Share & more
The government of Sierra Leone released 31 inmates from Pademba Road Prison in Freetown on Wednesday including some high-ranking Revolutionary United Front (RUF) officials, Director of Information Priestley Bell told IRIN.
Mike Lamin, former minister for trade and industry in a short-lived unity government formed after the signing of the Lome Peace Accord in July 1999, and former RUF spokesman Eldred Collins were among those released, Bell said. They had been held since May 2000 when a peaceful civilian demonstration against RUF attempts to derail the Lome Accord turned violent. RUF leader Foday Sankoh was also arrested later and imprisoned in an undisclosed location.
Bell did not give further details about the identities of the remaining 29 former detainees. However, he said they have been released as part of government efforts to boost confidence and maintain peace.
"The government is committed to the peace process and wants there to be a sustainable peace," he said.
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
