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Obasanjo pledges to withdraw troops from Sierra Leone

Country Map - Burundi (Bujumbura) IRIN
More than 40,000 people have been displaced, while over 17,000 people, fearful of fighting, are spending nights in areas of the city they consider to be safe
    BUJUMBURA

    Obasanjo vowed yesterday that if elected, he would pull Nigerian ECOMOG troops out of Sierra Leone, AFP reported.

    Speaking in Abuja, he described Nigeria’s involvement in Sierra Leone as a “waste of resources.” Nigeria makes up the bulk of the 15,000 ECOMOG troops fighting to keep Kabbah’s beleaguered government in power.

    Last month, Nigeria’s military ruler General Abdulsalami Abubukar said he hoped peace would be restored in Sierra Leone so that troops could be withdrawn in time for Nigeria’s transition from military to civilian rule on 29 May.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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