Search
  1. Home
  2. West Africa
  3. Sierra Leone

US releases funds for peacekeeping

    ABIDJAN

    A US senator announced that he was lifting his veto on some US $50 million in funding owed to the UN for international peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone, the US State Department reported on Tuesday.

    Judd Gregg, who heads a sub-committee that controls foreign aid
    disbursements, had blocked the funding because he opposed US policy in Sierra Leone. He reportedly changed his mind after receiving guarantees regarding policy from the US ambassador to the UN, Richard Holbrooke, particularly with regard to the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and its leader, Foday Sankoh, AFP said.

    Following recent RUF violations of the Lome Peace Agreement, Sankoh, who is now under detention in Sierra Leone and awaiting trial, is no longer considered by the international community to be a part of the peace process.

    According to State Department Spokesman Philip Reeker, "Senator Gregg noted, as Ambassador Holbrooke and the Secretary (Madeleine Albright) have noted, the United States does not believe that Foday Sankoh should play any role whatsoever in the future political process in Sierra Leone."

    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

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join