Boys,’—former SLA loyal to Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) leader Johnny Paul Koroma. On Tuesday, humanitarian agencies in Freetown expressed concern about the recent in-fighting between pro-government factions, saying that it would hinder aid operations to displaced people, AFP reported. Befecadu said the situation in Freetown remained “very calm” on Wednesday.