Rebels take part of Koidu as ECOMOG pulls out

Revolutionary United Front rebels and allied military renegades occupied the northern part of the eastern diamond mining town of Koidu on Saturday after West African troops withdrew to avoid civilian casualties, an ECOMOG source told IRIN today (Monday). The source said ECOMOG would retake the north of the town as soon as civilians were safely out of the area. “The rebels’ stay in this place is temporary,” the source said. The source declined to give casualty figures for the rebels, civilian and ECOMOG. However, Reuters quoted medical sources as saying yesterday (Sunday) that dozens of wounded civilians had reached Makeni hospital, some 160 km west of Koidu. Reuters, quoting aid workers, said at least 10,000 people had reached Makeni since Friday. An official with the UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordination Unit (HACU) in Freetown told IRIN that “large numbers” of people were leaving Koidu for Makeni. The official said arrivals appeared in a harrowing state after walking for days. Although some children showed no visible signs of malnutrition, the official added, this usually surfaced within two days if no immediate action was taken.