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Revolutionary United Front (RUF) fighters prevented government troops taking supplies to their forces in the town of Bumbuna from passing through Makeni, 140 km northeast of Freetown, military sources in Freetown told IRIN on Monday. The troops turned back.
The RUF gave no reason for its action, but analysts in Freetown said it could have been in protest at what the movement sees as the government's unilateral actions on issues of national interest. The RUF wants the government to lift the state of emergency and release all its members, including its leader, Foday Sankoh. It also complained that its members were being harassed, which the government denies.
The RUF reacted to the government's refusal to bow to its demands by boycotting a meeting in Makeni on Thursday of the Joint Committee on Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration. The committee comprises the government, the UN Mission in Sierra Leone and the RUF.
On 16 August, the RUF had allowed an army supply convoy to drive through Makeni unhindered to the town of Kabala. That was the first time in over three and a half years that the security situation had improved enough for government forces to move through RUF territory by road.
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
