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The Force Commander of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone, Major General Vijay Jetley, played down rumours of insecurity saying his troops are gradually taking over most of ECOMOG's responsibilities in the country.
His comments on Wednesday were in response to fears of a security vacuum following ECOMOG's complete withdrawal. He said at the news conference in Freetown that UN troops were deployed in most parts of the country.
"UNAMSIL is deployed from one end of the country to the other end: from Lungi in the west to Kailahun in the east, in the south out to Joru and Zimmi, and soon to Pujehun," he added.
As additional troops arrive from Zambia, Jordan and India, he said, some would be sent to the eastern town of Koidu. At full strength, he said, Sierra Leone would host the largest UN peacekeeping mission anywhere.
"What we are trying to convey is that there is no need for anybody to have a sense of insecurity," Jetley said.
UNAMSIL has recently taken over security in the capital and on the Freetown peninsula from ECOMOG. Fending off suggestions that UNAMSIL needs to use force to deal with recalcitrant rebels, he said: "The strength of force lies in not (using) force. We are here to instill confidence in the people who are here. We are not here to disrupt the peace that is already here, but to enhance it further."
He added that UNAMSIL was trying to open as many roads as it could before the rainy season to improve access.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions