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UN mission expands its presence

    ABIDJAN

    The UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) is expanding its presence throughout the country, UN spokesman David Wimhurst said on Monday. He said UNAMSIL had now deployed in nine out of Sierra Leone’s 12 districts.

    An official from UNAMSIL’s public information office confirmed to IRIN that a full contingent of Zambian soldiers numbering 775 had arrived in Sierra Leone and were in Lungi, close to Freetown, awaiting a decision on where they would be sent.

    Wimhurst said the Zambian battalion was expected to deploy in the diamond region of Koidu, a Revolutionary United Front (RUF) stronghold. Over 8,300 peacekeepers are in the country out of a maximum of 11,000 authorised by the UN Security Council.

    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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