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Guinea has expressed “full support” for the UN’s disarmament programme in Sierra Leone where a pro-government militia and Revolutionary United Front rebels began laying down their arms at designated points on Friday, UNAMSIL reported.
It said the minister and secretary-general of the Guinean Presidency, Foday Bangura, and Defence Ministry officials made the pledge to Sierra Leonean President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah on Saturday. Kabbah paid a brief visit to Conakry to discuss Guinea’s bombardment of RUF positions in Rokupr, Kambia District, on Friday, the day disarmament started in that sector. AFP quoted witnesses as saying the artillery barrage nearly scuttled the process.
Guinea said the incident happened because of a “communication gap” and that “immediate steps [would] be taken to prevent a recurrence”. Guinea and Sierra Leone encouraged UNAMSIL to continue the disarmament in Kambia and Port Loko districts, where 1,009 rival fighters had handed in their arms by Sunday.
When the operation is completed - at the end of May - Sierra Leonean government troops will deploy to Kambia. They and their Guinean counterparts will then patrol their respective sides of the border, UNAMSIL reported.
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