Phase one of disarmament completed

With the discharge of 1,408 former Sierra Leone Army (ex-SLA) soldiers, the government and its partners have completed the first phase of a disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programme aimed at consolidating peace in Sierra Leone, a UN report said.

In its report for July and August, the UN Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Unity (HACU) for Sierra Leone said the DDR centre in Lungi - about 17 km north of Freetown - had been reopened. It has been receiving ex-SLA soldiers who surrendered before the start of the programme, which assumes that 33,000 to 40,000 combatants will need to be disarmed and reintegrated into society. The operation is expected to cost up to US $35 million.

Humanitarian access mechanism needed

HACU said a comprehensive mechanism was needed to guarantee unhindered access for humanitarian aid missions to areas controlled by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF).

"The Implementation Committee established in Lome for this purpose is yet to convene," the report said. Despite this, it added, some RUF commanders "have shown willingness to cooperate with agencies in providing adequate security for the start of relief operations".

However, humanitarian agencies worry about the ad-hoc basis of this arrangement. They have expressed concern about "serious incidents" in the Occra Hills - about 40 km east of Freetown - as well as in Rokupr and Makeni, about 67 km north and 200 km northeast of Freetown respectively.

In these areas, the RUF have threatened the lives of humanitarian workers, beaten national staff, stolen personal items and looted the assets of relief agencies, HACU reported. "This contrasts sharply with RUF-controlled areas in the east where visits have been incident-free," it said.

There have also been persistent reports of harassment by the pro-government militia, Civil Defence Forces, in the southern and eastern provinces, according to HACU. It said motorists driving along the Freetown-Bo-Kenema highways were reportedly harassed on the 76 checkpoints along the route. It takes truckers and other drivers two days to cover the 240 km to Bo, the report said.

"The combined effect of these incidents has interfered with the planned expansion of humanitarian programmes throughout the country," HACU said.

Curfew relaxed

A curfew imposed on Freetown almost eight months ago has been reduced by two hours beginning Thursday, ECOMOG Press and Public Relations Officer Lieutenant Colonel Chris Olukolade told IRIN.

Confirming reports that the relaxation was announced in an official communique broadcast on state radio, Olukolade said the curfew will begin at 21:00 and end at 06:00.

The restriction would, he said, be relaxed further "as the security situation improves". Prior to this the curfew began at 20:00 and ended at 07:00.

Food aid

Sierra Leoneans will probably face "increased hardship" when the cassava harvest runs out in September because "very few" families risked cultivating rice fields during the war, the reports says quoting Action Contre la Faim (ACF), an international NGO.

It says the plight of villagers along the Masiaka-Makeni and Songo-Masiaka roads could be considered grave because of the prevailing hungry season, the lack of medical care and poor drinking water.

In response, the National Technical Committee on Food Aid has proposed an expanded vulnerable group feeding (VGF) distribution in affected areas.

The committee also wants to ensure that more food goes to towns, while adhering to the principle of target programmes, the HACU report said.

VGF will target all children under five years old, pregnant and lactating women, elderly people and the disabled.