ECOMOG admits excesses

The West African intervention force ECOMOG has admitted excesses by some of its members, according to a senior UN official. The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu, told a news briefing in New York yesterday (Wednesday), that ECOMOG force commander General Timothy Shelpidi and Sierra Leone army chief General Maxwell Khobe had said about 100 men had been arrested and were being interrogated in connection with reports of summarily executing suspected rebels. The two generals promised swift action against those found guilty and emphasised that the incidents had not been ordered, Otunnu said. He urged ECOMOG leaders to “rein in their men” and punish those who had committed excesses “given the exemplary reputation that the Force has built in Sierra Leone”. Otunnu also condemned atrocities carried out by the rebels and their use of children “on a massive scale” as fighters. He said there was a need for peace initiatives within Sierra Leone itself, but its neighbours must also be involved. Despite the “unspeakable tragedy” in Sierra Leone, he remained hopeful about long-term prospects for the country. “It is rare that a society emerging from protracted conflict remains as united and cohesive at the national level as Sierra Leone is today,” Otunnu was quoted as saying.