Strong ECOMOG presence in Port Loko

ECOMOG has established a strong presence in the northern town of Port Loko, where armed bandits have been harassing civilians since the start of Sierra Leone's disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programme, the Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Unit (HACU) said. ECOMOG has set up check points next to a DDR camp in Port Loko, some 40 km northeast of Freetown, and a curfew has been imposed from 8 p.m. each day, HACU said in its situation report for 21 November to 5 December. The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) does not believe there is a direct threat to the town from the outside, HACU said, but it remains wary of problems from former combatants within the town, which has been a stronghold of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels.