More attacks in Kambia

The north-western area of Kambia, near the Guinean border, is still very insecure with reports of further rebel attacks on the village of Pamelap, where aid agencies are located. Humanitarian sources told IRIN shooting broke out on Sunday and aid workers trying to flee into Guinea were turned back at the border. Guinean officials have been preventing foreign-registered vehicles from entering the country. Before Sunday’s fighting, relief workers registered 23,557 displaced people in Balamoya and surrounding villages. The plan was to bring relief supplies to them on Monday. It is believed more displaced people are stuck in villages between Rogberi and Balamoya, while others may have used bush paths to cross over to the Dakagbe refugee camp in Guinea. The missionary news agency MISNA also reported a rebel attack on Mambolo in Kambia district yesterday (Tuesday), but said further details were awaited. In a separate development, MISNA said a cargo ship transporting over 1,790 mt of rice from Italy was due to dock in Freetown port on Saturday. The consignment has been held up in the Guinean capital, Conakry, for over a month due to the security situation in the Sierra Leone capital.