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Situation still tense in the east

    ABIDJAN

    The situation of the UN peacekeepers encircled by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in the eastern district of Kailahun "remains tense", the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Sierra Leone, Oluyemi Adeniji, told IRIN on Friday.

    Adeniji said he understood that instructions had been given by the RUF high command to end their encirclement of some 250 UN peacekeepers but "had not quite been carried out".

    The UN mission in Freetown said on Thursday that it hoped for a speedy resolution of the situation.

    Meanwhile in response to reports that the RUF have been moving captured UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) equipment towards the eastern town of Kenema, Adeniji said reinforced UN patrols were being sent from the town to check on the situation. Asked what the troops would do if attacked, he said "the situation on the ground now dictates a more robust response".

    He added that UNAMSIL troops were advancing towards Rogberi Junction and would be there "in the next day or so."

    Meanwhile, a high-level UN assessment team headed by former Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Manfred Eisele was due to arrive in Freetown on Friday. A six-member ECOWAS delegation, sent to help negotiate a ceasefire, is expected next week.

    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

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