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Call to support a democratic army, police

    ABIDJAN

    Lloyd also urged the government, with the help of the international community, to build a new, democratically accountable army and police force. He said army recruitment should be free of discrimination and representative of all ethnic groups.

    Lloyd also called on the government to allow humanitarian agencies and the ICRC to work without interference.

    He called on ECOWAS chairman, President Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo, to support the peace process fully and work closely with the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sierra Leone, Francis Okelo, in achieving this aim.

    In addition, ECOWAS was asked to keep its force, ECOMOG, in Sierra Leone with the help of the international community, until the country's own military could ensure security. Lloyd called on ECOMOG and Britain to continue training the new army and for international financial support for this.

    Britain, the former colonial power in Sierra Leone, has promised an additional 270,000 pounds (US $432,000) to the 10 million pounds (US $16 million dollars) already pledged or disbursed to the security sector.

    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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