No ban on Sierra Leonean men, government says

Guinea has denied a news report published on Thursday that it had banned men from Sierra Leone from entering the country by sea. The chairman of Guinea's Bureau national de coordination des refugies (National Refugee Coordination Office) told IRIN on Thursday: "Guinea has never, never restricted (the entry of) Sierra Leonean males." The official, Alhousseine Thiam, said there had been cases of boats coming to Guinea with some people requesting refuge and others - businessmen - saying they had no intention of staying. Those requesting asylum, Thiam said, were handed over to the appropriate local agency. The French news agency, AFP, had quoted boat operators in Freetown as saying on Wednesday that Guinea had stopped adult males from entering the country following cross-border attacks by a rebel splinter group calling itself the Sierra Leonean People's Army.