Nigeria warns countries aiding rebels

Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry warned Liberia and other countries yesterday to stop backing rebels in Sierra Leone, AFP reported. “It cannot be business as usual with countries which provide bullets that kill and maim our sons and daughters,” it said, quoting the Foreign Ministry statement. This was the first statement by Nigeria on the situation in Freetown since the rebel attack. Nigeria provides most of the troops for ECOMOG. Shelpidi said in Freetown yesterday that Liberian President Charles Taylor was supporting the RUF. “He’s funding the rebels in exchange for diamonds,” Reuters quoted Shelpidi as saying. Taylor has denied his government’s involvement but concedes that Liberian mercenaries were helping the rebels. Nigeria also called on Wednesday for a concerted international effort to contain the war. The Foreign Ministry said any initiative to bring reconciliation in Sierra Leone “must necessarily take into serious cognisance the pivotal role of the three ECOMOG troop-contributing countries, including Nigeria,” Reuters said. Apart form Nigeria, Ghana and Guinea are the other troop contributing countries. The Gambia and Mali are also expected to send troops.