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Ex-combatants ended what some media described as a "protest" in the Sierra Leone capital, Freetown, on Monday following discussions with officials of the National Committee for Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (NCDDR).
"The ex-combatants went to a registration centre in Freetown and on finding that their names did not appear on the list of those being paid the subsistence allowance today or this week, they decided to march through town and come to our headquarters seeking an explanation," NCDDR Executive Secretary Francis Kaikai told IRIN. "It was not a protest," he said.
The ex-combatants "were largely orderly although a few tried to cause trouble but both the police and the UN security teams were there to check on that," Kaikai said. After NCDDR officials met with the group's representatives, they dispersed because they realised they would get their allowances from next week.
"The problem is that these people are usually very impatient and all want to be given first priority," Kaikai said. He said NCDDR was providing about 20,000 ex-combatants with subsistence allowances from funds provided by donors and the government pending proper reintegration projects.
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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
