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Full Security Council support for rescue

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    The UN Security Council expressed its support on Monday for the weekend operation that rescued 233 peacekeepers and military observers who had been blocked by rebels in the eastern town of Kailahun since May.

    “The Security Council expresses its full support for the decision taken by the Secretary-General to mount a military operation by UNAMSIL to relieve its surrounded peacekeepers and military observers at Kailahun”, a statement said.

    It said that the “cooperation, coherence and sense of common purpose displayed by all concerned should be considered an example of the very best in United Nation multilateral peacekeeping.”

    UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was “gratified” that the rescue had been completed successfully but deeply regretted the death of one peacekeeper and the wounding of six others during the military operation, according to a statement issued on Monday by his spokesman’s office.

    Annan now hopes that all efforts can be directed towards a resumption of the peace process and an early end to the suffering of the people in Sierra Leone, the UN statement said.

    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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