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Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and Alpha Konare of Mali arrived on Monday in Kono, eastern Sierra Leone, to witness the official end of the disarmament of rival militias in the diamond-rich area, sources at the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) told IRIN.
The two presidents are expected to meet traditional leaders and members of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), AFP reported. They are accompanied by Sierra Leonean Vice President Ramadan Dumbuya along with ranking UNAMSIL civilian and military officials.
Success of the disarmament drive in Kono, which began on 2 July, is considered essential to achieving peace in Sierra Leone. The district had been held by the RUF, which mined its diamonds to pay for its 10-year war against successive governments in Freetown.
More recently, however, the RUF’s stranglehold there had been seriously challenged by the pro-government Civil Defence Forces. In addition, diplomats and political observers have said, Guinean military victories in Kambia District, the presence of a British military training team in Sierra Leone, the development of a more professional national army, an expanding UN peacekeeping presence and sanctions against Liberia appeared to have helped make the RUF more amenable to disarmament.
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
