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Just over 16,000 rival militia have disarmed since January in Sierra Leone, UNAMSIL spokeswoman Margaret Novicki told reporters on Wednesday at UN headquarters in New York. She also said UNAMSIL (UN Mission in Sierra Leone) was negotiating the release of 2,600 child fighters.
Disarmament is being conducted under a district-by-district arrangement nationwide, Novicki said, and was expected to finish in December. The UN Department of Public Information reported that this would enable government to re-establish its authority throughout the war-shattered nation, and permit the remaining refugees to return.
Disarmament came to a halt in May 2000 when the anti-government Revolutionary United Front seized some 500 UN troops, whom they released months later. Since then, a new and younger RUF leadership has shown its commitment to the peace process, Novicki said. Seizing on this, UNAMSIL's leadership talked the RUF and the rival Civil Defence Forces into abiding by the 1999 Lome Peace Accord between the government and the RUF. UNAMSIL has also worked to regain public support and confidence, she said.
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