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Annan welcomes release of peacekeepers

    ABIDJAN
    UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Thursday that he was “gratified” to learn that Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels had released 21 UN peacekeepers they had been detaining in Pendembu, eastern Sierra Leone. The peacekeepers were released with the assistance of Liberian President Charles Taylor and transferred to Monrovia. A spokesman for the UN Secretary-General said they would be transported on Friday to Freetown for debriefing and, where necessary, medical assistance. The spokesman said Annan had been in contact with Taylor regarding the RUF’s UN detainees and hoped that the some 230 peacekeepers and military observers blocked by the RUF in Kailahun, another eastern district, would regain their freedom of movement right away.

    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

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