UN military observers deployed in Masiaka have reported that none of the ‘West Side Boys’ militia have surrendered their weapons in response to an ultimatum Sierra Leone’s government issued at the weekend on state radio, UNAMSIL spokeswoman Hirut Befecadu said in Freetown on Tuesday.
The government had ordered the militia, made up of former members of the Sierra Leone Army (SLA) loyal to ex-junta leader Johnny Paul Koroma, to report with their weapons to UN peacekeepers in Masiaka by Tuesday or face punishment.
Some of them are ready to surrender, AFP reported, but are being intimidated by others to prevent them from giving up their arms.
Large numbers of abducted children are known to be with the ‘West Side Boys’ and many are serving as combatants, UNICEF said in a 4-10 July situation report.
UNAMSIL was not party to the ultimatum but was asked by the government to put military observers in place and set up positions so that the ‘West Side Boys’ could be registered for disarmament, Befecadu told journalists in response to a question on Tuesday.
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