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The whereabouts of 46 Sierra Leoneans abducted by unidentified men from Liberia over the past two weeks remained unknown, Margaret Novicki, spokesman of the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), told IRIN on Monday.
Armed men abducted 18 people on 25 July from Kokobu in Kailahun District in eastern Sierra Leone. That was one week after 28 were taken in another abduction in the same location. "There were women among the abducted, whom the attackers may have used as porters to carry their loot," Novicki said.
Kailahun borders on Liberia's Lofa County, plagued since 1998 by fighting between Liberian pro- and anti-government forces. Sierra Leonean troops have been beefed up in the area and UNAMSIL was continuing its border patrols, using helicopters and other troops, Novicki added. She said it was difficult to tell who was responsible for the cross-border raids.
Meanwhile Britain on Sunday withdrew 200 troops from Sierra Leone but left behind 120 to continue training the country's armed forces. The troops were among 1,000 Royal Marines sent to Sierra Leone in May 2000 to help government forces battle rebels. The marines have been gradually withdrawn following the end of Sierra Leone's 10-year civil war.
So far they have trained over 9,000 members of the Sierra Leone armed forces.
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
