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Civilians arrive in Freetown from Makeni

Humanitarian sources in Freetown said on Monday that small numbers of civilians have been arriving in the capital from Makeni, some 130 km northeast of Freetown. During the last week around eight or nine people have reached Freetown, sources told IRIN, some with help from rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) who said they wanted peace. The civilians said there were acute food shortages in Makeni, with many people living on mangoes and cassava. ECOMOG spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Chris Olukolade told IRIN on Monday that ECOMOG soldiers had been screening "trickles of civilians" on their way from Makeni to Freetown.

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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