Symbolic arms destruction planned

A four-member delegation from the regional centre for peace and disarmament in Lome, Togo, recently travelled to Sierra Leone to advise on the destruction of weapons due later this month in Freetown. The team, from the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, visited Freetown following a government request for technical advice. "All the people we met supported the idea of a symbolic weapons destruction," Napoleon Abdulai, Disarmament Officer for the centre, told IRIN. Logistical and environmental issues of the planned operation were discussed during the visit. The leader of the delegation, Abubakar Multi-Kamara, said the mission was in response to ongoing consultations with the UN, the ECOWAS Secretariat and the government of Sierra Leone on the moves to enhance peace and security along with the disarmament programme, ECOMOG, the West African Peace Monitoring Group, announced. During the 29 March to 3 April mission, the UN team met President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah; the minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Sama Banya; Defence Minister Hinga Norman, National Security Adviser Cheka Mansarray, Revolutionary United Front leader Foday Sankoh and Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) leader Johnny Paul Koroma. They also met with the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative, UN officials, the ECOMOG commander and civil society groups.