Ex fighters damage NCDDR office

Former Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) fighters have vandalised the Brookfields office of the National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (NCDDR) on the western side of Freetown, Information Officer Dandersen Smith told IRIN on Wednesday. Some 200 former rebels went to the office on Monday to receive the second equal instalment of their US $300 allowance. However, when they discovered the money was not available they began destroying office furniture. "Some windows were broken, light bulbs smashed and some money was looted from a few workers," he said. The police were called and AFRC leader Johnny Paul Koroma sent some of his security personnel to persuade his supporters to stop the violence. No-one was hurt during the incident which ended after the former fighters received promises of payment the following day. There was more unrest on Tuesday, however. As some people received their allowance, fighting broke out between different factions of former rebels, some of whom were not entitled to any money, Smith said. The situation is now calm, he added, and payments are still being made.