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More than 200 Revolutionary United Front (RUF) combatants presented themselves for disarmament on Tuesday in Makeni Town Hall in northern Bombali district, the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) said in a statement on Tuesday.
The combatants, including 27 women and 16 children, turned in a range of weapons to UNAMSIL's Military Observers. They included AK-47s, self-loading rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and ammunitions, the statement said.
The occasion was attended by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General Oluyemi Adeniji, UNAMSIL Force Commander Lt-Gen Daniel Opande, RUF interim leader "General" Issa Sesay and Francis Kaikai of the National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (NCDDR) and other officials.
It quoted Adeniji as advising the combatants "to disarm on time so as to take advantage of the reintegration packages the NCDDR has to offer". He also urged the combatants to help themselves by identifying options for their future careers, "as putting down their weapons was the start of a new chapter in their lives". On behalf of RUF, an official, Mike Lamin assured Adeniji of the rebel's commitment to the peace process.
Disarmament in Bombali had been stalled following various grievances voiced by the RUF including their dissatisfaction with the choice of location for handing over weapons. At the end of last Thursday's meeting of the Joint Committee on Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), comprising the government, UNAMSIL and RUF, the parties agreed to complete disarmament in Bombali by 31 October. They also agreed to complete disarmament in the northern district of Koinadugu and the southern districts of Bo and Moyamba.
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