UNOMSIL welcomes prisoners' release

The UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) has welcomed the release of 41 prisoners over the weekend by the Sierra Leonean government.

In a statement issued on Monday, UNOMSIL also welcomed the release on 18 June of 14 people held by the Economic Community of West African States Peace Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) and the release by the RUF of 10 ECOMOG soldiers, on 30 June, and 190 abductees on 16 July.

However, UNOMSIL said it was disturbed that of the thousands of men, women and children behind RUF lines, only a limited number had been freed despite numerous efforts by UNOMSIL to secure their release. Under the Lome agreement, the government and the RUF agreed to the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of war and non-combatants. Sierra Leone Information Minister Julius Spencer told IRIN on Monday that Kabbah had ordered the release of 98 former Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) officials and collaborators.

The AFRC was the military junta ousted by ECOMOG in 1998.

Contact Group makes commitment to lasting peace

Participants in a meeting of the Sierra Leone Contact Group (SLCG) welcomed the signing of the Lome Peace Agreement and committed themselves to work towards lasting peace, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said on Wednesday.

The SLCG meeting, held in London on Wednesday, was attended by senior representatives of 23 countries, the United Nations, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the European Commission, the Commonwealth, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Following a presentation by Kabbah on the current situation, the meeting agreed on a number of immediate priorities for the future, including addressing impunity and breaking the cycle of violence in the country.

They also agreed on an action plan for the government of Sierra Leone, the RUF and the international community.