Sierra Leone's National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (NCDDR) has expressed "grave concern" over the destruction of furniture at its office in western Freetown by protesting ex-combatants, it said in its latest weekly bulletin.
The NCDDR strongly condemned the "acts of vandalism" perpetrated by these ex-combatants on 10-12 April over the payment of the second US $150 tranche of their Transitional Safety Net Allowances (TSA), the NCDDR said in its 14 April bulletin.
[The TSA is a type of demobilisation/reintegration allowance for former fighters.]
"As from now on, anyone identified as being responsible for lawlessness or acts of vandalism will be seriously dealt with according to the law and will stand the risk of forfeiting all rights to reintegration benefits," NCDDR warned.
It said such people would be required to pay for all damages and reminded ex-combatants that they were now ordinary civilians, were not "above the law" and "should work hard to build a new image of themselves".
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