A Nigerian peacekeeper was killed on Sunday in an exchange of fire between UN forces and suspected Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels, Fred Eckhard, spokesman of the UN Secretary-General reported on Tuesday.
The attack took place during a routine UN patrol near Rogberi Junction, some 70 km northeast of Freetown. The peacekeeper’s body was recovered on Monday, the UN said. Since 1 May at least seven peacekeepers, one Indian, one Jordanian and five Nigerians have been killed in the line of duty and at least eight others are reported missing, the UN reported.
In response to a question on whether or not the nature of the UN mission in Sierra Leone had changed since the weekend rescue of peacekeepers in the eastern town of Kailahun, Eckhard said: “The operation has not been converted to a military operation, a peacekeeping operation is a military operation. It’s an operation which does not use normal military methods except when they have to fight their way out of a tight corner.”
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