First Kenyan peacekeepers arrive

The first batch of United Nations peacekeepers arrived in Sierra Leone on Monday as part of a new 6,000-strong force to support the implementation of the peace deal signed in July. The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sierra Leone, Francis Okelo, met the 133 Kenyan soldiers, among them 13 officers, at Lungi International Airport. "Your arrival marks the high point in UN support for the consolidation of peace and stability in the country following the signing of the historic Lome Peace Accord four months ago," Okelo told the force. The remainder of the Kenyan battalion and an equal size from India, he said, were due soon. The troops will work together with some 223 UN military observers from 30 countries already on the ground. The UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) will help the government implement a disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration plan, monitor adherence to the ceasefire and aid the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The UN peacekeeping force is also made up of four ECOMOG battalions already in Sierra Leone, comprising troops from Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed Major General Vijay Kumar Jetley of India as force commander, although this has yet to be approved by the Security Council, UN sources said.